Victor D. Ponten first made his mark in 2004 with the founding of creative boutique agency Habbekrats. In the wake of the post-9/11 economic crisis, he and partner Jim Taihuttu burst onto the Dutch creative scene with bold music videos for acts like The Opposites, Opgezwolle, Duvelduvel, and De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig — helping to shape a new era for Dutch hip-hop.

In 2011, Victor co-directed the feature film Rabat, which has since become a modern classic and an influential springboard for talent in Dutch cinema. He followed up with his solo debut Catacombe (2018), a gritty football thriller, before diving deep into the world of Mocro Maffia — where he directed, wrote, and served as showrunner through multiple seasons.

Now, with Het Grote Offensief (The Great Offensive), Victor enters the realm of historical drama, blending his childhood fascination with WWII dioramas and cutting-edge visual storytelling techniques like VFX, cartography, and archival footage.

We’re honoured to welcome actress Katja Herbers to Shortcutz Amsterdam on June 10!
Katja Herbers is a Dutch actress widely recognised for her roles in both European and American productions. She first gained international attention for her performance as physicist Dr. Helen Prins in WGN America's critically acclaimed series Manhattan, and later as Emily Grace in HBO’s hit show Westworld.
Herbers has also had standout roles in celebrated series such as The Leftovers, The Americans, and Manhunt: Unabomber. Since 2019, she has starred as Dr. Kristen Bouchard in the CBS/Paramount+ psychological thriller "Evil," which concluded after four successful seasons.

We’re honoured to welcome Kaja Wolffers, Country Manager Benelux at Prime Video, to Shortcutz Amsterdam on June 3!

Kaja brings a wealth of experience as a multiple International Emmy Award winner and former producer behind acclaimed series like Regels van Floor and De Zaak Menten. Now leading Prime Video’s content strategy for Dutch and Belgian audiences, Kaja is shaping the platform’s vision for local storytelling.

This session you can hear about Prime Video’s plans for Dutch cinema, what the platform is looking for in filmmakers, and how new talent can connect with their team. We’ll also dive into current and upcoming projects, with plenty of space for questions from our filmmaker community.

We’re excited to welcome director Daphne Lucker back to Shortcutz Amsterdam for a special Vlam takeover on May 27!

Daphne, a previous Shortcutz winner, returns with her feature film debut, Vlam. To mark the occasion, we’re handing the session over to the Vlam team for a deep dive into the film's making.

Editor Fatih Tura, choreographer Feadan McCall, and writer Rosita Wolkers, the creative force behind this bold and immersive work, will join Daphne!

We’re excited to welcome the Oscar-nominated animation trio Job, Joris & Marieke!

We’ll screen their latest short film, Quota, a sharp, darkly comic take on climate change and human behaviour. The film premiered at TIFF 2024 and earned an Honourable Mention for Best International Short Film.

In Quota, every citizen is assigned a CO₂ quota tracked by an app. Ignoring the limits leads to explosive consequences—literally. The film features Carice van Houten's voice as the app, adding a compelling layer to this timely satire.

Join us to explore their creative process, discuss their career journey, and hear what’s next from this inventive Dutch studio.

We’re thrilled to welcome director Peter Hoogendoorn to Shortcutz Amsterdam!

Peter joins us to talk about his latest film, Drie dagen vis (Three Days of Fish), a moving black-and-white tragicomedy that’s been getting a strong response in Dutch cinemas. The film, which premiered at IFFR 2025, explores the quiet tensions and tender moments of a father-son reunion in Rotterdam.

We encourage everyone to catch the film before the session, so you can bring your questions and dive deeper into the story with Peter himself.

We are honoured to welcome one of the most celebrated Dutch actors of his generation, Fedja van Huêt, to Shortcutz Amsterdam!

Fedja’s impressive career spans major award-winning films like Character (Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, 1998), Wilde Mossels, Speak No Evil (Sundance, 2022), Narcosis (2022), and The Judgement (Best Actor, 2021).

He has starred in internationally acclaimed series like Maxton Hall (Amazon), Amsterdam Undercover (ARD), Overspel, Penoza, and Turbulent Skies.
On stage, he was part of the prestigious International Theatre Amsterdam (ITA), earning multiple nominations and awards.

What an honour!!

🎬 Session Takeover: Elixer – April 29

On April 29, Shortcutz Amsterdam proudly presents a Session Takeover with the cast and crew of the acclaimed TV series Elixer!

Just one day before the final episode airs on April 30, we’re thrilled to host an exclusive behind-the-scenes evening featuring key creatives from the series, including director Dana Nechushtan, cinematographer Bert Pot, editor Jp Luistenburg, writer Maaik Krijgsman, art director Minka Mooren, and assistant director Richt Martens—with more team members joining the conversation.

Join us for a deep dive into the making of Elixer, and meet the master minds behind this exciting Dutch series.

🎬 Special Guest: Bobby Boermans – April 22

We are delighted to welcome acclaimed Dutch director and producer Bobby Boermans to Shortcutz Amsterdam on April 22!

Bobby will join us to discuss his latest feature film, iHostage (2025), a gripping thriller for Netflix inspired by the 2022 hostage crisis at Amsterdam's Apple Store. Known for his innovative storytelling in films like Claustrofobia (2011) and APP (2013), and acclaimed series such as Mocro Maffia and The Golden Hour.

🎬 Special Guest: Nazmiye Oral – April 15

We are honoured to welcome award-winning actress and writer Nazmiye Oral to Shortcutz Amsterdam on April 15!

Nazmiye joins us to talk about her latest international role in Den of Thieves: Pantera (2025), her remarkable career across film, television, and theatre, and what’s next on her horizon. From starring alongside Gerard Butler to creating powerful performances with Female Economy, Nazmiye has built a diverse and inspiring body of work that resonates with audiences both locally and abroad.

🎬 Special Guest: Norbert ter Hall – April 8

We’re excited to welcome acclaimed director Norbert ter Hall to Shortcutz Amsterdam on April 8!

Known for his celebrated work in Dutch film and television—including the award-winning series A'dam - E.V.A. (2011-2016) and the award-winning features The Promise of Pisa (2019), Mi Vida (2019) —Norbert will join us to talk about his career, creative process, and long-standing impact on the industry. ✨ For the first time ever, we’ll also screen his very first short film, which he just completed. Though his career spans decades, this marks his official debut in the short film format—and we’re honoured to host it.

🎬 Special Guest: Aaron Rookus – April 1

We are excited to welcome director and writer Aaron Rookus to Shortcutz Amsterdam on April 1!

Aaron joins us to talk about his latest feature film Idyllic (2025), his creative journey from award-winning shorts to major festival premieres, and how he carved his path into the industry. From Goodbye Stranger to his acclaimed TV work and his role as a lecturer at HKU, Aaron brings a rich and thoughtful perspective on storytelling in film.

Nour Alkheder | Documentary | 15’00’’

The first time Nay heard K-pop music was when she was seven years old and still living with her family in Syria. Now she is 14, has fled the war, and lives alone with her mother and brother in the Netherlands. Doing K-pop dances and making Tik Toks is her hobby. If you have a small room, the dining table is put aside for that. But K-pop is more than a hobby: Nay gets support from the songs when she is sad, and her biggest dream is to become a dancer. In her own fantasy, she auditions for a K-pop jury, where she can finally show her skills. But can she also show her new environment who the real Nay is?

Igor Riabchuk | Documentary | 15’00’’

Ivan loves music and nature photography: he takes the most beautiful pictures of his new home town, Hindeloopen. He has only just moved there; he fled the war in Ukraine. Photography became his way to capture the new world in a safe way and to feel more and more at home in this way. His great fear is to make contact with other children because he is afraid that they will not understand him. Does Ivan dare to take pictures of his classmates, even though he finds it exciting?

Faten Bushehri | Documentary | 15’00’’

Karim, a 13-year-old boy from Syria, has just moved to the Netherlands and is having a hard time adjusting to his new life in Makkum. He often thinks about his home in Syria, where his best friend Laith lives. In order to feel closer to his old life, he is learning to play the Oud, an instrument he loves. His mother is trying to help him feel more at home by encouraging him to practice Dutch and make new friends. Will Karim be able to combine his memories of home with his new life in the Netherlands?

Batoul Karbijha | Documentary | 15’00’’

Zenat finds herself at the crossroads of two worlds. She was born in Afghanistan, where her heart, family and culture lie. But she now lives in the Netherlands, where her future lies. That means learning a new language and making new friends. But Zenat has a very big dream: she wants to become a writer. She tries to capture her desire to belong in her new environment without losing her original culture in a book. Written entirely in Dutch.

Yve Baya | Documentary | 15’00’’

Jay-Way is a hip hop artist with Ghanaian roots. He wants to make a song with children who are new to the Netherlands about what inspires them. Together they work on a song, they even go from Sneek to Amsterdam to record the song in a professional studio! Ivan on guitar, Karim raps, Nay sings and Zenat plays piano.

Sharine Rijsenburg | Documentary | 18’29’’

Bubbling music is one of the most spirited manifestations of Caribbean-Dutch cultural heritage. The propulsive and highly danceable music symbolises freedom, power and ownership of the diaspora. This vibrant documentary celebrates bubbling’s storied history, tracing the historic and cultural roots of the club music, while exploring the contemporary scene that keeps pushing the envelope. By explicitly forefronting the female voices of bubbling, director Sharine Rijsenburg composes a joyful and feminist symphony of a musical scene that perfectly embodies a festive way of living.

Yfke van Berckelaer | Live-Action | 04’51’’

Izzy is constantly stuck in the same cycle: mocked, dismissed, ignored, forgotten. But a touch of red glitter? Now that's a game-changer!

Sanne Schoemaker | Documentary | 13’45’’

On the canals of Groningen, seventy-year-old Rita has been organizing klaverjas competitions for years. Her door is open to everyone, as long as you don't cancel at the last minute and can lose like a winner.

Jan Rekelhof | Live-Action | 10’00’’

Florian tries to impress his in-laws during a Christmas dinner, which turns into a disaster.

Fokke Baarssen | Live-Action | 12’00’’

When Marieke, a tough and determined woman, reluctantly visits her childhood home where her aggressive father is dying, she is confronted with their dark past, which is not yet finished with her.

Naomi Noir | Animation | 09’06’’

Mary can't catch a break. Fusing motherhood with being a full-time carer for her disabled son has her up to her ears in red tape, barely keeping afloat. A surreal situation is looming.

Lidewij Hartog | Documentary | 13’12’’

What if everything you thought you knew was just the beginning?
Develop is a short documentary about Ydwer van der Heide. During a surfing accident, Ydwer became paralyzed from the chest down. But if water is such a vital part of your life and identity, how do you give new meaning to this relationship? This film documents an intimate personal journey, through relationships, the body and photography. 

Maria Shaposhnikova | Live-Action | 13’38’’

Eye Wall is a drama unfolds against the backdrop of a massive hurricane Khanum in 2023.
Ae Cha, a young woman tries to survive in a slum with her baby daughter and demented mother, but the waters rise too fast...

Jop Leuven | Live-Action | 6’57’’

In a group therapy session, Lena recounts the relationships that have shaped her: her father, her first boyfriend and Marleen.

Gijs Pouwels | Live-Action | 06’20’’

In this black comedy short, a celebrated actor takes his twelfth consecutive award during the yearly gala. He has decided to recognize the privileges that brought him here in a rousing acceptance speech. A statement to show everyone how forward thinking he is. He has prepared it in detail. He feels this speech will be the next milestone in his career. And it will be, but not in the way he planned it.

Directed by Marleen Meijer | Live-Action | 16’34’’

An angry mourning teenager runs away from her 18th birthday and tries to destroy her hometown, a small Dutch village in between the meadows.

Her path of destruction is put to a stop by a 50-year-old man who volunteers for the toad migration. The road on which the teenager was walking is blocked by hundreds of crossing toads.

When her plans of waiting, and taking a detour fail, she decides to help the man and the toads. Together they protect the toads from strange villagers during that afternoon, and while doing so, they form a friendship in which they teach each other about loss and grief.

Directed by Joep van Weelden | Documentary | 9’40’’

The drawings of the mother of filmmaker Joep van Weelden are an occasion for a difficult conversation about illness, blossoming, and transience.

A personal film in which difficult questions are inevitable, but where humor and the bond between mother and son are also certainly palpable.

Kim Faber | Documentary | 17’14’’

Eleven-year-old Lotte was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, and since then, her life has revolved
around hospitals, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy. It has turned her world completely
upside down. Now, Lotte is about to embark on a special week, as she’s going to a summer camp
organized especially for children like her. Here, she hopes to finally just be "Lotte" again and enjoy
life without worries.
At the camp, Lotte meets children who are going through the same experiences and makes
friends who truly understand her. Through Lotte's eyes, we see how precious it is to be able to be
a child again, even in the toughest of times. But how do you set aside all your worries when you're
confronted with your illness every day?

Ahmed Hammadi | Live-Action | 14’31’’

It’s a scorching hot summer day. Justin has planned something special for his anniversary with Ashley. His friends Ibo, Mo, and Baris are hanging out on the bench, bored as always. When Justin tells them what he bought for Ashley, they intervene—he can't show up with something so childish! In the end, the date with Ashley doesn’t go as expected at all, but for a completely different reason...

Lieuwe Siebe de Jong | Documentary | 03’04’’

Fighting in the Soviet era, his daughter died in battle and a house he can no longer live in. It sounds too much for a lifetime, but Viktor Yaroshenko from Ukraine has experienced it all.

Malu Janssen | Live-Action | 19’59’’

Barlebas depicts the last days in the life of the headstrong woman Heylken (28). She is accused of witchcraft, just as she was about to leave her village for good.
But while Heylken never gets to leave, she inspires the young girl Griet (12) with her free spirit and powerful voice.

An experimental musical period drama, set around 1595, centred on the persecution of witches in the Dutch South.

Jeroen Mourmans | Live-Action | 15’00’’

Somewhere in the Limburgian countryside, in the southern Netherlands, 17-year-old Olli juggles a job at a local warehouse with a dark side hustle as a burglar. Fueled by desperation, the timid teen transforms into a seasoned and calculating thief as soon as he puts on his mask. But how long before his conscience intervenes?

Idriss Nabil | Live-Action | 20’00’’

Dalou (11) only knows one thing about his dead father: he was a writer. Because of this, the boy has started writing a book himself, in which he chronicles the life of his best friend Coco. The book takes a turn when Coco suggests to find a substitute-dad for
Dalou for school sports day. When the plan is close to success, however, Coco is struck with envy and the one thing that is most precious to them is challenged: their friendship.

Chris de Krijger | Experimental | 10’05’’

What begins as a seemingly ordinary day takes an unexpected turn when an incident calls on a group of strangers to show empathy and solidarity.

Jonathan Pieterse | Documentary | 06’57’’

In the dusty opal fields of Lightning Ridge, miners spend their days chasing flashes of colour deep beneath the earth. Once, thousands came seeking fortune. Today, only a few hundred remain. Black opal, found here, is the rarest and most valuable in the world. One stone can change a life.

Andrei Mikes & Marc S. Nollkaemper | Live-Action | 09’52’’

A local TV station visits Karel (27) at his house to feature his wild story about a hair fairy he met online and the 'curse' it brought into his life.

Marcelo Szykman | Live-Action | 20’00’’

Pedro, a Brazilian immigrant, has been living in silence and shadows ever since he lost the great love of his life. In a foreign land, surrounded by memories that no longer have a home, he drifts through the days with no clear purpose, haunted by grief and time that no longer flows.

Safi Graauw | Documentary | 10’59’’

Lured by the promise “Sign and See the World” and driven by loyalty to The Netherlands, three young Surinamese; Guillaume Kranenburg, Willy Wooter and Harry Davis, leave their homeland to fight in WWII. Overcoming discrimination within the Dutch army, which initially did not want them, they endured tough training in Canada and Wolverhampton, far from the Surinamese heat. Arriving in Europe with the Princess Irene Brigade, they face the raw reality of war, far from the promised adventure. Sign and See the World is the forgotten story of their courageous contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands and Europe.

Marloes IJpelaar | Experimental | 09’33’’

In MOTHERFOCKING Art by Club Lam, photographer Peter Paul Rubens works with three models—Euphoria, Agla and Thalia—on a campaign photoshoot. When women realise there is no space for who they truly are and feel trapped in stereotypical portrayals, they break free from these constraints, shattering the male perspective and embracing their feminine beauty.