My work focuses on character-driven stories that dare to move, challenge and connect audiences
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I'm a storyteller at heart.
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After spending ten years acting on stage and screen, I felt a powerful pull to create my own stories. In 2016, I earned my Master’s in Screenwriting from the Binger Writers Lab, and I’ve been writing ever since.
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My debut feature film script, Find That Dumb Little Bitch and Throw Her into the River, premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival in 2017, where it was honored with a Special Mention from the jury. The film went on to claim multiple international awards, including the New Director Award at Trondheim IFF and Best Narrative Feature at the Greenwich International Film Festival in New York. It also received a Special Mention at the Netherlands Film Festival..
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In 2018, I penned the short film Afua (BNN/VARA), which won the Zilveren Krulstaart for Best Short Film Screenplay. My feature script White Berry was selected for the De Oversteek talent development program in 2020.
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From film, I transitioned to television, taking on the role of lead writer for the hit Dutch series Máxima, alongside Marnie Blok. The series has been sold to over seventy countries. I also co-wrote season 2 of Day & Night with Kim van Kooten, Tamara Bos, and Anne Barnhoorn.
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Based in Amsterdam I am currently working on several exciting series in development for Videoland, Netflix, and the Dutch broadcaster NPO.
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Beyond screenwriting, I create film and theatre productions that speak to broad and diverse audiences — stories that entertain, move, and remind us of our shared humanity in a divided world.​
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New tv-series Pro deo
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November 2025
Ilse wrote a new drama series with the creators of Oogappels.
In Pro Deo, social justice lawyer Alex Sterkenburg and her small firm stand up for people who aren’t being heard and who can’t really afford a defense.
Starring: Tjitske Reidinga, Annet Malherbe, Ramsey Nasr, Madina Rashidi, Claire Bender, Edwin Jonker and Anne Prakke.
Available from autumn 2026 on BNNVARA on NPO 1 and NPO Start.
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October 2025
Winner Gouden Kalf
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Actress Bianca Krijgsman wins a Gouden Kalf for Best Supporting Role in a drama series for her performance in the TV series Day & Night, written by Ilse Ott, Tamara Bos, Anne Barnhoorn, and Kim van Kooten.
International Talents at Canneseries Writers Club
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April 2025
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Dutch screenwriter Ilse Ott was selected to participate in the prestigious Canneseries Writers Club, where she collaborated with a diverse group of international writers. The exclusive program, held during the renowned Cannes International Series Festival, fosters creative exchange and cross-cultural storytelling among emerging and established screenwriting talent from around the world.
Dutch Royal Series ‘Maxima’ Sells Worldwide
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October 2024
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International broadcasters are maxing out on Máxima. The Dutch royal drama series continues its global rollout, with sales outfit Beta Film closing deals in 50 territories, including with Australia’s public broadcaster SBS.
The drama, which premiered at TV festival Canneseries earlier this year, is a Dutch-style The Crown, a dramatization of real-life events surrounding the Dutch royal family. Adapted from Marcia Luyten’s 2022 novel Máxima Zorreguieta: Motherland, the series revolves around the romance between the Argentinean Máxima Zorreguieta and Willem-Alexander, the future King of the Netherlands. Zorreguieta, of course, will go on to marry Willem-Alexander to become Queen Máxima.
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Henneman Agency
contact: Gillian Pagano Mirani
mail: gillian@hennemanagency.nl
t: +31 20 6943399
www.hennemanagency.nl