ResourcesNewsNews Blog

UNIC at the Contactdag Filmbranche


On 13 September, UNIC was invited by Nederlandse Vereniging van Bioscopen en Filmtheaters (NVBF) – the Dutch cinema association – to the Contactdag Filmbranche, during the Film Festival Film-by-the-sea in Vlissingen.

The event brings together the Dutch exhibition markets – with cinemas of all sizes and locations – for a day of discussions, followed by screenings.

UNIC delivered a keynote speech about the recovery post-covid, the importance of diverse content, the latest trends and challenges and current policy files. This was then followed by a panel involving:

  • Rachel van Bommel, Producer, Millstreet Films
  • Willem Pruijssers, CEO, Dutch FilmWorks
  • Hajo Binsbergen, Managing Director Theatrical Benelux, Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Boris van der Ham, Chairman, NVBF
  • Géke Roelink, Director, Filmhuis Den Haag
  • Marco de Ruiter, Country Manager, The Walt Disney Company Benelux
  • Laura Houlgatte, CEO, UNIC


The discussion focused on five key themes:

1) Is an attractive film slate enough?
2) Streamers and cinemas – competitors or complementary?
3) Do you focus on frequent visitors or occasional visitors?
4) Should Dutch producers focus on films with a higher commercial potential?
5) Business operations and energy crisis/inflation

The day closed with a networking cocktail and a screening. Congratulations to NVBF for such a successful event!


Barco, IMAX and Vista Group 2026 Champions of UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme as UNIC Prepares Anniversary Tenth Edition

Brussels: March 4, 2026 – The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the European cinema trade body, today...


Seek acknowledgement, but do not wait for someone else to decide you are ready.

For this month's interview, we're delighted to feature Sara Frain, Managing Director, Picturehouse...