The Executive Board of the Amsterdam University of the Arts has appointed Tzara Tristana as the new director of the Netherlands Film Academy as of 1 August. In doing so, she succeeds Bart Römer, who is reaching retirement age after more than 12 years at the helm of the Netherlands Film Academy. Tzara Tristana is currently head of the Fiction Direction programme at Den Danske Filmskole (National Film School of Denmark).

Tzara Tristana has a Norwegian-Dutch background and studied film production at the London International Film School and film direction at the National Film School of Denmark. She worked not only in the film industry, but also as a director of several theatre and (open-air) opera productions.
Since 2017, she has been head of Fiction Direction at the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen. There, she is responsible for the content of the course and managing the teaching teams. She revamped the curriculum with initiatives on entrepreneurship and leadership and implemented more attention to collaboration and creativity, both in the end result and the process. She sought partnerships with external parties to establish special talent development programmes. She also took part in establishing NORD - New Nordic Voices, an ambitious cooperation programme between film schools in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Annet Lekkerkerker, president of the AHK Executive Board, is delighted with the appointment: "With Tzara Tristana, the Netherlands Film Academy gains a director who knows the international film world and film education inside out. In Copenhagen, she has shown her vision and drive to create a future-oriented study programme. As the Executive Board, we look forward to a great collaboration."

Tzara Tristana responds, “I am deeply honored to accept the position of director at the Netherlands Film Academy. My primary objective is to ensure that the Film Academy stands proudly at the forefront of artistic expression and creativity, empowering students to become visionary filmmakers who will shape the future of cinema. I am eager to collaborate closely with the highly qualified staff at the academy and at the AHK, drawing upon their expertise as we collectively strive to uphold and enhance its legacy.

About the Netherlands Film Academy
The Netherlands Film Academy trains students to become specialists in the film profession. Collaboration between those specialists is characteristic of both the profession and the education. Students naturally learn the technique that gives them tools to practice their profession at a high level. They are trained to become driven professionals and are given plenty of room to develop their talent, their own voice, their own style.
Together with the Breitner Academy, the Academy of Theatre and Dance, the Academy of Architecture, the Reinwardt Academy and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Netherlands Film Academy is part of the Amsterdam University of the Arts.