We’re honoured to welcome director Max Porcelijn to Shortcutz Amsterdam on 28 October.

His debut feature, Plan C (2012), won Golden Calves for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor at the Netherlands Film Festival and later earned him the Best Screenplay Award at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. He followed up with De grote Zwaen (2015), which premiered at the NFF and was nominated for Best Film at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. Porcelijn has also directed episodes of hit series such as Penoza, Klem, Random Shit, Van der Valk and Trecx.

At Shortcutz, he’ll discuss Amsterdam Empire (Netflix, 2025), the new seven‑episode crime drama he co‑directs. Created by Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys and directed by Jonas Govaerts and Porcelijn, the show follows coffee‑shop mogul Jack van Doorn and his vengeful wife, Betty and stars Famke Janssen and Jacob Derwig. The series, described as a glam-and-grit look at Amsterdam’s cannabis trade, premieres on  October 30, 2025.

Kevin Tromp | Live-Action | 19’42’’

The Wanderer is a tragicomic short film about Daantje, a young city dweller who retreats to a remote forest to escape the pressure of social expectations. Hoping to find peace, he instead encounters fear and isolation when he begins to suspect he’s not alone. As nature closes in, his longing for a way out deepens. But where will it lead him?

Reinout Hellenthal | Live-Action | 20’00’’

“Tomorrow I Will Be Free” is inspired by true events in the Soviet Union. The story follows 20-year-old Tatiana, whose outspoken criticism of the oppressive regime and longing for freedom lead to her imprisonment in a frozen prison camp. In a world defined by fear, violence, and suspicion, she fights to survive—determined to preserve her integrity and keep her hope for freedom alive.