Who he is

Tonnie Dinjens (1973) directs en produces international television series and features for different production houses and broadcasters. His work includes the sci-fi drama feature Time Will Tell, award winning series SpangaS and cop-series Vanished. 

Tonnie studied at the University of Amsterdam and New York University. Since his graduation as Master of Arts, he has worked on diverse film and television sets. He took on many different crew positions to learn the craft of filmmaking. Since 2008 he directs features and series .

What he does

He is very strong on directing actors and can expose the truth of the characters and story.  He has a sharp dramaturgic sense and creative vision. And he is Dutch…(for what it’s worth)

In his own films he prefers to tell strong stories in the genremix of science fiction and social drama. He wants to put real people in extraordinary situations. Then they can’t fall back on their usual and often predictable behavior, but have to re-discover themselves and challenge their own (im)moralities. He also explores new ways of (digital)storytelling

What he makes

2012 - 2020

  • Creator and Creative Producer of Andre & Alfred
  • Director of Kroongetuige fiction/reality show for RTL4
  • Director of Nieuw Tijden the new soap of Endemol Shine Group
  • Director and co-creator of featurefilm Time Will Tell for High Concept Films
  • Co-founder of DOUC specialized in Multi Perspective Storytelling
  • Director-Producer of VERSUS for 9film&tv – Selected for the international competition at the Brussels short film festival
  • Director for Serious (computer) Game for Grendel Games – Directing performance of actors using different Motion Capture technics
  • Associate Lecturer at NHL Stenden and Hogeschool Windesheim
  • Director of Accused (Beschuldigd) for IdtV (14 episodes)

2008 - 2011

  • Director of School’s Out (SpangaS) for NL Film (120 episodes)
  • Director of Vanished (Spoorloos Verdwenen) for Holland Harbour (2 episodes)

    • Awards for School’s Out (SpangaS):

    Winner Best Dutch Childrens TVprogram 2008 
(= ‘Gouden Stuiver’)

    Nomination Rose d’Or category Drama 2009

    Winner Childrens Audience Award Fiction 2010 ( = ‘Cinekid Publieksprijs’)

    2000 - 2007

    • Script continuity for featurefilm Zomerhitte directed by Monique van de Ven
    • Script continuity & 2nd unit director of Vanished (Spoorloos Verdwenen) for Holland Harbour (20 episodes)
    • First AD for soaps Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden and ONM for Endemol Shine Group
    • Postproduction-director for Het Zandkasteel for Palm plus / Zapp
    • Script continuity for feature film Het Zwijgen
    • Second AD and Script continuity for series Baantjer and Spangen for Endemol

    Education

  • Dutch Directors Guild – Directors Masterclass RegieAct V (2010)
  • Maurits Binger Film Instituut (Binger Filmlab) – Script Development Program (2001)
  • University of Amsterdam – Master of Arts in Film and Television Science (1992 – 1997)
  • New York University – Tisch School of the Arts – Major: film (1996)
  • DePauw University – Major: communication and television production (1991 – 1992)