Competition

Dutch Focus

The Dutch Focus competition showcases Dutch fiction films and documentaries by makers with gripping stories and urgent narratives, both inside and outside the Netherlands.

On the Award Night, the Dutch Focus Award and €5,000 prize money will be presented to the director of the winning film.

Dutch Focus is made possible by VEVAM, copyright organisation for directors.

Jury

Eva Križková

Eva works as the director of the One World International Documentary Film Festival in Slovakia. She has been involved in documentary film industry as a publicist, distributor and director. She has recently lounched her feature-length debute Birdhill as a film director. She is also a member of the board of the Slovak Documentary Film Association.

Joost van der Valk

Joost van der Valk, an Emmy and BAFTA winner, creates documentaries in the Netherlands and internationally for BBC, Al Jazeera, HBO, and more. His film Satudarah - One Blood was nominated for a Golden Calf. Recently, he has directed series like Narcowars (Disney+), Make or Break (Apple TV+), and Drive to Survive, Dope, and Drug Lords (Netflix).

Susan Mbogo

Susan is the Programs and Partnerships Manager at Docubox, supporting over 100 East African films through grants and training. With a Creative Producing certificate from NYFA, she currently oversees two documentaries and champions impactful storytelling. Her expertise spans film production, and her role as a juror in top festivals underscores her industry commitment.