★RESUME ILJA WILLEMS★ TV- & FILM MAKER

www.iljaNY.com [email protected] (+1) 917 855 5791

COMPETENCE The last 14 years I have become experienced in making documentary series and television programs for divergent genres, mostly as a director but I am also capable of producing, editing and researching my own subjects.

I am known for my energy and creativity. Colleagues describe me as a strong minded, driven but flexible professional who has worked all over the world in difficult situations with people from many different backgrounds.

My specialties are: to get people to tell their personal stories - and reproduce the story in a way that it becomes an interesting film or television. And most of all, I specialized in working abroad: to create, realize & complete in difficult conditions and under all circumstances.

OVERVIEW WORK EXPERIENCE

‘Metropolis’ - Director Series of Cultural Portraits, VPRO ’11, ’13 -USA

‘Mooi Geweest’ (It’s been great’) - Director Independent Documentary 2013

‘Uptown Girls’ - Character Casting Reality show, Eyeworks NL ‘13

‘Peking Express’ - Sr. Content Producer (eindredacteur) Derivative of ‘Amazing Race’ - South Korea & Philippines ‘12

‘O’Hanlons Heroes’ - Researcher/ Content Producer Travel documentary on 19thcentury explorers – USA ‘11

‘Labyrinth’ - Director Scientific program, VPRO, ‘11/’10 -USA

‘The Beagle, on the Origin of Species’ - Researcher/ Content Producer Travel documentary series on Charles Darwin -Around the world ’08-‘10

‘Goudzoekers’ (Gold diggers) – Content producer/ researcher/ director Program on everyday economics VPRO ‘10

‘Van Dis in Afrika’ - Executive Producer Documentary series about Dutch author v. Dis, Southern Africa ‘07

‘Peking Express’ – story editor/ reporter Derivative of ‘Amazing Race’ –India ‘06

‘Wildebeesten’ (Wildebeasts) - Director Travel/reality -South Africa ‘06

‘Terra Incognita’ - Story Editor Derivative of ‘Survivor’ -Thailand ‘05

‘Jamie Oliver's Fifteen’ in A’ dam - Director Docu-series, Amsterdam –Netherlands ‘04

‘Yorin Travel’ - Director Travel show -All over the world ’03-‘04

‘Art or Atrocity’ - Director Art show, public art -Great Britain ’01-‘02

And several others…

COMPANIES WORKED FOR

★ As a freelancer: VPRO, AVRO, NCRV, TROS, RTL, SBS, NOS, Idtv, Blue Circle, FreMantle Media, Zodiac, Off World, Beeld Brigade, Kanakna, RTL Germany, Simpel Media, Emolife, Diesel, Wereldland Nederland, Hazazah, JWT, YUNE, DAWN, RED, ROOTS, ESTA ★VPRO, Dutch National Public Broadcaster, ’08 – ‘10 The VPRO has a rather special position within the broadcasting system. Enthusiasm, curiosity and quality have more value than ratings. The VPRO takes its public task seriously but with slight stubbornness, purposefully choosing those programs and topics that the other broadcasting companies pass over. ★Kanakna, Production Company - Zodiac Network ’04 – ‘08 Kanakna is he biggest independent producer of reality television in the Dutch speaking market: Survivor (Expeditie Robinson), Temptation Island, and various other programs. ★Blue Circle, production company - Fremantle Media Network ’01-‘04 Blue Circle is a production company specialized in entertainment, reality and infotainment. It has produced Dutch versions of Idols, X-Factor, Holland’s Got Talent and The Bachelor. ★RTL National Commercial Broadcaster, affiliated with CBS ’01-‘02 RTL is one of the world's leading producers of television content such as game shows and soaps. It is Europe’s largest commercial TV, radio and production company. ★Endemol, International Commercial Production Company ‘01 Emerged from the co-operation between Dutch media tycoons Joop van de Ende (Big Brother and Broadway musicals) and John de Mol (Big Brother & The Voice of Holland).

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

★‘The Beagle, On the Future of Species’: Sailing around the world for a continuous 8 months in the footsteps of nineteenth century naturalist Charles Darwin for a 35 episodes scientific travel documentary for Dutch National Public television.

★‘Van Dis in Africa’ Winning the prestigious Dutch Nipkow Award for best TV program of 2007, for the documentary series with well respected Dutch writer Adriaan van Dis and working on another Nipkow Award winning series: O’Hanlons Heroes in 2012

★ Freelance TV- & Film maker working in New York for several documentaries, tv- programs, news -(background stories) and films since January 2011.

EDUCATION -University of Utrecht, The Netherlands, English Language & Literature and International Relations, graduated - masters degree 1998 -Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain, Relaciones Internacionales, 1997 -Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA, USA 1992

Languages: Dutch (native), English (fluent), German, Spanish, French (good/fair)