Hanna Verboom is a social entrepreneur, filmmaker, and actress with a passion for amplifying meaningful stories. Through her acclaimed documentary series, Uit de schaduw, she fearlessly tackles the stigma of mental health in the Netherlands, sharing her own journey and advocating alongside experts for more openness and systemic change. Beyond mental health, Hanna champions female leadership and social entrepreneurship, most notably as the founder of Cinetree (a curated film platform) and the Get It Done foundation.

Be sure to catch her latest TV series, Elixer, featuring Jacob Derwig and Wim Opbrouck, premiering on NPO1 on March 5th.

Martijn Lakemeier burst onto the scene at age 14 with his debut in the box-office hit Oorlogswinter (2008), the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards. His captivating portrayal earned him a Golden Calf for Best Actor—making him the youngest winner in Dutch history—as well as the Rembrandt Award for Best Actor. From there, his career took off with leading roles in acclaimed films like Lover or Loser (2009), De Marathon (2012), arthouse hit Boven is het Stil (2013), Ventoux (2015), Ja Ik Wil! (2015), and Amazon’s De Oost (2020) opposite Marwan Kenzari. Recent successes include Good Bad Girl (2022), Goodbye Stranger (2023)—which premiered at IFFR—and the Netflix Original Happy Ending (2023) by Joosje Duk, which cracked the Top 10 in multiple countries.

On television, Martijn has wowed audiences in acclaimed Dutch dramas such as De Geheimen van Barslet (2011), Feuten (2012), three seasons of Hollands Hoop (2014–2020), and the spin-off Doodstil (2020). Currently, he’s a series regular on the BBC hit Marie Antoinette (2022–) and stars as King Willem-Alexander in Videoland’s Maxima (2024), selected for Canneseries 2024. Coming soon, he’ll appear in the international Videoland series Safe Harbor, sharing the screen with Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy, and Jack Gleeson.

Laura Hermanides is a Dutch writer and director who graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 2012. Blending documentary, fiction, and experimental film, she often takes on multiple roles—co-editing and composing music—to create a cohesive, personal aesthetic. Her intimate, cross-departmental approach has shaped projects ranging from her short films Nymphet, and Amantea to her dance essay Anahit. Her debut feature, White Flash (2024), opened this year’s Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht.

Laura’s breakthrough short, Nymphet, earned her the Sundance Channel Award and multiple accolades at Shortcutz Amsterdam (Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress). Her work has also been showcased in museums and festivals worldwide, including M|A|C Barcelona, Frac Bretagne, Landmarks Texas, and the Loop Video Art Fair.

Her debut feature, White Flash (2024), opened this year’s Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht. Based on the true story of Rick (42), who opts for a psychologically motivated euthanasia, the film follows his parents, Aagje and Toon, as they grapple with the ultimate act of love—letting him go in peace within six weeks.

Cyriel Guds is a multifaceted actor, writer, director, and producer who graduated from the Maastricht Theatre Academy in 2016. That same year, he starred alongside Huub Stapel in the Dutch stage adaptation of the French hit film Intouchables.

On screen, Cyriel has made memorable appearances in the popular series Mocro Maffia and Undercover, and was featured in Nanouk Leopold’s film Cobain. He also took a leading role in the Pathé Original film Suriname. Beyond acting, he has written for the TV series Spanga’s and created several short films before launching his successful YouTube web series Loverboy Amsterdam, which surpassed a million views.

Most recently, Cyriel produced, wrote, directed, and starred in Loverboy: Emoties Uit—the most visited Dutch film of the year, drawing over 373,000 moviegoers.

Jan Harlan first joined forces with Stanley Kubrick in 1969 to develop a film about Napoleon, a project that, regrettably, never came to fruition. Over the following decades, he served as executive producer on Kubrick’s most iconic works, including The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, and Barry Lyndon, and also collaborated on several unrealized projects. After Kubrick’s passing in 1999, Harlan worked with Steven Spielberg on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and produced documentaries on both Stanley Kubrick and actor Malcolm McDowell for Warner Bros. Jan is a Shortcutz Amsterdam jury member.

Ashar Medina is a Dutch screenwriter and creative producer of Surinamese and Cape Verdean descent. He penned the scripts for the crime series Santos and Nemesis, and served as showrunner for the acclaimed show Mocro Maffia. Medina’s work stands out for its socially charged narratives, showcased in the racial satire Tom Adelaar, the refugee drama Jungle, and his upcoming sci-fi comedy Straatcoaches vs Aliens. In 2016, he earned his first screenplay award at Shortcutz Amsterdam for Gilles, a provocative short that confronts bigotry and anti-gay violence.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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.