13th shortcutz Amsterdam annual awards

JANUARY 25, 2026 - Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski [Pathé]

CEREMONY: 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM @ Tuschinski 1
AFTER PARTY: 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM
DRESS CODE: FESTIVE
On January 25, 2026, the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards take over the iconic Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski (Pathé). One night dedicated to the boldest new voices in Dutch cinema.
But this night goes beyond trophies. We bring together leading industry voices and emerging filmmakers for an evening of exchange, inspiration, and forward-thinking ideas.
In memory of our late ambassador Rutger Hauer, we honour a person WHO, like Rutger, has played a meaningful role in supporting and inspiring the next generation of Dutch filmmakers WITH THE RUTGER HAUER AWARD.
Want to know who’s deciding this year’s winners? Meet our Jury Team below.
When the awards end, the night doesn’t. Stay for the after-party. Drinks, music, conversations, and a dance floor that brings filmmakers, jury members, and guests together.
This year’s ceremony idents are entirely AI-generated by artist Rodger Werkhoven of Another Dimension. A pioneer at the intersection of art and technology, he joined OpenAI in 2022 and helped shape the Creative Reality Studio.

BUY TICKETS

AWARDS

In this ceremony, we will award:

Categories decided by the Shortcutz Amsterdam Jury Team:

Mr Zee Best Film
Mr Zee Best Director
Mr Zee Best Acting
Mr Zee Best Screenplay
Mr Zee Best Cinematography
Mr Zee Best Editing
Mr Zee Best Documentary

Other Awards:

Mr Zee Best Soundtrack, decided by MiMM/Private Kitchen
Mr Zee International Audience Award, decided by the Audience.
Rutger Hauer Award

PRIZES

Mr Zee Best Film: is awarded €15,000 worth of services by FILMMORE and CAM-A-LOT, €7,500 each.
Mr Zee Best Director: is awarded €5,000 (cash prize) by VEVAM.
Mr Zee Best Cinematography: is awarded equipment rental worth € 2,500 by CAM-A-LOT.

During the ceremony, we will screen the winner of Mr Zee Best Film.

RUTGER HAUER AWARD

The Rutger Hauer Award honours individuals or institutions who serve as role models for emerging filmmakers or who actively contribute to the development and visibility of new Dutch film talent.

Named after the late Rutger Hauer, the award reflects his legacy as an internationally acclaimed artist who remained deeply connected to the Netherlands and passionately committed to supporting new generations of creators. Until his passing in 2019, Rutger Hauer was a dedicated ambassador, jury member, and advisor to Shortcutz Amsterdam. This award is presented by the Shortcutz Amsterdam Foundation together with Rutger Hauer’s widow, Ineke Hauer‑Ten Cate.

At the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards, the Rutger Hauer Award will be presented to Thekla Reuten. With a career spanning both Dutch and international cinema, Reuten embodies the values the award stands for: artistic excellence, international outlook, and a lasting commitment to nurturing emerging talent. Her recent role in I’m Not a Robot, an Academy Award-winning short film and former Shortcutz winner, creates a meaningful connection between her work and the platform’s long-standing mission.

The award consists of a limited-edition, numbered photographic portrait of Rutger Hauer, created and signed by renowned photographer and director Anton Corbijn. It stands as both a tribute to Rutger Hauer’s artistic legacy and a symbol of his enduring impact on future generations of filmmakers.

Previous recipients of the Rutger Hauer Award include Paul Verhoeven, Kort!, Martin Koolhoven, Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL), Jan Harlan, and Halina Reijn.

Guests

We’re thrilled to welcome these industry trailblazers who will share invaluable insights and spark fresh inspiration for the next generation of Dutch filmmakers.

Stay tuned—more guests will be announced soon!

Featured

Jan Harlan [JURY PRESIDENT]

Jan Harlan returns to the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as President of the Jury, where he will present the Best Film Award.

Jan Harlan began his long-standing collaboration with Stanley Kubrick in 1969 while developing the legendary Napoleon project. Over the decades, he served as executive producer on Kubrick’s most iconic films, including The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Barry Lyndon, and Eyes Wide Shut, as well as on several unrealised projects.

Following Kubrick’s passing in 1999, Harlan collaborated with Steven Spielberg on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and went on to produce documentaries on Stanley Kubrick and actor Malcolm McDowell for Warner Bros.

Jan Harlan has been a long-time supporter of Shortcutz Amsterdam and is a member of the Shortcutz Jury. We’re honoured to welcome him once again to celebrate

Akwasi Ansah

Akwasi Ansah joins the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as Guest of Honour.

A storyteller at heart, Akwasi moves effortlessly between music, film, and writing. His work is driven by a sharp awareness of social realities and a powerful command of language, allowing him to address complex themes with clarity, urgency, and emotional depth. As co-founder and creative director of Omroep ZWART, he plays a key role in opening up the public broadcasting system to new voices, underrepresented perspectives, and bold forms of storytelling. Through his vision and leadership, Akwasi continues to shape a more inclusive and representative media landscape in the Netherlands.

Bobby Boermans

Bobby Boermans joins the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as Co-Host.

Boermans is a Dutch director and producer known for elevated genre storytelling and large-scale European productions with global reach. His latest feature, iHOSTAGE (2025), became Netflix’s most-watched non-English language film worldwide within its first week, reaching #1 in 81 countries and becoming the most-viewed Dutch film of all time.

He also directed the critically acclaimed thriller series The Golden Hour, praised for its intensity and realism and quickly rising into Netflix’s global Top 10. Earlier, Boermans helmed the cultural phenomenon Mocro Maffia, a multi-season hit that reshaped premium Dutch television, won the Dutch Academy Award for Best Drama Series, and sold to 23 countries.

A graduate of the Dutch Film & Television Academy and the American Film Institute in Hollywood, Boermans is a former board member of the Dutch Academy for Film and currently serves on the boards of Shortcutz and VEVAM. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Dutch Directors Guild.

Lotte Verbeek

Lotte Verbeek joins the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as Guest of Honour.

An award-winning Dutch actress with a strong international career, Lotte Verbeek is known for her calm precision and emotional honesty on screen. She broke through with Nothing Personal, winning Best Actress at the Locarno International Film Festival and being named a European Shooting Star at Berlinale 2010.

International audiences know her from roles such as Giulia Farnese in The Borgias, Geillis Duncan in Outlander, Ana Jarvis in Agent Carter, and Katarina Rostova in The Blacklist. Her film work includes The Fault in Our Stars and The Last Witch Hunter.

Most recently, Lotte appears in the historical drama Nuremberg.

Joes Brauers

Joes Brauers joins the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as Guest of Honour.

An award-winning actor, Joes Brauers has built an impressive career across film, television, and theatre from a very young age. His film work includes Quo Vadis, Aida? (winner of the Golden Bear at Berlinale and Academy Award nominee), Do Not Hesitate (Tribeca Film Festival, Dutch Oscar submission), De Oost, and Hardcore Never Dies.

On television, he has appeared in leading roles in Dirty Lines (Netflix), Grand Hotel aan Zee (NPO), De Vuurwerkramp (NPO), Elixer (NPO), and De Droom van de Jeugd (NPO). On stage, he won the Best Actor Musical Award (NL) for Dagboek van een Herdershond.

In 2026, Joes Brauers will represent the Netherlands as one of European Film Promotion Shooting Stars at the Berlinale.

Paula van der Oest

Paula van der Oest joins the 13th Shortcutz Amsterdam Annual Awards as Guest of Honour.

Paula van der Oest is one of the most influential voices in Dutch cinema. Her work moves seamlessly between intimate character-driven stories and large-scale productions, spanning film, television, and producing.

She gained international recognition with Zus & Zo, which earned an Academy Award nomination, followed by Accused and Tonio. Tonio received multiple Golden Calf nominations and was selected as the Dutch Oscar entry, while The Domino Effect won Best Director at the Netherlands Film Festival.

Internationally, Paula directed The Split and the feature The Bay of Silence. More recently, she contributed as screenwriter to The Battle of the Scheldt and directed the acclaimed series The Jewish Council.

After Party

Featured

Jurgen Booi & Nizar El Manouzi

Jurgen Booi & Nizar El Manouzi join as DJs for the after party

When the awards wrap, the dance floor opens. For the Shortcutz after party, Jurgen Booi and Nizar El Manouzi take over the decks.

Jurgen Booi, originally from Aruba, brings a vibrant and infectious sound shaped by tech house, Latin tech, and Afro-Latin influences. What started as a creative outlet during the pandemic quickly grew into a serious passion, leading to bookings and a signature style that keeps dance floors moving with fresh and underground tracks.

Joining him is Nizar El Manouzi, known to many as an actor, presenter, and outspoken cultural voice in the Netherlands. Nizar broke through with his role in Mocro Maffia and became a familiar face to younger audiences as a presenter on Het Klokhuis. Beyond his work on screen, he is an active advocate for representation, youth empowerment, and social equality, using his platform to speak openly about identity, opportunity, and belonging.

NOMINEES

MR ZEE BEST FILM

BARLEBAS, directed by Malu Janssen, produced by Janneke Doolaard
BEYOND SILENCE, directed by Marnie Blok, produced by Ellen Havenith * WINNER *
MARLEEN, directed by Jop Leuven, produced by Justine Knijn
SANYI KAKAS, directed by Lotte Salomons, produced by Raphael Hogers, Nova Nagel & Kes Raven
SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD, directed by Safi Graauw, produced by Naomi Wills
YAROSHENKO, directed by Lieuwe Siebe de Jong, produced by Lieuwe Siebe de Jong

MR ZEE BEST DIRECTING

Chris de Krijger for EN PASSANT
Idriss Nabil for MOUSTACHE
Lotte Salomons for SANYI KAKAS
Malu Janssen for BARLEBAS
Marnie Blok for BEYOND SILENCE * WINNER *
Safi Graauw for SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD

MR ZEE BEST SCREENPLAY

Daan Bunnik & Rozemarijn Elisa for G.O.A.T.
Jop Leuven for MARLEEN
Malu Janssen for BARLEBAS
Marc S. Nollkaemper & Andrei Mikes for MY HAIRY SHADOW & I
Marnie Blok for BEYOND SILENCE * WINNER *
Xiang Yu Yeung for RECLAIMING DRAGONS

MR ZEE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Christiaan van Leeuwen for THE INEVITABLE
Jurre Vos for ASTRAY
Lawrence Lee & Gábor Deák for WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I WASN'T AFRAID
Ruben van Weelden for THE BENEATH
Sam du Pon for BARLEBAS * WINNER *
Twan Peeters for EN PASSANT

MR ZEE BEST ACTING

Henrianne Jansen for BEYOND SILENCE
Julia Akkermans, Marloes IJpelaar and Ella Kamerbeek for MOTHERFOCKING ART
July Janssen IN LOVE AGAIN (ILA)
Laura Bakker for MARLEEN * WINNER *
Liza Macedo dos Santos for ASTRAY
Mauro Suijkerbuijk for OLLI
Samya Ghilane for G.O.A.T.
Sebas Berman for MY HAIRY SHADOW & I

MR ZEE BEST EDITING

Arjen Schotel for THE INEVITABLE
Bruno Carboni for DREAM OF SWANS
Eline Bakker for MOUSTACHE
Festus Toll for SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD * WINNER *
Jesse Immanuel Bom for WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I WASN'T AFRAID
Lidewij Hartog for DEVELOP
Tim Straver for THE BENEATH

MR ZEE BEST SOUNDTRACK (SELECTED BY MIMM/PRIVATE KITCHEN)

Gerben Kruijswijk for THE INEVITABLE
Jamie Alpherts for SANYI KAKAS
Jelle Hoebee, Joshua Petit & Tomas Louter for SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD
Joris Oonk for BEYOND SILENCE * WINNER *
Pitou Nicolaes for BARLEBAS
Quincy Vlijtig for DEVELOP
Riad Abdel-Nabi for IN LOVE AGAIN

MR ZEE BEST DOCUMENTARY

BUBBLING BABY, directed by Sharine Rijsenburg
DEVELOP, directed by Lidewij Hartog
I’VE ASKED, directed by Joep van Weelden
QUEEN OF CLUBS, directed by Sanne Schoemaker
SANYI KAKAS, directed by Lotte Salomons
SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD, directed by Safi Graauw * WINNER *
YAROSHENKO, directed by Lieuwe Siebe de Jong

MR ZEE INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE AWARD

BARLEBAS, directed by Malu Janssen, produced by Janneke Doolaard
BEYOND SILENCE, directed by Marnie Blok, produced by Ellen Havenith * WINNER *
MARLEEN, directed by Jop Leuven, produced by Justine Knijn
SANYI KAKAS, directed by Lotte Salomons, produced by Raphael Hogers, Nova Nagel & Kes Raven
SIGN AND SEE THE WORLD, directed by Safi Graauw, produced by Naomi Wills
YAROSHENKO, directed by Lieuwe Siebe de Jong, produced by Lieuwe Siebe de Jong

Jury Team

Find out more about the Shortcutz Amsterdam Jury Team HERE.

Featured

Nazmiye Oral

Nazmiye Oral is an award-winning Dutch actress, writer, and columnist. She won a Golden Calf for One Night Stand (2016) and gained international recognition as a mafia boss in Undercover (S3). In 2025, she will appear alongside Gerard Butler in Den of Thieves: Pantera. Beyond film and TV, she is celebrated for her theatre work in Niet meer zonder jou and as the author of Zehra, nominated for the E. du Perron Prize.

Jan Harlan

Jan Harlan is a legendary producer and longtime collaborator of Stanley Kubrick, working on iconic films such as Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. After Kubrick’s passing, he produced Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence and directed documentaries preserving Kubrick’s legacy. Today, he remains a respected lecturer and cinema curator worldwide.

Eddy Terstall

Eddy Terstall is a renowned Dutch filmmaker and screenwriter, known for stories that blend sharp social commentary with human insight. His film Simon (2004) won four Golden Calves and became the first of a trilogy exploring freedom and identity, followed by Sextet and Vox Populi. He also co-created Meet Me in Venice, awarded at the Woodstock Film Festival. His latest feature, Johan’s Country, will be released in 2025.

Martin Koolhoven

Martin Koolhoven is one of the Netherlands’ most acclaimed directors. His work spans box office hits and critical successes, including Oorlogswinter and the internationally acclaimed Brimstone, which premiered at Venice, screened at TIFF and BFI, and won seven Golden Calves. Beyond directing, Martin hosts the VPRO series De kijk van Koolhoven, sharing his passion for cinema. He is currently working on his next feature, Emerald Butterfly.

Willeke van Ammelrooy

Willeke van Ammelrooy is one of the Netherlands’ most celebrated actresses, with a career spanning over 70 films and five decades. She rose to fame with Mira (1971) and starred in Dutch classics like Ciske de Rat and Wan Pipel. Her award-winning role in Antonia’s Line earned a Golden Calf and an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. She also reached international audiences in The Lake House alongside Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.

Mees Peijnenburg

Mees Peijnenburg is one of the most exciting voices of a new generation of Dutch filmmakers. A graduate of the Netherlands Film Academy and the Cinéfondation Résidence in Cannes, his short films A Hole in My Heart and Even Cowboys Get to Cry won over 50 awards worldwide. His debut feature, Paradise Drifters, premiered at the Berlinale and earned a Golden Calf. He is currently in post-production with his new film, A Family.

Laser 3.14

Laser 3.14 is Amsterdam’s most iconic street poet, known for his bold, thought-provoking messages sprayed across the city’s walls and fences. His work has been featured in major institutions such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Museum of The Hague, and is part of the Amsterdam Museum’s permanent collection. Awarded the PAX Peace Prize, Laser 3.14 bridges art, activism, and urban storytelling, leaving an unmistakable mark on Amsterdam’s cultural landscape.

René Wolf

René Wolf is a leading film curator and programmer with a long-standing career at the EYE Filmmuseum, where he served as Head of Acquisitions and Senior Programmer. He initiated the acclaimed Previously Unreleased series and now works as an independent consultant, supporting festivals, distributors, and exhibitors. He also collaborates on Eye’s programming and contributes to the Noordelijk Film Festival.

Roel Reiné

Roel Reiné is an award-winning Dutch director, splitting his time between Europe and Hollywood. Roel has directed for major studios including Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Lionsgate, and Universal. His credits include Admiral (Michiel de Ruyter), one of the highest-grossing Dutch films of 2015, Redbad, Marvel’s Inhumans (the first TV pilot released globally in IMAX), Netflix hits Wu Assassins and Fistful of Vengeance, Showtime/Paramount’s Halo, and the History Channel’s Washington and Colosseum. Recently, he directed the Dutch war drama Line of Fire (2023, Netflix), the action thriller Classified (2024), and Savage Hunt (2025).