Nils Verkooijen

During tender years, a companion can guide you through awkward moments when the heart rules the head, or be a partner in crime in the face of danger. Follow these young men through the highs and lows of early learning, when all around us is new, and peer pressure is at its most pervasive. The 6 short films are: It Was Dark [Il faisait noir] (2015); Suspendu (2015); Keep Going (2016); Headbutt (2017); Out of the Blue [Ud af det blå] (2016); Mars Colony (2020).

When a successful TV personality is robbed of her new film camera, she exaggerates the story to get the most out of her insurance. However, when the young suspect unexpectedly gets arrested, this trivial lie ignites a chain reaction of unforeseen consequences that will know only losers in the end.

In 2015, thirty year old refugee Francis, the sole survivor of a boat that illegally crossed the Mediterranean, is drawn into Berlin's seedy underbelly.

A fatally-timed invasion of privacy forces two male roommates to an all-too-intimate heart-to-heart.

A promising young Dutch-Moroccan trumpet player sets out to succeed at a posh Amsterdam music conservatory.

Headbutt portrays the desire of Tobias (15) to restore the old relationship he had with his brother Lucas (18). While they used to do everything together, Lucas now has no interest in his younger brother anymore. When Tobias fantasizes that Lucas will commit suicide, Tobias has no other option than to restore the relationship with his isolated brother.

With his familial bookshop on the verge of bankruptcy, Simon finds himself retreating more and more to his cabin in the woods. After witnessing the suicide of a stranger, a childhood trauma involving his bullied best friend resurfaces and he withdraws even further into the past, estranging himself from his wife and his responsibilities. The only glimmer of hope is a young girl who needs help with her book review. But there is more to the girl than there seems to be.

Alcoholic and low budget stuntman Ron Goossens has to get The Netherlands' most successful actrice between the sheets in order to save his own marriage. Will he succeed? A new outrageous comedy from the writers/directors of New Kids Turbo, New Kids Nitro and Bros Before Hos.

Escaping his execution at the hands of Nazi Soldiers, a rebellious Dutch teenager writes a brutally honest love letter to the girl who changed his life.

The story of a loving man and father who falls under the influence of an extremely orthodox Protestant sect. He sacrifices everything and everyone to this faith, including his business and the respect of his younger son. However, he never loses the love of his wife.

When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France and Germany and faces its own civil war no less, only one man, Michael de Ruyter, can lead the county's strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet.

Maarten is an ordinary 16-year-old. He likes to hang around in the park, listen to music, play videogames and dance as much as possible. Preferably with his dance partner Roxanne. But almost nobody, especially not Roxanne, knows he has a metabolic disease that could end his life. Despite the concerns of his parent, Maarten wants to live life to the fullest. But with his body failing him more and more, maybe the time has come to accept he is not ordinary.

Maarten is an ordinary 16-year-old. He likes to hang around in the park, listen to music, play videogames and dance as much as possible. Preferably with his dance partner Roxanne. But almost nobody, especially not Roxanne, knows he has a metabolic disease that could end his life. Despite the concerns of his parent, Maarten wants to live life to the fullest. But with his body failing him more and more, maybe the time has come to accept he is not ordinary.

Tuur and Lambert are best friends. But the war is closing in and is about to change their lives forever. Tuurs dad joined the resistance and even his big brother seems so be part of it. Lamberts family on the other hand choose to obey the Germans. Then a new girls from the city shows up, befriending the boys but telling her secret to only one of them. A choice that separates the boys and ultimately gets her in trouble.

A David's classmate, Jochem, is harassed by three bullies, but nobody does anything at school, not even David, who feels guilty for not pointing out the culprits.

20 LIES, 4 PARENTS AND A LITTLE EGG tells the story of Sjors and Bert, a gay male couple who are unexpectedly introduced to the 15 year-old adolescent Dylan. Dylan was the product of a sperm donation that Sjors had forgotten he had ever made. But after his eviction by his mother and girlfriend, the boy has turned up on Sjors and Bert's doorstep, and the lives of everybody will be changed forever.

Sanne (Hanna Obbeek) loves stories about ghosts and other mysterious things. Her father Lucas, is a famous ghost hunter. During a holiday Lucas is asked to chase ghosts of the former cruise ship 'Rotterdam'. Sanne is very happy to hear she and her little brother Thomas can come along. On the ship she meets ghost Bobby (Nils Verkooijen), a boy of her age, who has been wandering the ship since the sixties. Sanne decides to help Bobby.

In this road movie, mediator Bram drives his elderly father, Kees, to a German village - assured that he wants to pay a visit to an old friend. Once they arrive, Bram discovers the true goal of the trip.

Adaptation of one of Benelux most famous children's novels. Tough prime school girl Akkie loves soccer and can be a real bully. Love is the only thing she's scared of. When Akkie is diagnosed with Leukemia, she has to fight for her life. On the verge of going to high school, Akkie has to allow love to enter her life, and thus gain courage to accept the inevitable.

Eleven-year-old Eva is upset by the many rows between her parents and decides to run away. She wants to hide at her best friends Jackie and Thomas’ house, but circumstances bring her to her mysterious neighbour’s garden. She finds a secret letter there, which tells her the man is a king pin in a criminal organisation. And he is not exactly happy with Eva’s unannounced visit. To convince her of the importance of secrecy, he reveals that Eva’s dad is also involved in his illegal affairs. Eva hesitates: is her father who he claims to be? From that moment on, the enterprising girl does her utmost to exonerate her father from being involved. A period dawns in which Eva discovers that grownups also lead their own lives. She wants to ask questions, but at the same time she is afraid of the answers.

Fat adolescent Dik Trom enjoys growing up in a hedonistic town devoted to food and fun. When a restaurant chain offers his father the life-long-dreamed opportunity to run his own, the Trom family moves. Their new home town Dunhoven is however inhabited by health freaks who prefer only fitness to dietary sobriety.

During his holiday, ten-year-old Joshua saunters around by the IJsselmeer and meets the tough boy Mick, who is a little older. The latter only wants to become friends if Joshua climbs the forbidden lighthouse. But Joshua lacks the courage. When a third boy arrives, they fool him into believing that Joshua did stand the test. So now it is the newcomer's turn. But then something terrible happens and Joshua does not dare tell his parents.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold', the saying goes. In this morbid tragedy, in which everything revolves around the interior and exterior of man, not a word is said. A little boy gets a slice of sausage from that sweet blonde butcher's wife, whom he, in his exploratory innocence, disgraces in front of the callous clientele. The Roald Dahl-like aftermath is extremely delectable. 'May she live on in all of us.'

There is only one thing Winky wants: a horse, a real horse to ride. But horses are expensive. Fortunately it is the season of Sinterklaas; Winky just asks Sinterklaas for a horse. Than everything will work out alright. Or will it?

A young boy and his young sister are playing on a rubbish dump, acting out their parents' divorce. For this they use their father's things which their mother brought to the dumping ground out of anger. The girl only wants to use their fathers things, but the boy finds something that he finds much more interesting.