Maarten D’Hollander is a producer and founder of Krater Films, dedicated to developing author-driven fiction and documentary projects with international ambition. As an executive and (co-)producer, he has worked on films like Cleo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Jessica Woodworth
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scheda film] by Jessica Woodworth, as well as a slate of impactful short films. With Krater Films, he focuses on bold, original storytelling collaborating with emerging and established talents to bring strong cinematic voices to the screen. An interview with him, now selected for the 2026 Emerging Producers programme (read his EP profile here).

Why do you produce documentaries? Do you see documentary cinema as an instrument of social and political change?
Maarten D’Hollander: What interests me is how large political, economic, and historical systems shape intimate lives, and how people resist or internalize injustice. I am drawn to subjects and protagonists who rarely occupy the centre of dominant narratives: underdogs, minorities, and individuals living at the margins of power. Documentary cinema allows us to stay close to their/our realities and to understand its complexity rather than reduce it. This drive comes from a sense of idealism, but also from curiosity and responsibility. I see documentaries as a way of holding up a mirror to society, but also to ourselves as viewers. They confront us with blind spots and uncomfortable questions we might otherwise avoid. For me, documentary cinema is absolutely an instrument of socio-political change. Not because it provides answers or clear solutions, but because it creates attention, empathy and reflection. By linking personal stories to broader structures of power, documentaries can shift perspectives. Even small shifts in how we see the world matter – that is where change begins. Across all my projects, my focus remains the same: supporting strong authorial voices and creating films that engage critically and emotionally with the world we live in.

How do you achieve and maintain work-life balance and foster overall well-being?
Work-life balance is something I actively work on, and honestly, something I still struggle with. Producing is intense: long development periods, constant financial pressure and high emotional involvement. Passion is essential, but it can easily tip into overload if you are not attentive. Over time, I have learned (and I’m still learning) to better recognize my own limits, often by crossing them first. I accept that balance is not fixed: there are periods where work dominates, followed by moments where I consciously try to compensate. Family life, sports, and physical movement are not optional extras for me, but necessary counterweights that help me reset and regain perspective. I try to be concrete in how I organize my work: protecting certain time slots, avoiding permanent availability, and allowing myself to disconnect, even briefly. It is an ongoing process, but I see sustainability as a prerequisite for a long-term career, not a luxury.

Where do you find audiences for your films?
I think about audiences from the very start of a project, especially in terms of relevance and impact. Each film has its own audience, and finding it is about precision rather than reach. Festivals are crucial as initial platforms, where films find visibility, partners, and their first advocates. Beyond that, I focus on building strong networks: committed sales agents, broadcasters with editorial vision, cultural institutions, and educational or community partners. For documentaries in particular, targeted networks are essential. Historical films often connect strongly with schools and universities, while hybrid or artistic documentaries may find their audiences through museums, debate programmes, or interdisciplinary events. For me, success is not only about numbers, but about reaching the people for whom the film can truly resonate.

What projects do you have underway?
We are currently producing several documentary and fiction projects, often with a hybrid form or an international scope. Among them is Let the Sea Take Away All Evil by Laura Vandewynckel, a hybrid documentary exploring scapegoating mechanisms, community dynamics, and cultural disruption on an island in Brazil. I am also working with filmmaker Leen Michiels on Better than Gold, a hybrid documentary about art, value, and how meaning shifts in the context of digitalisation. Another key project is The Serpent’s Egg by Andrés Lübbert, a historical documentary uncovering a little-known Nazi espionage network in Latin America, connecting geopolitical history with personal memory and family legacy.

In fiction, I am producing the short films Eau Noire by Aline Magrez and Julien H Ramirez and Buck Moon by Frank Van den Boogaart, and I am developing the new feature project by director Kadir Ferati Balci.

Alongside my work at Krater Films, I have also co-founded Sundog Productions with Tim Martens, Eric Welbers and David Kratz (Bravado Media), focusing on larger international co-productions with Belgium as a key partner.

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EMERGING PRODUCERS is a leading promotional and educational project, which brings together talented European documentary film producers. The programme is organised and curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.

Deadline for applications to the EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027 edition is 31 March 2026.