Hi! My name is Merlijn.

I graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy with a bachelor in Screenwriting and I specialize in writing and directing animation for mature audiences. The genres I feel most at home with are dark fantasy and magical realism, but I’m adaptable and can write in different styles if the story calls for it. After completing my bachelor, I moved to Denmark to follow a course in classical drawing at The Animation Workshop, supported by a VSB Fonds scholarship. From January until June 2024, I partook in the artist residency program Open Workshop / Filmværksted in Viborg, Denmark. There, I worked on the development of my directorial debut Behind My Skin.

The films that I write are often very intimate and personal. I write from my own experiences and like to work with visual metaphors to give a face to emotions that would otherwise remain invisible. As a collaborator, I intend to explore the emotional connection that binds creators to their work. I aim to understand where their ideas are coming from, so that I can translate them into stories that feel authentic and that resonate.

I’m a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and I love writing music and lyrics in addition to film. Recently, I have been exploring collaborations that combine music, story and animation. I’m really excited about that!