Hi! My name is Merlijn.

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 in Screenwriting at the Netherlands Film Academy, 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. We’re currently applying for production funding so we can make this short film.

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.

Oh by the way! I make music too. So hit me up if you want to collaborate or jam ☆