Nederlandse animatiefilm in de periode 1991-2011*: De animatiefilm vindt zichzelf opnieuw uit

The Netherlands has a rich animation culture. More than 1200 cartoons were createdin the period 1991-2011: short, unlicensed films, student films, television series, applied animation and the occasional feature film. The production of animated films soared after the turn of the century. Targeted promotion by the Nederlands Filmfonds (Dutch film fund), the advent of new, digital, audiovisual techniques, the development of ways to distribute and present digitally, and the growing interest for animation at art schools led to the emergence of a new generation of animation producers and a new zeal. Digital visual culture provided new techniques and previously unknown freedom and possibilities. It was as if animation had been reinvented. As a result it is no longer a peripheral phenomenon; it has become a visible discipline within Dutch film culture.

* Dit artikel is opgedragen aan de op 4 december j.l. op 73-jarige leeftijd overleden Haarlemse animatiefilmmaker en kunstenaar Gerrit van Dijk.**