‏Dirk Rijneke‏

Rotterdam Films is an independent production company founded by DIRK RIJNEKE and Mildred van Leeuwaarden. It produces and co-produces documentaries and fiction films mainly for cinematic release. In the works is among others co-production 'Hier' (Yesterday), first feature by award winning director Bálint Kenyeres and Ricky Rijneke's second feature film The Hunter's Son selected for the TorinoLab Script & Pitch 2015 and the TIFF Talent Lab 2015 of the Toronto International Film Festival 2015 (TIFF).

Ricky Rijneke's first feature award winning 'Silent Ones' was selected for many major and independent international film festivals. It won eleven awards out of fifteen nominations, among others in New York (Winner Best Feature Film), Toronto (Winner Best Female Director), Los Angeles (Winner Best Cinematography and Winner Honorable Mention Narrative Feature), Sao Paulo (Nomination International Jury Award Best Film), Wroclaw (Nomination New Horizons Grand Prix), Berlin (Winner Best Feature Film), Rotterdam (Nomination Tiger Award), European Film Festival Lecce Italy (Winner Best Cinematography and Winner Best Supporting Actor). Cyprus (Winner Golden Aphrodite Best Cinematography and Winner Golden Aphrodite Best Editing). Silent Ones won also the Dutch Golden Stone for Best Film. Award-winning thriller 'Reykjavik-Rotterdam' by Oskar Jonasson, a co-production with the Icelandic production company Blueeyes Productions was selected as Iceland's Oscar entry for best foreign film. The Hollywood remake of 'Reykjavik-Rotterdam' entitled 'Contraband', directed by Baltasar Kormákur, starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale was released by Universal Pictures. In the first weekend of its release it became USA box office hit no 1. Rijneke and Van Leeuwaarden also produced, initiated and conceived 'City Life', the monumental award winning episode film. 'City Life' is a film consisting of twelve episodes, together forming a visual anthology of international short stories. Directors involved are among others Krzysztof Kieslowski, Béla Tarr, Alejandro Agresti, José Luis Guerin and Mrinal Sen. For this project they worked together and co-produced with companies, broadcasters and funding bodies from all over the globe. 'City Life' had its world premiere on the opening night of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the four hours long film was the closing film in the same year of the Berlin Festivals' Young Forum.

Dirk Rijneke was chairman of the Jury of the Locarno International Film Festival in 2008. He also was a member of the International Jury of the Tampere Film Festival. The board of the Rotterdam Media Fund selected Rijneke as Member of the Advisory Board. He was a board member of the Film Producers Netherlands association (FPN). Rijneke en van Leeuwaarden set up the Rotterdam professional association 'The Inititave'. Rotterdam Films is a member of Film Producers Netherlands (FPN).