What was your idea behind this year's illustration?

In the briefing I got there was a clear emphasis on the Limburgian landscape/the landscape around the three country point. I was very pleased with this because the scenery around here is very inspirational to me. It’s a very unique sight here in the Netherlands and one of the main things that gets me excited about living in Limburg. I knew right away this would have to be a big part of the illustration.

I liked the idea of romanticizing the Dutch winter, a season that I think gets a lot of flack for how beautiful it is. Especially when it gets foggy in the hills it can evoke such a sense of mystery and limitlessness. I felt that was a fitting sentiment to focus on with this illustration.

The idea to blur film and reality felt really logical. For most passionate filmmakers those lines get blurred anyway and especially with the rollercoaster that has been the past few years film has become such an integral part of a lot of peoples lives, even more than usual. It influences us and vice versa and I wanted to capture that.

What does “cinema” spark in you?

So much! I’m a big fan of just about every form of art but especially love it when media combine into something bigger than the sum of its parts. There’s something so magical about music swelling in time with moving imagery, framing and lighting mimicking dialogue or in general all aspects of an art form working together to create a fully immersive experience. Cinema especially invites you to make it an activity and really lose yourself in something.

What do you think of the short film format? Do you prefer it to the feature format?

I think the short film format comes with a lot of perks. It gives the creator the possibility to explore weirder and more daring ideas without having to commit to it for an (overly) extensive period of time. As a result I think the short film format is a home for a lot of interesting works!

I also like it when films are made with a good, simple idea in mind and when the creators manage to stick to it. Making something that stands alone and inspires without dragging it out or making it more complicated than it needs to be shows a lot of restraint, which I admire.

What do you think about the local filmmaking scene?

Up until a few years ago I hadn’t realized how alive the Limburgian filmmaking scene was! I find it heartwarming to see so many people following a passion like they do. Especially in film, which requires a lot of commitment. It’s easy to think of filmmaking as something exclusive or elite, but the fact that we have such an alive scene in such a relatively small region goes to show that there’s a lot of people in it purely out of passion. Not just here, but everywhere.

What do you think is missing and could be added to the artistic scene in general in the area?

More support for new ideas! We don’t tend to keep young creatives as well as other cities/regions, which is a shame considering we don’t lack academies. I think it’s tough for new professionals to find an entry point in the creative scene because so much is set in stone already. The established crowd has fallen into habits and I think a good shake up would do us good.

What is your favorite film genre?

I love a good weird, emotional comedy. Some of my favorite titles in the past few years have been by Taika Waititi. I also love films that are clearly, deliberately films. When dialogues that have a certain rhythm (“nobody talks like that”) or the sets are very extravagant (or symmetrical) for no apparent reason. If you’re going to go through the effort of writing, casting, directing, filming, editing etc. something, might as well make every part of it very deliberate.

As an illustrator, have you thought about working in animation and making film?

Definitely! In fact, my graduation project was quite an extensive animation. Like I said I love the interdisciplinary nature of film. Animation especially gives you a lot of freedom because you’re pretty much making everything from scratch. Even though I love it, I think I’m too impatient to ever pursue a career in animation though. I also really am an illustrator at heart. But I’ve loved working alongside filmmakers in other ways in the past and hope I can continue to do so!

What are your main sources of inspiration (other illustrator, music, personal experience, books)?

A lot of my ideas come from daily life. I love amplifying the uncomfortable and the human in my work. I also draw a lot of inspiration from fine art paintings. Especially impressionistic and symbolist works tend to get my juices flowing. Odilon Redon is a big one.

And of course I follow a lot of other illustrators! One of my favorites at the moment is Sarah Hagale (@shagey on instagram) who makes these really beautiful, funny but delicate drawings.