Dutch ‘Honeyland’ Distributor Contact Film to Shut Down
Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentContact Film, a well-established Dutch distribution company specializing in arthouse films, is preparing to fold after a 30-year run, Variety has confirmed.The company, whose past releases include the Oscar-nominated documentary “Honeyland” and Oliver Laxe’s Cannes prize-winning “Fire Will Come,” has ceased acquiring films, said founder and CEO Gérard Huisman, who is retiring this year.The 70-year-old distribution veteran said he had planned to retire before the pandemic, but had been expecting his board to carry on and its three staff members to keep buying films.The pandemic, however, created difficulties for the company, which had already been struggling for a number of years, explained Huisman.