Current state of the project 

Essentially, The Eternal Seasons is in the writing and preplanning phase. There is broad support for the project among museums throughout Europe (see Home page). There is no financing yet, and this will be the main challenge of the coming year. 

The scenario is in its second version and is again being shared among archaeologists, indigenous people and filmmakers. Experimental archaeologist Markus Klek has become the head of artefact production and is conducting preparatory research, with the aim of establishing a list of artefacts needed for the production. Two others have joined the team: Merel van Kuijen helps with writing and setting up production, and Sietse Kesselaar will be director of photography (cameraman). Illustrator Marina Lezcano has made a professional illustration to accompany the scenario.

Summer 2026

I will travel in the UK from July until mid-October, visiting Gough's Cave, Cresswell Craigs and the British Museum. I will also scout shooting locations in Wales and look for actors. My online job starts in this period, and together with my new second-hand van I will be able to keep travelling for this project.

In this period, I will develop the scenario further and develop a "pitch document". In the film world, such a document is meant to convey all the essentials of a film production: the story, the mood and themes, production plans, costs, etc. Like a business plan, it is the thing you send to people who might invest in a project. 

Autumn / Winter 2026

I will be travelling in Northern Spain, revisiting the caves of Cantabria and scouting shooting locations in the Picos de Europa. The pitch document will be finished and shared among producers and studios. 

This will be a crucial part of the project, as I will need a producer to secure a serious budget. For filmmakers, provided they don't have capital themselves, there are three main sources of money for their projects: crowdfundings, commercial investment by studios or cultural subsidies. Many films use a combination of these. 

A crowdfunding on a platform like Kickstarter could bring in €10.000 or more. Since I have The Bison's Legs as my proof of concept, there is a good chance The Eternal Seasons will attract donators. However, we would need much more to make the film. Given the costs of artefacts and shooting scenes in nature, it is not simply not possible to make this film on such a small budget. Since few projects receive more than 10K from crowdfundings, other sources will also be needed. 

For example, commercial investment. Film studios have their own financial means with which they invest in projects. They usually finance many movies, hoping that not many will flop, most will make their budget back and some will be big successes. If I manage to get in touch with producers working at studios  and convince them of the potential of my script, it would become possible to finance the film through the studio. 

However, even if I manage to secure a contract, extra investment will probably be needed. A niche, arthouse topic such as mine might receive less commercial interest, since it is more risky in terms of its return on investment. Many arthouse films are therefore made with the help of cultural subsidies, either from government institutions or private funds. Applying for these almost always requires the help of a studio or independent producer with a track record. There are hundreds of small funds that could contribute to The Eternal Seasons this way. There is one large fund in particular that I hope to secure. Namely, Creative Europe, the cultural fund of the European Union. As my project is deeply about Europe and its shared cultural history, it conforms to what the fund likes to see in terms of theme. To become formally eligible, The Eternal Seasons needs to become a coöperative project of several studios from different EU member states. Again, this first requires the initial help of a producer, who could then seek coöperative ties with other studios. 

There is one potential source of financing available for this project, namely the Dutch Innovation Platform managed by the Reuvens foundation. This fund, aimed at promoting innovation in the Dutch archaeology sector, could bring in around €25.000. During a meeting, a Reuvens employee confirmed that The Eternal Seasons is in princple eligible for application relating to the production of artefacts for the film. The next round of application opens in October. This would still not be enough to finanance the whole film, and it is far from certain that the fund will be given, but it would be a major step.

2027

Most likely the search for financing will continue in the first half of 2027. Later this year, if all goes well, the production planning comes into view. Casting, more location scouting, costume and artefact design, applying for permits, etc. 

2028

My friends in the film industry estimated that having the first day of shooting in 2028 is a realistic prospect. So again, if all goes well, this year the first phase of actual production starts. But a lot has to happen until that time. This phase as well as the previous one have no further details yet, but that isn't a problem. Projects like this grow step by step.