BIOGRAPHY
Ben van Lieshout (The Netherlands) is an independent, award-winning director, producer and screenwriter.
He directed short films (fiction, experimental), documentaries and feature films for the arthouses, television and national/international film- and art festivals. Besides regular distribution channels, special screenings are held in other venues, in the context of lectures, masterclasses and exhibitions with other art disciplines.
His films have an own, distinctive cinematographic style with a strong emphasis on the visual, on mood and atmosphere.
For several decades he was also a part time lecturer in screenwriting en directing at the Utrecht School of the Arts.
FILMOGRAPHY
1983 HET LICHT VAN CADIZ (The light of Cadiz) 87 min. 16mm
drama / Distribution Filmmuseum
1988 DE WAL (The Shore) 38 min. 16mm drama ) (Filmmuseum)
1989 SCHUTTING (Fence) 9min. 16mm (Filmmuseum)
1991 PASSAGIERS (Passengers) 86 min. 16mm b&w drama
(Filmmuseum)
1995 BUTTERFLY 28min. 16mm b&w drama (Filmmuseum)
1997 DE VERSTEKELING (THE STOWAWAY) (Encore loin de la mer)
(Blinder Passagier) 90 min. 35mm drama (Filmmuseum)
1998 Screenplay for feature CONTAINER 100 min. 35mm
1999 DE ZONE (The Zone) 18min. 35mm (Filmbank)
2001 WINKELHART ( Night at the mall) 18 min. 35mm (Filmbank )
2002 REIS NAAR HET PARADIJS (Trip to Paradise) 50 min. video 2003 LAPJE GROND (Allotment) (Lopin de terre) 24 min. 35mm
(Filmbank)
2003 WEEK 19 – observations from Rotterdam- 132 min. video
(in collaboration with several directors)
2004 Petersburg Places and Paintings 68 min Filmmuseum
2006 LOCATIE TUSSENLAND 40 min. video
2007 DE MUZE / (The Muse) drama 73 min 35mm / HD / 1.4K /
Filmmuseum)
2009 A KRONSTADT TALE screenplay 90 min
2012 INVENTORY OF THE MOTHERLAND (75 min DCP) Mokum Film
2015 SKETCHES OF SIBERIA (74 min DCP) Distribution Mokum Film
2019 SNELWEG NL (HIGHWAY NL) 91 min DCP Distribution Mokum Film
2020 GLORY DAYS (HOOGTIJDAGEN) 90 min DCP Mokum
Filmdistributie
2021 DAWID & NELSON (feature, in development)
EXPOSITIONS:
LOCATIE TUSSENLAND
‘Tussenland’ exposition: Kasteel Groeneveld Baarn
(october 2006-may 2007)
WINKELHART / NIGHT AT THE MALL in ‘Dromen in Beton’, Centraal Museum Utrecht 2019-2020
2012 Artist in Residence: Besiendershuis City of Nijmegen 2013 Artist in Residence: Biennale Krasnojarsk Russia
JURYMEMBER:
Prize of the City of Utrecht during the Netherlands Film Festival for several years
Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2000 Germany
Regensburg International Architecture & Film Festival 2000 Germany
Split International Film Festival 2005 Croatia
Cape Winelands Film Festival 2009 Cape Town South Africa
Debutcompetition Prize City of Utrecht NFF 2012
Flahertiana IFF Perm Russia 2016
Golden Apricot IFF Yerevan Armenia 2018
AWARDS
PASSENGERS (Passagiers) was nominated for Best Direction Dutch Filmdays 1991
THE STOWAWAY (1997)
(De Verstekeling) (Blinder Passagier) (Encore loin the the la Mer)
- Best Feature Film IFF Mannheim-Heidelberg 1997
- International Award Ecumenical Jury IFF Mannheim Heidelberg 1997
- Distribution Award German Cinemas IFF Mannheim Heidelberg 1997
- The John Templeton European Filmaward 1998 Berlin
- Audience Award Silver Rosa Camuna Bergamo 1998
- Best Feature Film IFF Rennes 1999
- Special Mention IFF Troia Portugal 1998
CONTAINER screenplay was nominated for the Feature Prize Rotterdam 1999
PETERSBURG PLACES and PAINTINGS was nominated for Best Music NFF 2004
THE ZONE (1999)
Grand Prix Hamburger Short Filmfestival 1999
Grand Prix Best Short Drama Filmfestival Greece1999.
Grand Prix Odense International Short Film Festival 1999
Grand Prix International Festival of New Film in Split 2000
Grand Prix Fetish Film Festival Paris 2001
Best European Short Canal+ Brussels IFF 2000
Best Documentary Tampere International Short Film Festival 2000
Fuji Award Berlin Interfilm Festival 1999
The Youthprize Oberhausen 1999
Second Prize Best Short Film Uppsala 1999
EFA (European Film Academy) nomination Best European Short Film 2000 (Prix UIP)
Honorary Mention Viper IFF Lucerne 1999
Special Mention Gijón IFF (1999)
Special Mention Regensburger Shortfilmweek (1999)
Special Mention DokumentArt NeuBrandenburg 2000
WINKELHART/NIGHT AT THE MALL (2001)
Grand Prix Festival International Train et Cinéma Lille 2002
Golden Cinerail Best Documentary: Festival International Train et Cinéma Lille 2002
Special Mention: Regensburg Short Film Week 2001
Special Mention: L’Alternativa Festival de Cinema Independent Barcelona 2002
Special Mention: Mediterranean Festival of New Film Larissa, Greece 2003
HOOGTIJDAGEN / GLORY DAYS (2020)
Best Long Documentary 'On the Road' Mediawave IFF Hungary 2021
Best Cinematography Mediawave IFF Hungary 2021
Festival selections for THE STOWAWAY (De Verstekeling) 1997
(Blinder Passagier (Germany) / Encore loin de la Mer (France)
Passager Clandestin (Canada)
- IFF Mannheim-Heidelberg ‘97 (Germany)
- IFF Rotterdam ‘98 (Holland)
- Independent Filmdays Osnabrück ‘98 (Germany)
- IFF Max Ophüls Saarbrücken ‘98 (Germany)
- IFF Bergamo Film Meeting ‘98 (Italy)
- IFF Troia ‘98 (Portugal)
- IFF Tübingen ‘98 (Germany)
- IFF Karlovy Vary ‘98 (Tsjechië)
- Festival of Dutch Films Kiev ‘98 (Ukraïn)
- The World Film Festival Montreal ‘98 (Canada)
- IFF Québec ‘98 (Canada)
- Festival of Dutch Films Athens ‘98 (Greece)
- IFF Umea ‘98 (Sweden)
- IFF Vancouver ‘98 (Canada)
- Dutch Film Festival Utrecht ‘98 (Holland)
- Flanders IFF Ghent ‘98 (Belgium)
- IFF Chicago ‘98 (USA)
- Filmblick Münster ‘98 (Germany)
- IFF Caïro ‘98 (Egypt)
- International Ecological Filmfestival Freiburg ‘98
(Germany)
- IFF Braunschweig ‘98 (Germany)
- IFF Bombay (Mumbai) ‘98 (India)
- Travelling: Festival de Cinéma de Rennes ‘99 (France)
- Festival of Dutch films Cape Town
& Pretoria ‘99 (South-Africa)
- IFF Cleveland , Ohio ‘99 (USA)
- IFF Pärnu ‘99 (Estonia)
- Weltkino Expo 2000 Hannover ‘99 (Germany)
- Nordic Film Festival Rouen ‘99 (France)
- IFF Minneapolis ‘99 (USA)
- IFF Bodrum ‘99 (Turkey)
- Festival of Dutch Films Motovun ‘99 (Croatia)
- Dutch Films ‘Operanight’ Tokyo ‘99 (Japan)
- Bonner Kinomathek Bonn ‘99 (Germany)
- Dutch Filmweek Potsdam ‘99 (Germany)
- Festival of Dutch Films Madrid 2000 (Spain)
- EU Festival Málaga & Huelva ‘00 (Spain)
- Dutch Filmweek Jekaterinburg ’02 (Russia)
- Cape Winelands Filmfestival ’09 Cape Town ( South-Africa)
- Holland FF National Film Centre Tokyo ’09 (Japan)
- Holland Film Festival Osaka European FF ’09 (Japan)
Festival selections for THE ZONE/ DE ZONE 1999
- IFF Rotterdam ‘99 (Holland)
- International Short Filmdays Oberhausen ‘99 (Germany)
- International Short Filmfestival Huesca ‘99 (Spain)
- IFF ‘Vue sur les Docs’ Marseille ‘99 France) International
- Hamburg Short Filmfestival ‘99 (Germany)
- International Short Filmfestival Vila do Conde ’99 (Portugal)
- Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival ‘99 (Brazil)
- Bunter Hund Short Film Festival München ‘99 (Germany)
- Nederlands Filmfestival Utrecht ‘99 (Holland)
- International Short Film Festival of Drama ‘99 (Greece)
- VIPER International festival for film, video & new media
Lucerne ‘99 (Switzerland)
- Montreal International Festival of New Cinema & New Media
‘99 (Canada)
- Uppsala International Short Film Festival ‘99 (Sweden)
- International Short Film Festival Interfilm Berlin ‘99
(Germany)
- International London Film Festival ‘99 (U.K.)
- Torino Film Festival ‘99 (Turijn, Italy)
- Festival Internacional de Cine Gijon ‘99 (Spain)
- Festival of Dutch Films Filmmuseum Potsdam ‘99 (Germany)
- Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest ‘99 (Germany
- Stockholm International Film Festival ‘99 (Sweden)
- Shorts International Filmfestival New York ‘99 (USA)
- Regensburg Short Film Week ‘99 (Germany)
- Exground on Screen Filmfestival Wiesbaden ‘99 (Germany)
- International Film Festival Brussels 2000 (Belgium)
- FIPA , Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels
Biarritz 2000 (France)
- Tage des Unabhängigen Films Osnabrück 2000 (Germany)
- International Short Film Festival Tampere 2000 (Finland)
- Hong Kong International Film Festival 2000 (China)
- Video experimental Festival Zürich 2000 (Switzerland)
- Internationale Grenzland Filmtage 2000 Selb (Germany)
- International Short Film Festival Cambridge 2000 (UK)
- Nederlandse Filmweek Moskou 2000 (Russia)
- Nacht van de korte film Parijs 2000 (France)
- Seoul Short Film Festival 2000 (Korea)
- Input 2000 Halifax (Canada)
- Norwegian Short Film Festival 2000 Grimstad (Norway)
- International Festival of New Film Split 2000 (Croatia)
- MedFilm Festival Laboratory 2000 Rome (Italy)
- Universal Studios Hitchcock International Directors Series
(New Directors Showcase)
American Cinematheque Hollywood (USA)
- 49th Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia)
- Lausanne Shortfilm Night (Switzerland)
- Riga Film Festival ‘Arsenal’ Riga (Letland)
- Leeds International Film Festival (UK)
- DokumentART Neubrandenburg (Germany)
- Odense International Short Film Festival (Denmark)
- ‘2000 Sights of the turn of the century: new tendencies of
documentary’, Mexico City (Mexico)
- Festival de Cinema Independent de Barcelona Spain)
- Festival ‘Cinema Tout Ecran‘ Geneva (Switzerland)
- Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (Germany)
- Cork International Festival (Ireland)
- International Architecture Festival Regensburg (Germany)
- Fetish Film Fest 2001 (Paris)
- Annual Dallas Video Festival (USA)
- Int. Short Film Festival Istanbul (Turkey)
- Int. Short Film Festival Tuebingen (Germany)
- Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema (USA)
- Ankara International Filmfestival 2002(Turkey)
- Kukupraline Al Fresco Summer Film Festival
- Montréal 2003 (Canada)
- Dutch architecture Filmfestival Warsaw 2003 (Poland)
- Cork International Filmfestival 2005 (Ireland)
- Interfilm Berlin IFF 2009 (Germany)
- Cine/B Independent Filmfestival Santiago 2010 (Chili)
- Anemic Festival of Independent Films & New Media 2010
- Prague (Czech Republic)
- VideoEx International Experimental Video & Filmfestival
- Zürich 2010 (Switzerland)
- Uppsala International Short Film Festival 2012 (Sweden)
Festival selections NIGHT AT THE MALL/ WINKELHART 2001
- Netherlands Film Festival Utrecht september 2001 (Holland)
- International Architecture Filmfestival Rotterdam 2001 (Holland)
- Regensburg Short Film Week 2001 (Germany)
- Festival Internacional de Cine de Gijon 2001 (Spain)
- International Film Festival Rotterdam 2002 (Holland)
- Tampere International Short Film Festival 2002 (Finland)
- International Documentary Festival Viewpoint Gent 2002 (Belgium)
- Dutch Film Festival Kiev, Odessa and Ivano-Frankivk 2002 (Ukraine)
- International Grenzland Filmtage Selb 2002 (Germany)
- Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2002 (Germany)
- Norwegian Short Film Festival Grimstad 2002 (Norway)
- Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival 2002 (Portugal)
- Aken Filmforum Kaleidoskop 2002 (Germany)
- Short Cuts Cologne 2002 (Germany)
- Oeiras Image Festival 2002 (Portugal)
- Cork Film Festival 2002 (Ireland)
- DokumentArt Neubrandenburg 2002 (Germany)
- Montreal Int. Fest. New Cinema & New media 2002 (Canada)
- Madrid Panorama Dutch Independent Films 2002 (Spain)
- Cinema Tout Ecran Geneva 2002 (Switzerland)
- Kasseler Dokumentarfilm & Videofest 2002 (Germany)
- Barcelona L’Alternativa Cinema Independent 2002 (Spain)
- Exground Filmfest Wiesbaden 2002 (Germany)
- Cinerail Int. Festival trains on films 2002, Lille (France)
- Nemo Int’l Festival, Forum des Images Paris 2003 (France)
- Istanbul Int’l Short Film Festival 2003 (Turkey)
- Mediterranean Festival of New Film Larissa (Greece)
- Chicago Int’l Doc Filmfestival 2003 (USA)
- Dutch Architecture Filmfestival Warsaw 2003 (Poland)
- International FF Media 21 Hannover 2003 (Germany)
- Steirischer herbst IFF Graz 2005 (Austria)
- Cork International Film Festival 2005 (Ireland)
- Nice International Short Film Festival 2008 (France)
- Image de Ville IFF Aix-en- Provence 2009 (France)
- Festival Nova-Cinema Brussels 2009 (Belgium)
Festival selections for ALLOTMENT/LAPJE GROND 2003
- Festival ‘La Nuit du Court Métrage’ Paris 2004 (France)
- Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2004 (Germany)
- Cork International Film Festival 2004 (Ireland)
- L’Alternativa Barcelona Independent Film Festival 2004(Spain)
- Exground Filmfest Wiesbaden 2004 (Germany)
- Panorama of Dutch Independent Films Madrid 2004 (Spain)
- CPH:Dox Copenhagen International Documentary Festival
- 2004 (Denmark)
- Dutch Shorts High Museum of Art Atlanta 2005 (USA)
- Dutch Filmweek Russia (Moscow, Perm a.o.) 2005 (Russia)
- Iowa City International Doc Festival 2005 (USA)
- Cinemabiente Torino 2005 (Italy)
- Cork International Film Festival 2005 Ireland
- CultRoyale Multimedia Festival Schipluiden 2006 (NL)
- Shortly Speaking In Dutch (touring festival) 2006 Poland
Festival selections for THE MUSE / DE MUZE 2007
- Netherlands Film Festival, Utrecht 2007 (The Netherlands)
- IFF Rotterdam Press & Industry 2008 (The Netherlands)
- Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival 2008 Groningen (NL)
- IFF Kolkata 2008 (India)
- IFF Sao Paulo 2008 (Brazil)
- IFF Mannheim-Heidelberg 2008 (Germany)
- Cape Winelands Film Festival Cape Town 2009 (South Africa)
- Bridge Fest 2009 Sarajevo ( Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- National Arts Festival Grahamstown 2009 (South-Africa)
Festival selections for INVENTORY OF THE MOTHERLAND 2012
- 32e Netherlands Film Festival, Utrecht 2012 (The Netherlands)
- Doku-Arts Berlin 2013 (Germany)
- 10e Biennale Krasnojarsk Siberia 2013 (Russia)
- 30e Kassel Docfest 2013 (Germany)
- 4e International Art Book and Filmfestival FILAF Perpignan (France) 2014
- 16e Flahertiana FF Perm (2016 Russia)
- 10e Northern Character Filmfestival Murmansk 2017 Russia
Festival selections for SKETCHES OF SIBERIA 2015
- 28e Int.Documentary FF Amsterdam IDFA 2015 (NL)
- 13e Docs Against Gravity Warschau (2016 Poland)
- 30e IFF Parnu (2016 Estonia)
- 38e Moscow International Filmfestival (2016 Russia)
- 16e Perm Flahertiana International FF (2016 Russia)
- 36e Netherlands Film Festival NFF Utrecht (2016 Netherlands)
- 10e Northern Character IFF Murmansk (2017 Russia)
