Ilja Willems

Ilja Willems

(She/Her)
Director (Documentaries)
Bureau NY
Full Bio
In the past 15 years, I have become experienced in directing and producing documentary series and television programs for European national Broadcasters. We won several prestigious Dutch prizes for our documentary series and one of the highlights of my career was making the 35-episode travel documentary series 'The Beagle, in the footsteps of Charles Darwin for which we sailed the world on a three mast sailing ship, exploring the future of species.



Creating stories from start to finish, research, filming, editing, is what I enjoy most. I am known and well respected for my unbeatable energy and creative input. Colleagues have described me as a passionate, dedicated and driven yet flexible professional with lots of experience working with different cultures all over the world.√Ω
Professional Credits
Director/creative producer Two seasons of 6-episode documentary series KRO-NCRV 'JINEK's USA' (De Verenigde Staten van Eva) about the upcoming elections for European broadcaster '16

Directing & producing several tv programs for Dutch national broadcasters

Director 'How Great it Was' Documentary 2014

Director METROPOLIS Cultural Portraits, VPRO 2011-2015 USA

Content producer O HANLONS HEROES 2012 VPRO Travel doc.USA

Director LABYRINTH Scientific program, VPRO, 2011/ 2010 USA

Content Producer THE BEAGLE, on the Origin of Species VPRO 2008-2010 35 episode travel documentary series on Charles Darwin, Around the world

Executive Producer VAN DIS IN AFRIKA, VPRO 2007-2008 Documentary series Mozambique, Namibia, S.A

Director GOUDZOEKERS (Gold diggers) 2010 VPRO NL

Sr Content Producer PEKING EXPRESS, 2012 and 2007 RTL Derivative of Amazing Race India, South Korea, Philipines

Director JAMIE OLIVER FIFTEEN in Amsterdam 2004 SBS Docu-series, Amsterdam

Director WILDEBEESTEN (Wildebeasts
Industry Awards
Prestigious Dutch tv Nipkow Prize in 2008 for VAN DIS in AFRIKA and 2011 for O'Hanlons Heroes. Best Documentary for Opioidemic at the Chelsea Film Festival in 2020 and Audience Choice Award for How Great it Was at Art of Brooklyn Film Festival

and in 2012 for O'HANLONS HEROES

'De TEGEL' for the production on Charles Darwin, the Beagle.

Audience Choice Award for documentary How Great it Was
Crew Up Survey
Willing To Travel: Yes
Has Own Equipment: Yes
Has Insurance: Yes
Other Languages: Yes
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