THE TEAM

Paul Vermee – Founder

In 2009, Paul Vermee bought Tilburg’s Cinecitta cinema and refurbished it, turning it into a completely new venue. A few years ago, Paul visited family in Canada. ‘Do you know Jack?’ asked cousin Glenn. ‘He works for the film festival in Vancouver.’ Not much later, Jack Vermee received an email from his then-unknown relative Paul. The last sentence: ‘Do you want to start a film festival at Cinecitta…?’ Paul was a boy of only ten when he started collecting old paper with his brother, who was two years older. After the HBS, he explored different worlds: from transport to the music industry, from employment agencies to project development. ‘My drive is in entrepreneurship itself,’ says Vermee, from the beautifully renovated Cinecitta. ‘If I have something in mind and the idea feels good, I want to realise it, not only in a successful manner, but also with pleasure. Doing business must be fun. My parents had nothing, but we had culture in our house. We were the only family on the street with a piano in our living room, and my mother knitted Norwegian sweaters, which she sold in a store on Heuvelstraat. You did things yourself. You were active and creative. I grew up with that. Given my age, I could be on the golf course at the moment. But I prefer to be busy; I am a doer. Anyone who knows me knows that there is always work. With the 013 CIFF, I’m very proud to have started a new cultural initiative in the city of Tilburg.’

Joining Paul are Cinecitta staff members Nettie Verhagen as 013 CIFF’s Co-founder and Accounts Manager and Travel Co-ordinator, Hendrik Graumans as Social Media and Communications Co-ordinator, Sam Baselmans as Head of Operators and two dozen wonderful, essential volunteers!

The festival is produced in partnership with Cinecitta, Marnick van Gessel, Managing Director.