A Wink for Winkler and Out of The Hague for Hagen (April 2001) American born Jeanne Winkler, who has been a resident of the Netherlands for 26 years and been instrumental in creating the exciting training school for filmers known as the Binger Institute, has been appointed by the Dutch Ministry of Culture as cultural attaché in New York. Her years of experience in the field of cinema as writer, director, presenter, producer, and editor have armed her well for her enterprises during the past few years and will undoubtedly prove of positive value in the future promoting Dutch cinema abroad. Her post at Binger will be assumed by a new director as of April 1st. Amsterdam's loss is The Big Apple's gain. It seems to be a year for changes. Rien Hagen has been named as the new director of the Netherlands Film Museum in Amsterdam beginning on April 1st. Born in Paramaribo, Suriname and fulfilling the position of director at the Cinematheek Hague Filmhuis since 1993, Mr. Hagen hopes to expand the profile of the museum and reach a wider public. His professional involvement with arts and culture, especially with the aspect of film, dates from 1964. The Netherlands Film Museum collects, restores film treasures from the past to make them accessible to the public. They screen new films as well as classics, purchase some distribution rights for specific films, and maintains global contact with other associations and professionals who work or are involved in the field of film in the broadest sense. The April 1st date also coincides with the opening of a new art-movie-house on the Leidseplein (under the auspices of the Filmmuseum). 150 seats centrally located near the main square of the city in the same building with the Bellevue Cinerama. April 1st is the final day for the 4th Annual Amnesty International Film Festival in the Balie Theatre and Pathé City Cinema on the Leidseplein in Amsterdam from Wednesday March 28th till Sunday April 1st. Last chance to catch up on the latest in documentaries and exchange your thoughts with others about films and human rights. More information available at: www.amnesty.nl/filmfestival. The Week of the Spiritual Film will take place from April 4th till 8th at the Theater De Lantaren/Venster in Rotterdam. It has been organized to take place within the framework of "Rotterdam Cultural Capitol 2001" by the Lantaren cinema and the KFA. Screenings (of approximately 40 films), talkshows, and film discussions will offer visitors the opportunity to discover spiritual layers in special, realistic and magical films as well as sharing their thoughts with each other. More information: www.lantaren-venster.nl. Has everyone noticed that a Dutchman ran off with the Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film? Michael Dudok de Wit is the latest to be added to the list of acknowledged Dutch animators. His award winning CinéTé BV / Cloudrunner Ltd. film production of "Father and Daughter" will be broadcast on the VPRO later this month. The director's cut of "The Exorcist" (with an added 11 minutes) makes its initial appearance in the Dutch cinemas this month. (For those who recall the original screening in Holland some decades ago, it took approximately a year after the American release before it finally appeared in Amsterdam on the screen of the Tuschinski >>> a long wait for film freaks who liked their bit of occult asides!) The film holds up beautifully (of course) and it undoubtedly won't be long before some people are doing the "spider walk" around town. The Williamsburg Brooklyn Film Festival will be taking place in the Commodore theatre between May 1st and 6th. This event, which is in its fourth year, presents esoteric Pen-ek Ratanaruang's 6ixtynin9 prizes in four categories. Winner of the Grand Chameleon Award for 2000 was Adolfo Davila's "Reve." "Hannibal" has already become one of the 5 most successful films this year in Holland with a box office attendance of 750,000 in a little over a month. Rumor has it that not all of the viewers have been seen leaving the cinema. Could it be some people are switching from popcorn? Shooting has begun on March 22nd for Spielberg's new futuristic thriller "Minority Report." The newly discovered Dutch actor Yorick van Wageningen (previously seen in "Total Loss" and the not yet released "Soul Assassin" will be appearing with star Tom Cruise. Whispers in certain Dutch circles are already saying that he is destined (alongside the likes of Rutger Hauer) to become the third most internationally well-known actor from the Lowlands. Set in a world with a new judicial system, killers are arrested and convicted before they have a chance to commit murder. Saves time, I suppose. Australian director Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" will open the 54th annual Cannes Intl. Film Festival in competition. Set in the legendary Paris cabaret at the turn of the 20th century, the film does not refrain from using modern music. Ewen McGregor appears as a writer living in the decadent world of the nightclub where he falls in love with its most notorious star (Nicole Kidman). John Leguizamo (as Toulouse-Lautrec) and Jim Broadbent are also among the cast. Luhrman is sure to come up with the goods again, so one can hardly wait. Ooh, la, la! The retrospective of Fons Rademakers' films at the Netherlands Filmmuseum in Amsterdam runs until April 11th. One of the founding fathers of the Dutch cinema, several of his films have been conserved by the museum in collaboration with Haghefilm in order to reproduce the original technical quality. Coming up in April will be "De Aanslag" and "The Rose Garden" among others. Program schedule is available at www.filmmuseum.nl. © 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett