EYE Film Institute Netherlands is Holland's national institute for cinematography. The institution’s film collection covers the whole history of cinema from the very first silent films, dating from the late 19th century, up to the latest contemporary digital productions. This internationally renowned collection, to which many Dutch and foreign titles are regularly added, is the source of inspiration for the film programs, exhibitions and events. Every year, there are major thematic programs examining the history of film and contemporary cinematographic developments. In addition, EYE organizes open-air screenings, festivals, theatrical family shows and retrospectives. EYE has the largest film library in the Netherlands. The institute also acts as distributor of classic as well as contemporary, independent films.

EYE is made up of five departments: Collection, Knowledge & Education, Presentation, Communication and Operations. Download the organisational chart at the bottom of this page

Responsible for the Netherlands' cinematographic heritage, EYE manages an extensive and internationally prominent collection that features 37,000 films, 500,000 photographs and 60,000 film posters. Each year the collection expands through acquisitions, donations and bequests. The Collection department digitalizes thousands of films and photographs as part of the collaborative project Images for the Future. Supplemented with text and/or other materials to place them in context, these films and photos are then made available in various websites, databases and applications. In this way, a growing part of the EYE collection is accessible for the general public, educational institutions, scientific research, businesses and other organizations. Read more about EYE's unique collection.

Education is one of EYE's core tasks. By offering training for the educational, film and library sectors, EYE contributes to the advancement of expertise and media education. EYE has much to offer in the areas of elementary and secondary education, as can be seen from the websites Filmeducatie, Klassefilm and MovieZone. EYE also participates in scientific research, stimulates debate and is responsible for a number of publications. The Knowledge & Education department is currently being formed.

EYE presents film in relation to current and historical developments in art, culture, media and society. In doing so, EYE often steps outside of the boundaries of film by using theatre, live music, poetry, dance and the visual arts in its presentations. In the new building on the IJ River and numerous other locations, EYE organizes exhibitions, film programs, festivals and other events. Digital presentations are also an important part of the Presentation department's work.

EYE wants to share the fun of film and all it has to offer with everyone. The Communication department tries to reach every possible audience and to increase access to the wide range of what EYE has to offer. To achieve this,  the Communication department works with representatives in the film industry, the cultural and tourism sectors, and the government. The department looks for partnerships and builds on relationships. The promotion of Dutch film abroad is one of its primary focuses. In the international film industry, EYE is the face of film in the Netherlands .

The Operations department facilitates all the abovementioned activities and manages the buildings where collections, personnel and public spaces are housed.

Digitalization has developed in a short period of time into an important issue in the Dutch film industry. Together with the managements of the industry association of cinema operators, film distributors and film producers (NVB, NVF and NVS, respectively), EYE established a project group in which a number of experts are considering how to approach the digital transition in the Dutch film industry.

NFM is currently running a large national digitization project, Images for the Future (see: http://www.beeldenvoordetoekomst.nl). On an international level EYE is aiming at making some of this digitized content available through the European Film Gateway – EFG and EUROPEANA .

eye Film Institute Netherlands

 Nederlands Filmmuseum