Huub Roelvink Wins Inaugural EFM Distributor Award

By Pickle February 16, 2025

The European Film Market (EFM) has announced Huub Roelvink, Managing Director of Cherry Pickers Film Distribution (The Netherlands), as the recipient of the first-ever EFM Distributor Award. Sponsored by Fintage House, the award comes with a €7,500 cash prize.

Huub Roelvink led Cherry Pickers ‘s recent titles include Hard Truths, The Kingdom and 2024 Berlinale titles No Other Land , My Favourite Cake among others.

The Award was introduced to recognize the often-overlooked contributions of arthouse distributors in bringing diverse cinematic works to audiences.

Tanja Meissner, director of Berlinale Pro*, emphasized the critical role of distributors in ensuring that films reach viewers, fostering cultural exchange and diversity in cinema.

“While awards mostly go to filmmakers and producers, films only truly exist once they’re distributed and reach their intended audiences. We often discuss the importance of fostering cultural exchange by upholding diversity and showing different perspectives, and cinema has a really powerful role to play in that. Arthouse Distributors contribute not only culturally, but also economically and politically by reinforcing the foundation of European democracy,” says Tanja Meissner.

Roelvink was selected by a distinguished jury comprising Leila Hamid (CEO, X-Verleih AG), Nathalie Jeung (Head of Sales, Kinology), and Kim Foss (CEO, Camera Film). The jury praised Roelvink for his balanced approach to curation, blending artistic merit with audience appeal. Operating in a highly competitive market, he has successfully elevated international cinema in the Netherlands, making him a deserving recipient of this honour.

With a career spanning decades, Roelvink has significantly influenced the Dutch film distribution landscape. Before founding Cherry Pickers in 2016, he was the managing director of Imagine Filmdistributie Netherlands and the founder of Cinema Delicatessen, a documentary-focused distributor. He also has a background in cinema programming and holds a Master’s in Social Anthropology from the University of Amsterdam.

Fintage House, a leading global media rights company, sponsored the award to celebrate the essential work of distributors in the film industry. COO Vaucia Pahlad highlighted the immense effort required to bring films to audiences and commended distributors for their dedication to storytelling.

The EFM Distributor Award underscores the industry’s recognition of the vital role played by distributors in shaping cinematic culture. Roelvink’s work exemplifies innovation, resilience, and a passion for international cinema, setting a high standard for future recipients.