fbpx

Open air film festival

TICKETS
Shop

For its fourteenth summer, Pluk de Nacht will host open air screenings of the best (inter)national cinema that hasn’t (yet) been released in Dutch theatres. On the banks of Amsterdam’s IJ river, where it all began, as well as in Utrecht at Vechtclub XL.

This year’s edition will take place in Amsterdam at the Stenen Hoofd on August 16‑26 and in Utrecht at the Vechtclub XL on August 30‑September 3.

Origins

The festival was started in 2003 by a small group of friends with a great love of film. Their goal was – and remains to this day – to give as many people as possible the chance to discover films that passed Dutch audiences by unnoticed. These friends worked at a movie theatre part-time and attended film festivals in their spare time. The thrill they got from the films they saw there was hard to share with others, since many of them were never released in the Netherlands and remained largely unseen. That was the seed that sprouted into Pluk de Nacht. Amsterdam’s one true open air film festival shows those films, that never made it to Dutch cinemas or only reached a very small audience.

Surprising programme

The organisation visits (inter)national film festivals throughout the year and carefully selects films on their cinematographic merits. That is why you can find all types of film at Pluk de Nacht: from animation to road movie, from tragic small-town documentary to absurd romantic comedy. Year after year, the programming is stirring and surprising, with live events, short film programmes and titles yet to be discovered in the low countries.

Dedicated volunteers

Since the beginning in 2003 and to this day, the festival has been organised and set up by a large group of volunteers who put all their creativity into the festival. Starting two weeks before the festival, they help to sweep up the location and turn it into a cozy festival paradise. Pluk is no longer just in Amsterdam: in 2017, Pluk will be in Utrecht for the fourth year in a row.

Admission free

Pluk de Nacht has grown to become a true meeting place and combines the screening of never-before-released films with art, food, drinks and parties. By creating a platform to many young creatives, the festival has more to offer besides just the movies. Admission to the open air film festival is is free at all three locations.

Why don’t you swing by this summer?