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.