Saturday 11 April 2026
10:00 Room 4.15 (doors open: 09:45)
Anna de Beus, Rosan Boersma Greenhouse for Teachers
Mental wellbeing in the Dutch Film Industry: Where do we stand?
Our pilot study explores the state of mental wellbeing in the Dutch film industry. Conducted in collaboration with Master’s students from the University of Amsterdam under the supervision of Mark Deuze, the research aims to map current experiences, challenges, and needs within the sector. Inspired by earlier studies such as those by the Film and TV Charity and Looking Glass Research, this project examines how industry professionals perceive their working conditions and mental health. The findings will serve as a starting point to identify what is needed next, whether that is the development of a practical toolbox or platform, or the necessity for more in-depth research.
During the presentation, Anna and Rosan will briefly share their process and the insights gained so far, followed by a short workshop on mental wellbeing in practice.
-- Followed by a coffee & tea break --
Anna de Beus and Rosan Boersma are the founders of Cinemind, through which they support film professionals and students in their personal and professional development. With extensive experience in the film industry, Anna in art direction, production, and coaching, and Rosan as a documentary producer and educator, they are deeply familiar with the sector’s dynamics and challenges. United by a shared vision of promoting social sustainability and mental wellbeing, they founded Cinemind to foster healthier working environments within the industry. Both are also affiliated with the Netherlands Film Academy, where they teach and/or coach students.
11:05 Room 4.15
Pablo Núñez AI Greenhouse, Lectoraat
‘Agente Fílmico MAFI’ - a prompt-based interface for exploring video archives
Pablo will introduce Agente Fílmico MAFI, an open-source AI prototype for engaging with small audiovisual archives. He will briefly frame the MAFI (Mapa Fílmico de un País) collection —over 300 micro-length documentaries created by a collective of more than 50 filmmakers— and then present the current prototype, built around a curated set of 50 annotated films. Developed by a wider team and community led by Pablo, Agente Fílmico views prompting as an interface: users ask natural-language questions, and it responds by curating relevant films with contextual commentary.
The workshop includes a live group demonstration where we try it together, followed by a feedback discussion.
Victorine van Alphen Greenhouse for Teachers ‘23/’24
Dimensions of Experience - on the interplay between conscious and subconscious aspects of experiences
How can we become better aware of all the diverse elements that shape an experience? Dimensions of Experience is a growing model and method that helps us enhance the quality of our observations to enable an improved analysis and creation of experiences. It is specifically designed for use during the artistic, theatrical and immersive creation of experiences, though it could be applied to any discipline, genre, and combination of media. It offers tools to experiment with both real and imagined conditions of experience in order to learn about the extremely diverse and qualitative dynamics from which our experiences emerge. With Dimensions of Experience Victorine facilitates in depth discussions about (immersive) experiences, for students, teachers and makers alike.
During the workshop, Victorine invites all present to test the model with her.
– Followed by lunch in the canteen --
Pablo Núñez is an artistic researcher specialising in digital heritage and emerging technologies. An alumnus of the Film Academy’s Master’s programme, he is currently a research fellow at the AI Greenhouse project of the Academy, where he is developing Agente Fílmico MAFI, a prompt-based tool for exploring audiovisual collections. He is also a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on the presentation of digital heritage. https://agente.mafi.tv/
Victorine van Alphen is an award-winning artist, director, and philosopher whose immersive works critically and sensorially explore our relationship with media and technology. Creating futuristic micro-societies, rituals, and performances, she is known for innovative social formats that transcend disciplines and conventions. Her latest project, The Oracle: Ritual for the Future, premiered at IDFA 2025 following previews at Ars Electronica. Her work IVF-X: Posthuman Parenting in Hybrid Reality - prepared for during her Film Academy’s Master - won a Golden Calf in 2021 and screened internationally. As an artistic researcher, she developed the phenomenological methods “Choreographing Modes of Being” and “Dimension of Experience,” which she has taught at leading academies and conferences from UDK Berlin to XRBrazil.
13:30 Cinema
Kathleen Lotze Greenhouse for Teachers
Glitches in the curriculum: Integrating “new” technologies in film education
How can we integrate new technologies into film education in ways that are both responsible and creative? More importantly, how can we design a curriculum that is flexible enough to adapt to emerging technologies —like AI today—while remaining relevant and applicable for years or even decades to come? Using generative AI as a case study, I will share lessons learned from lectures, workshops, discussions with professionals and students, as well as pilot lessons at the Netherlands Film Academy. I explore how to build a foundational structure for film education that doesn’t just react to technological trends but proactively prepares students to critically engage with them.
The aim of this presentation is to stimulate thinking about informed decision-making and open-minded experimentation, ensuring that our teaching remains future-proof and grounded in an engaging, mindful and purposeful practice.
Stanislaw Liguzinski FilmED, Lectoraat
FilmED – Laboratory for Film Education. From discourse to practice
An update on the FilmED study into alternative forms of (film) theory teaching – featuring a jaw dropping AI application.
-- Followed by a coffe & tea break --
Kathleen Lotze (PhD, University of Antwerp, 2020) teaches and coordinates the bachelor programme Film in Context at the Netherlands Film Academy, focusing on practice-based and artistic research in film theory and history. She has been involved in academic research projects across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK since 1999.
Stanisław Liguziński is Research Coordinator at the Research Department (Lectorate) of the Netherlands Film Academy, where since 2022 he has been co-responsible for setting up and executing the research agenda and disseminating research-based knowledge. He combines an academic background in media, film and critical theory (PhD candidate, Jagiellonian University; MA Film Studies) with practice-based expertise from the Master of Film programme at the Nederlandse Filmacademie (Cum Laude, 2016). His work bridges theory and practice across research coordination, XR/immersive media, and essay film production.
15:10 Room 4.15
Marcel Visbeen Greenhouse for Teachers
How high the moon? Is artistic ambition something to cherish or to fear?
Dutch cinema has been nursing an identity crisis for decades — and its Calvinist heritage isn’t exactly helping. You know the adage: “Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg.” Turns out it applies to film just as much as to everything else in this country. The result? Dutch films rarely make it past the border. Some people shrug and say there simply isn’t enough talent here — but does talent really grind to a halt at the Belgian or German border? So why can’t the Netherlands make bold, artistically ambitious, world-class films?
Let’s dig into that question, using three concepts as our guide: quality, success, and talent. How do they push and pull against each other — and who’s afraid of the answer? Because only when we understand what’s actually going on can we help the next generation reach for the moon.
Marcel Visbeen is a writer, director and (creative) producer who has a degree in theatre, film and television science at the University of Utrecht. Since his first short film he has been labelled a talent and from then on, his path in the Dutch film world has led to artistic successes and failures as well as commercial hits and flops, while always aiming for the highest possible quality by learning from past experiences. Since 2019 he combines his career as a filmmaker with occasionally teaching film at several schools. For the last couple of years, he has been coaching the student directors of fiction with their graduation films at the Dutch Film Academy.
16:15 Studio 7
Reinette van de Stadt Greenhouse for Teachers
Building the Academy’s new Graduation Year
Let’s be honest. One film on a big screen doesn’t show who you are. We need to redesign the final year – with big ideas and Lego bricks on the table.
Come to my workshop!
Reinette van de Stadt graduated from the Film Academy and started working in feature films in 2000. Under Els Vandevorst, she worked on Lars von Trier’s Manderlay. In 2003 she founded production company Trueworks, producing documentaries including Sergio Herman Fucking Perfect, L’Amour des Moules and China’s van Gogh. She developed her international network through EAVE, Sources and ACE, and pitched at forums like IDFA and Sheffield. Since 2016 she has served on the documentary committee of the VAF in Brussels. As executive producer she worked on Silence of the Tides. Since 2021 she coaches documentary production at the Film Academy.