The Netherlands Film Fund has appointed Iwana Chronis as its new CEO, ending a three-year period of interim leadership at one of Europe’s prominent public film funders. Chronis takes over from Sandra den Hamer on May 1.
Den Hamer stepped into the role in 2023 after Bero Beyer resigned suddenly for health reasons. She is credited with stabilising the organisation during that period and with shaping the fund’s current strategy and direction, which Chronis is now expected to carry forward and develop.
Chronis’s route to the role
Chronis has been at the Netherlands Film Fund since 2019, when she joined as a feature film consultant. In 2021, she moved into a more senior position as head of feature film and documentary, a role that placed her at the centre of the fund’s artistic and editorial decision-making. In that capacity, she oversaw the assessment process for film applications and helped determine which Dutch projects received support.
Her career before the fund spans several of the film world’s major international institutions. She led the Hubert Bals Fund at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), which provides project development grants to filmmakers from emerging economies. She also worked with Movies that Matter, a festival and fund focused on human rights cinema, and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). She co-ordinated the founding of the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR), an advocacy body supporting filmmakers facing persecution in their home countries.
Her appointment as CEO was confirmed by Minister of Education, Culture and Science Rianne Letschert on the recommendation of the NFF supervisory board. She will lead the fund alongside business director George van Breemen.
Reaction from the Dutch film industry
Initial responses from Dutch industry sources have been broadly positive. Chronis has a reputation for being diligent and attentive to filmmakers’ concerns. Some producers, though, have noted she lacks direct production experience. One described her background as more “film science” than “filmmaking,” a distinction that may shape how the industry relates to her leadership in practice.
NFF supervisory board chair Jorien Wuite backed the appointment, saying: “Iwana knows the field inside out and was the creative driving force behind the Film Fund’s new strategy and direction. As head of selective funding, she encountered many types of projects at many different stages. She knows what we have to offer as a filmmaking nation and how the Fund can contribute to help strengthen that position further.”
Chronis said: “The importance of a public fund for the independent film sector is significant. Especially now, at a time when the need for dialogue and connection within society is growing, meaningful stories are more necessary than ever.”
The Netherlands Film Fund operates under the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and serves as the country’s main public body for funding Dutch feature films and documentaries. It plays a central role in determining which Dutch projects reach production and how the country’s cinema positions itself on the international stage.