Meet the participants of IDFA Project Space NL 2025

The program culminates in a final presentation, where the participants will showcase their work alongside international peers to key industry players, including Dutch public broadcasters. An independent jury will select one filmmaker to receive the NPO Documentary Talent Award—an incentive prize of up to €25,000 from the NPO Fund to further develop their project.

An international perspective remains a key element of the program. This offers participants valuable opportunities to connect with IDFA’s international markets and build a global network of fellow filmmakers.

This week, the international Project Space program takes place at Het Documentaire Paviljoen. Together with their international counterparts, the IDFA Project Space NL participants will attend a series of talks and screenings.

Meet the six participants.

“My film ideas often stem from a desire to understand something more deeply and to feel more connected to the world around me. Through film, I try to grasp subtle shifts between people, or explore how identity takes shape. I hope my work can spark recognition, offer representation, or broaden someone’s perspective. I’m inspired by makers who question the system—like Douwe Dijkstra, who involves his subject as a co-creator, or Jan Hoek, who, with No Limits! Art Castle, breaks down the boundaries between ‘outsider’ artists and the rest of the art world. I look forward to experiencing that sense of collectivity again at IPS NL, to reflect together on our role as makers, and to enrich my perspective through the vision and form of others.”

Anna Peeters is a documentary filmmaker and graduate of the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU). Her debut De Lengte van liefde won the Best Debut Film Award at the Netherlands Film Festival (2016). Since then, she has worked on both film and audio projects that intertwine personal stories with broader societal themes such as autonomy, care ethics, and social equality. Her work stands out for its gentle, atmospheric style and an honest, reflective approach to filmmaking, where subtle shifts and metaphors play a key role. Anna often works across disciplines and is currently developing a documentary that explores the relationship between director and protagonist.

“For me, documentary is a way to connect—with people, with stories, with perspectives we don’t always see or hear. The audiovisual medium creates space for the invisible and the unspoken, for everything that unfolds between the lines. In that space, where filmmaker and subject truly meet, something remarkable can happen. Lately, I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration from the Javanese Wayang Kulit tradition and Gamelan music—living sources of meaning in my current work. At IPS, I look forward to diving deep with other makers, exploring form and essence together, and enriching each other’s perspectives. Six visions, six voices—this promises to be a fertile exchange.”

Anne Jan Sijbrandij is a documentary filmmaker based in Amsterdam. He holds a Master’s degree in Documentary Directing from RITCS in Brussels. His work explores the intersections of intergenerational trauma, impermanence, and identity. His documentary Nusa Ina premiered at IDFA 2023 in the Frontlight program.

“I’ve always felt a strong urge to capture reality—even though I don’t believe reality exists in any fixed form. Our experiences are made up of fragments, memories, desires, and projections—a narrative that is constantly being reshaped by both the observer and the observed. It’s with that paradox in mind that I make film and music. Maybe I’m trying to give form to that fluid, elusive fabric we call ‘reality,’ and to find within it a shared experience—a kind of solace in the face of impermanence. I’m looking forward to IPS NL, because I draw so much energy from exchanging ideas with other makers—from challenging each other and venturing into places we might not dare to face alone. It’s often hard to keep a clear view of your own idea when you’re completely immersed in it; that’s exactly when I need the perspectives of others.”

Marlene Dirven is a writer, composer, and filmmaker. After studying Middle Eastern Studies with a focus on Iranian cinema and literature, she worked in diplomacy in Brussels and Tehran. She later completed a Master’s in Artistic Research in Film at the Netherlands Film Academy, where she began experimenting with music as a starting point for filmmaking. She has worked as a screenwriter, assistant director, and composer, and has been invited by organizations such as IDFA, Music & Cinema Marseille, Radio NPO Klassiek, and the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. Since 2018, she has taught and coached in story structure, screenwriting, and filmmaking.

“Documentary allows me to observe the world from a distance and recognize the intricate connections—between people, and between humans and more-than-human beings. Filmmaking feeds my curiosity and gives me the space to shed light on the subjects I care about. I draw inspiration from the non-fiction films of Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog, as well as from the layered structure of novels by writers like Olga Tokarczuk and Orhan Pamuk. During IPS NL, I look forward to learning how to develop a documentary idea—from initial concept to a concrete, feasible plan—and how research can deepen that process. I’m especially curious about how other makers position themselves in their creative journey. When, and how, do they dig into their own inner world to find direction and meaning?”

Onur Can Tepe is a writer, filmmaker, and architect based in Rotterdam. He graduated from the Berlage Institute and worked at various architecture firms before shifting his focus to writing and film. His work has been selected for numerous film festivals both in the Netherlands and abroad. Through his studio, 1000 Words, he creates commissioned films about architecture and the built environment. His independent non-fiction projects are developed under the foundation Smoke & Mirrors.

“My drive to make documentaries stems from a desire to reflect on how we, as humans, navigate an increasingly overengineered society. I want to hold up a mirror to the viewer—without positioning myself above the subject, since I, too, am part of that same system. I focus on phenomena where we seem to have collectively gone off the rails: the struggle for autonomy, the pursuit of perfection, the loss of genuine connection. There’s something tragic in that—but also, at times, deeply humorous. Humor can soften things. It can offer solace. In my work, I search for a balance between discomfort, compassion, and lightness.

I look forward to sharing ideas, uncertainties, and intuitions with the other makers. Filmmaking is, at its core, a collaborative craft—but it can also feel deeply solitary. I’m excited to exchange perspectives, broaden my own, and see something unexpected emerge—under the guidance of experienced coaches and through creative dialogue with each other.”

Yasmin van Dorp is a Dutch documentary filmmaker based between Amsterdam and Stockholm. She studied Production at the Netherlands Film Academy and worked at Witfilm on a range of international documentaries. In Stockholm, she pursued an artistic research master’s degree, where she discovered her passion for directing and writing. Her work explores how people relate to the complexity of modern life, with a reflective style and carefully composed visuals. Her graduation film, The Spectacle, had its world premiere at Full Frame (USA), where she received the Best Newcomer Award, and has since screened at festivals worldwide.

"Filmmaking started for me as a way to give space to big emotions—by turning them into art, I found perspective, and hoped to move others as well, maybe even offer healing. I’m inspired by other art forms like music, poetry, and fashion—especially the way they channel emotion and tell stories. That’s the emotional and aesthetic depth I aim to bring into my own films.

At IPS NL, I’m eager to sharpen my ideas and learn how to translate them into a solid film plan. I’m drawn to the hands-on side of filmmaking, but also to being back in a space with fellow makers—sharing, learning, and growing together. Everyone in this group sees the world through a different lens, and I look forward to learning how to communicate my vision more clearly, and navigate the early stages of filmmaking with more confidence."

Sammy Shefa Idris is a filmmaker from Hurdegaryp, Friesland, who discovered documentary filmmaking through a deeply personal urgency: the loss of his best friend at the age of sixteen. He documented his grieving process, his friends, and his surroundings—a film that led to his acceptance into the Netherlands Film Academy. In 2024, he graduated with Fathers Are Sons Too, a personal visual love letter about loss and fatherhood. He also co-directed the VFX project A Taste of Friendship. Sammy is constantly exploring new forms to tell intimate stories—with the hope of leaving the world a little lighter than he found it.

IDFA's talent development programs are supported by NPO-fonds, Nederlands Film Fonds, Creative Europe and Dioraphte. Photography by Yohannes Henriksson.