Marcel de Block appointed CEO of Dutch FilmWorks, succeeding Willem Pruijssers
UTRECHT – Marcel de Block succeeds Willem Pruijssers as CEO of Dutch FilmWorks, the largest independent film distributor in the Benelux and part of STUDIOCANAL, a CANAL+ company. Having been with DFW for seventeen years, De Block now assumes overall leadership of the company.
Before joining DFW, De Block worked for Universal Pictures for ten years. At DFW, he has served as CFO and in recent years as co-CEO and played a key role in building the company’s production division. He combines his financial background with a strong involvement in the creative process: a business-oriented, results-driven approach with a deep appreciation for the content itself.
Pruijssers, who founded the company in 1998, will become Chief Strategic Officer (CSO). He will remain on the executive board and, in this role, focus on long-term strategy. His attention will be increasingly directed towards strategic growth and new opportunities, including the growth of Flemish production partner Dingie and exploring a similar collaboration in the Netherlands. He will also focus on new areas such as licensing and strategic partnerships.
Photo: Annemieke van der Togt
This transition marks a natural progression, with De Block having taken on increasing responsibility as co-CEO over the past years. He will become the public face of DFW and place an even greater focus on how DFW connects its films and series to customers and audiences in a rapidly changing market. Adaptability remains essential in today’s rapidly evolving film industry. DFW's long-standing approach of embracing change, experimenting with new ideas and learning from both successes and setbacks continues to be a key driver of its growth. This reflects the company's long-standing motto: "Being the fastest in changing all the time."
“We built this company by changing faster than the market itself. We are taking that mindset into the next phase. Films and series only reach their full potential when the entire value chain works together seamlessly. Staying close to the market, moving quickly, and building what works together with our partners: that is what I will focus on in the years ahead.”
— Marcel de Block, CEO
“My new role gives me the opportunity to focus entirely on where DFW should be in a few years’ time. This includes new business, producing and co-producing more content ourselves, and making better use of our international STUDIOCANAL network for co-production and licensing. At heart, I remain an entrepreneur who is always looking for the next opportunity.”— Willem Pruijssers, Founder and CSO
ABOUT WILLEM PRUIJSSERS
Willem Pruijssers founded Dutch FilmWorks in 1998 and built the company into the largest independent film distributor in the Benelux, active in theatrical distribution, video-on-demand, home entertainment and television. Under his leadership, DFW evolved from a VHS/DVD distributor into a leading theatrical distributor and later became one of the first companies in the Netherlands to invest in local content. In 2022, STUDIOCANAL, a Canal+ company, became the majority shareholder of DFW; since then, Pruijssers has remained CEO and will now continue, in his new role as Chief Strategic Officer, to be closely involved as a member of the executive board.
ABOUT MARCEL DE BLOCK
Marcel de Block has been with Dutch FilmWorks for seventeen years, serving in recent years as CFO and co-CEO. Before joining DFW, he worked at Universal Pictures for ten years in various finance and acquisition roles across multiple countries, including as Country Manager Benelux. At Dutch FilmWorks, he built the company’s production division. He combines his financial background with a business-oriented, results-driven approach and a strong involvement in the creative process.