Ian Kerkhof is a Dutch film director and producer, known for his work on the popular Dutch television series Goede tijden, slechte tijden (Good Times, Bad Times) and SpangaS. He has also worked on several international projects, including the feature film The Flight Before Christmas and the television series Médicus.
Born in 1973 in Amsterdam, Kerkhof grew up in a creative family. His father, Hans Kerkhof, was a painter and his mother was a ceramist. Kerkhof was encouraged to pursue his creative interests as a child, and soon developed an affinity for filmmaking. After graduating high school, he studied at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy in Amsterdam.
Kerkhof’s first project was a short film called The Cuckoo, which he produced and directed in 1998. The film was well-received, and he went on to direct a number of other shorts, including Playing with Fire and The Last Cowboy.
In 2001, Kerkhof was hired by the Dutch television network AVRO to direct episodes of the popular series Goede tijden, slechte tijden. He directed over 100 episodes of the series, and was eventually promoted to executive producer.
In 2007, Kerkhof won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Programming for his work on the TV series SpangaS. He also directed the feature film The Flight Before Christmas, a family-friendly holiday movie that was released in 2008.
In 2010, Kerkhof was hired by the French TV network TF1 to direct the television series Médicus. The series follows the life of a French doctor in Paris, and was a success in both France and the Netherlands.
Kerkhof continues to work on both Dutch and international projects. He is currently working on a feature film adaptation of the popular Dutch novel The Freezing Point. He is also developing a new drama series, which he hopes to release in 2021.
Kerkhof’s success has earned him several awards, including the Dutch Academy Award for Best Director in 2011 and the Best Television Series award at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2012. He has also been nominated for several Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Children’s Programming in 2016.
With a career spanning over two decades, Kerkhof has established himself as one of the most influential figures in the Dutch film industry. He has directed and produced a wide array