Film festivals’ fruitful alignment with Hollywood

27 August 2009

Marijke de Valck wins Boekman Dissertation Prize for study into film festivals

Marijke de Valck has won the first Boekman Dissertation Prize for her thesis on Film festivals: history and theory of a European phenomenon that became a global network. With this study De Valck convincingly demonstrates that the festival network and Hollywood have closer links than you might initially expect. The prize is awarded once every three years and is worth 10,000 euro.

Marijke de Valck studied the history of film festivals in Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes and Venice. She reveals how these originally national film festivals have developed into an international alternative circuit. The festivals have now assumed a middle position between the mainstream cinema and the avant-garde from both an economic and cultural viewpoint. According to De Valck, the festivals should not be seen as an exact opposite of Hollywood. On the contrary, the festival network is closely associated with Hollywood.

Together with the NWO Division for the Humanities, the Boekman Foundation has initiated the Boekman Dissertation Prize for arts, culture and related policy. With this step both organisations hope to mobilise more public attention for scientific insights that can increase the quality of arts policy. The prize of 10,000 euro was awarded for the first time this year. The prize is named after the Amsterdam Alderman for Education and Cultural Affairs Emanuel Boekman (1889-1940), as he was the first to obtain a PhD on arts policy in the Netherlands.

The Boekman Foundation collects and disseminates knowledge and information about arts, culture and related policy. It stimulates research and the development of opinion regarding the production, distribution and sale of art and culture and about national and international policies for arts and culture. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is responsible for facilitating the quality and innovation of scientific research and is committed to improving the carrier perspectives of talented scientific researchers. NWO also supports researchers in realising activities related to knowledge utilisation.

The Boekman Dissertation Prize award ceremony was held in the library of the Boekman Foundation, Herengracht 451 in Amsterdam on 11 September 2009.

Further information about the Boekman Foundation and the Boekman Dissertation Prize (including jury members and nominees) can be found at www.boekman.nl.

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last modified on 19 October 2009