06/10/2025 - Mike van Diem’s and Morgan Knibbe’s dramas were the big winners of this year’s awards, handed out at the 45th Netherlands Film Festival

At the closing ceremony of the 45th Netherlands Film Festival, held in Utrecht on 4 October, a total of 26 Golden Calves were handed out across 25 categories, celebrating outstanding Dutch achievements in fiction features, documentaries, series and digital culture. This year’s ceremony also saw the introduction of two new prizes: the Golden Calf for Best Hair & Make-up Design and the Golden Calf for the Producer of Best Feature Documentary, complementing the existing director’s prize.

Mike van Diem’s drama Our Girls emerged as one of the night’s major winners, taking home Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Leading Role for Thekla Reuten. Morgan Knibbe’s The Garden of Earthly Delights [+see also:
film review
film profile] also impressed the Dutch Academy for Film (DAFF), securing Best Director, alongside prizes for Best Cinematography (handed to Frank van den Eeden), Best Editing (Xander Nijsten) and Best Sound Design (Vincent Sinceretti).

In the documentary field, the Golden Calf for Best Feature Documentary went to Neshoma, directed by Sandra Beerends and produced by Floor Onrust for Family Affair Films. The new producer award in this category also recognised Onrust’s contribution. Meanwhile, De Wolkenfietsers – Erfenis van een droom by Gülsah Dogan won Best Documentary Short Film.

Other notable winners included Ella van der Woude for Best Music with Alpha. [+see also:
film review
interview: Jan-Willem van Ewijk
film profile], Bram Doyer for Best Production Design (Fabula) and Manon Blom for Best Costume Design (Three Days of Fish [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Hoogendoorn
film profile]). Renee Wijnhoven snagged the newly introduced Best Hair & Make-up Design Prize for Idyllic [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], whilst Neidi dos Santos Livramento earned Best Supporting Role for her performance in Three Days of Fish.

In the TV categories, Eva Crutzen received Best Director of a Drama Series for Messed Up 2, and Vipers Nest 6 was named Best Drama Series, staged by ITV Studios Netherlands Drama. Ahlaam Teghadouini and Bianca Krijgsman triumphed in the acting categories for Sihame 2 and Day & Night 2, respectively.

Here is the full list of this year’s award winners:

Best Feature Film
Our Girls - Mike van Diem (Netherlands/Austria/Belgium)

Best Drama Series
Vipers Nest 6 - Rogier Visser

Best Short Film
Close Your Eyes Hind - Amir Zaza

Best Director - Feature Film
Morgan Knibbe - The Garden of Earthly Delights [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Netherlands/Philippines/Belgium)

Best Director – Drama Series
Eva Crutzen - Messed Up 2

Best Leading Role - Feature Film
Thekla Reuten - Our Girls

Best Leading Role – Drama Series
Ahlaam Teghadouini - Sihame 2

Best Leading Role – Short Film
Joes Brauers - Fuck-a-Fan

Best Supporting Role - Feature Film
Neidi dos Santos Livramento - Three Days of Fish [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Hoogendoorn
film profile] (Netherlands/Belgium)

Best Supporting Role – Drama Series
Bianca Krijgsman - Day & Night 2

Best Screenplay - Feature Film
Mike van Diem - Our Girls

Best Screenplay – Drama Series
Karen van Holst Pellekaan and Alexander de Bruijn – Bennie

Best Documentary - Feature Film
Neshoma - Sandra Beerends

Producer of Best Feature Documentary
Floor Onrust (Family Affair Films) - Neshoma

Best Documentary - Short Film
De Wolkenfietsers - Erfenis van een droom - Gülsah Dogan

Best Cinematography
Frank van den Eeden - The Garden of Earthly Delights

Best Editing
Xander Nijsten - The Garden of Earthly Delights

Best Production Design
Bram Doyer – Fabula (Netherlands/Belgium)

Best Costume Design
Manon Blom - Three Days of Fish

Best Hair & Make-up Design
Renee Wijnhoven - Idyllic [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Netherlands/Belgium/Estonia)

Best Sound Design
Vincent Sinceretti - The Garden of Earthly Delights

Best Music
Ella van der Woude - Alpha. [+see also:
film review
interview: Jan-Willem van Ewijk
film profile] (Netherlands/Slovenia/Switzerland)

Audience Award for Fiction Feature
Loverboy: Emotions Out - Cyriel Guds

Audience Award for Documentary
North Sea - Mark Verkerk

Best Digital Culture 
Ancestors - Steye Hallema

Film Culture Award
Marina Blok