SIGMA PICTURES was established in 1974 by MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN as independent producer of Dutch feature films and international co-productions.
2017 was the year of HET LEVEN IS VURRUKKULLUK (LIFE IS WONDERFUL). Frans Weisz, directed the film based on the novel by Remco Campert. Theo Nijland wrote the screenplay and made the music score that is performed by the David Kweksilber Big Band. Géza Weisz, Reinout Scholten van Aschat and Romy Louise Lauwers are the lead actors. The film will be distributed in the Netherlands on 25th January 2018 by Just Filmdistribution.
DE HELLEVEEG (THE FURY) based on the novel written by A.F.Th. van der Heijden a film by Andre van Duren premiered in the Netherlands 24th March 2016 by Entertainment One with 60 prints. Actress Hannah Hoekstra who played the lead was awarded Best Actress in Montreal. The Golden Calf for Best Female Performance at the Netherlands Film Festival was also for her. The Fury had 8 nominations in total beside Hannah Hoekstra, Photography, Production Design, Best Film, 2 x Best Supporting Actor, 2 x Best Supporting Actress and Anneke Blok won Supporting Actress. International sales: link.
In 2000/2001 Sigma produced 4 films : THE DETOUR (Frouke Fokkema), FRIENDSHIP (Nouchka van Brakel), THE BLACK METEOR (Guido Pieters) and THE ISLAND OF THE MAPMAKERS WIFE (Michie Gleason)
KEES DE JONGEN/YOUNG KEES was produced in 2003 directed by Andre van Duren. In 2011 Sigma produced with the same director DE BENDE VAN OSS/THE GANG OF OSS. This was the Opening Film of the Netherlands Film Festival 2011. It received 7 nominations for actor, supporting actor, screenplay, cinematography, art direction, the audience and won the Golden Calf for Music. On the International Festival du Film Policier in Liege Belgium, Sylvia Hoeks was awarded as Best Actress and Andre van Duren for Best Direction. International sales: link.
In total 40 feature films were produced by Sigma amongst them some of the most successful in the history of Dutch cinema: A FLIGHT OF RAINBIRDS (Ate de Jong), CISKE DE RAT (Guido Pieters), THE COOL LAKES OF DEATH(Nouchka van Brakel) and THE LIFT (Dick Maas), which was distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. ORLANDO and THE TANGO LESSON (Sally Potter), ELINE VERE (Harry Kümel) and ALL MEN ARE MORTAL (Ate de Jong) are some of the international co-productions of Sigma Pictures.
Sigma has also produced many art films, that have received good critical acclaim and have achieved success on international film festivals. They include A QUESTION OF SILENCE and BROKEN MIRRORS (Marleen Gorris) VIGOUR and IT WILL NEVER BE SPRING (Frouke Fokkema), FALSE LIGHT (Theo Van Gogh), RITUALS (Herbert Curiël) and FOR A LOST SOLDIER (Roeland Kerbosch) which was distributed very successfully in the U.S.A.