PROSPEKTOR TEAM

The day-to-day management of Prospektor is in the hands of Eefje Blankevoort (Creative Producer) and Arjen Levison (Business Director). They are supported by our Executive Producers Natascha Erfanipour, Anja Cloosterman and Anne van der Ven and Impact Producer Thalia Pinidis and Production Officer Lorenzo Nieuwenhuizen.

Prospektor was founded in 2004 by Eefje Blankevoort & Arnold van Bruggen.


PROSPEKTOR
Plantage Middenlaan 4A
1018 DD / Amsterdam
info@prospektor.nl

 
 
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Eefje Blankevoort
Director
Eefje (1978) studied History at the University of Amsterdam. Between 2002 and 2006, she frequently stayed in Iran, where she studied, compiled an archive for the International Institute of Social History, and worked on her book "Stiekem kan hier alles" (Secretly, Everything is Possible Here). Since then, Eefje has developed into a versatile journalist, writing articles and books, creating interactive projects, exhibitions, and documentary films. As a creative producer, she guides the creators at Prospektor.

eefje@prospektor.nl
t. +31624607966

Arjen Levison
Business Director
Arjen Levison is an experienced business professional in the non-profit sector, with many years of expertise in finance and business management, particularly in the performing arts. Until last year, he served as Head of Finance and Office at Theater Utrecht. His focus lies in strengthening the financial and organizational foundations of growing, socially engaged cultural enterprises. Within Prospektor, his role is to optimize business processes and, together with Eefje, shape a new organizational structure that will enable Prospektor to move sustainably into the future.

arjen@prospektor.nl

Anja Cloosterman
Executive Producer
Anja Cloosterman is a highly experienced executive producer with many years of experience in the documentary field. She has worked with companies such as Selfmade Films, Halal, Submarine, and NTR. Anja will be strengthening our team until after the summer, focusing on ongoing productions of documentaries and series such as Schakelen and Tina in Sexbierum, as well as the short documentary Giovanni & Carmen.

anja@prospektor.nl

Anne van der Ven
Executive Producer
Anne van der Ven studied at the University of Amsterdam and Fordham University in New York, focusing on feminist philosophy and postcolonial theory. She also completed a masterclass in producing at the New York Film Academy. Previously, she worked as a creative producer and strategist for various commercial and cultural institutions. As a content-driven producer, she focuses on projects with a distinct vision and production methods that prioritize care, ownership, and equality. anne@prospektor.nl

anne@prospektor.nl

Natascha Erfanipour
Executive Producer | Researcher
Natascha studied Cultural Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. She worked as an assistant director for, among others, Mijke de Jong on the film Along the Way. At Prospektor, she works as a researcher and executive producer on projects including the series Schakelen, the transmedia project Schildpad & De Monnik, and Tina in Sexbierum.


natascha@prospektor.nl
t. +31681429024

Frederiek Biemans
Curator | Programme Maker
Frederiek Biemans is an independent programme and exhibition maker. She curates and produces exhibitions along with related (fringe) programming. She was the artistic director at Humanity House, where she set the substantive and artistic direction for exhibitions and programmes on (inter)national themes such as peace, justice, and migration. She also worked at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK), where she collaborated with third-year photography students on an exhibition, and at World Press Photo, where she developed educational projects for young professional photographers and published them in books and exhibitions. She now does the same at Prospektor, for example with the exhibition A New Beginning, shown at various locations in 2022, and If Only You Knew, which will soon be on view at the Nederlands Fotomuseum.


frederiek@prospektor.nl

Thalia Pinidis
Impact Producer
Thalia Pinidis (1998) studied Visual Anthropology with a background in Media and Communication. At Prospektor, she works as an impact producer. She is involved in projects such as Mina & Mevrouw, If Only You Knew, and Alles Komt Goed, working to bring these stories to the right audiences and to inspire change. Whether it's an intimate gathering or a larger event, Thalia applies her connective strengths with a keen eye for detail.

thalia@prospektor.nl

Lorenzo Nieuwenhuizen
Production Officer
Lorenzo is studying Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and feels most at home where social engagement and creative making come together. At Prospektor, he supports the team with a wide range of production and technical tasks and occasionally contributes to in-house video productions. With a background in film, writing, and content creation, he enjoys thinking along about form and storytelling. In his free time, he makes films, music videos, and theatre.

lorenzo@prospektor.nl
t.0633905594

Jette Schiebergen
Intern
Jette (1999) is a photographer and a student of political philosophy. She is currently researching how forms of living can serve as articulations of resistance against modern capitalist society. At Prospektor, she is working as an intern and assists in the production of various projects, such as Schakelen and Tina in Sexbierum.

jette@prospektor.nl

 

Makers

Lara Aerts
Writer | Researcher
Lara is our longest-standing office mate, and we never want to let her go. We've closely followed her remarkable career path. She has written countless articles for women's and consumer magazines, had a sex column in Grazia, and creates stories for de Volkskrant, Het Parool, and Het Financieele Dagblad. She conducts research and handles publicity for journalistic productions. Her current focus is on documentary film: together with office mate Sanne Rovers, she made De Spelende Mens, and she's collaborating with Els van Driel on two new documentaries about children and adults with intersex. In her free time, Lara assists a street doctor and keeps her two miniature dogs alive.

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Rosa Ruth Boesten
Film maker
Rosa is an award-winning director. She creates cinematic documentary films rooted in the rawness of the real world. Her first short documentary was about her grandmother, a single mother and struggling artist. Rosa told her grandmother's story through her artworks, planting the seed for her future in filmmaking. She premiered her first feature documentary, Master of Light, at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award. Her debut continued to win multiple awards at prestigious film festivals. Rosa is now releasing the short documentary Droombeeld together with Çiğdem Yüksel.

Maartje Duin
Radio maker
Maartje is a passionate, original, and in-depth radio producer. Through her work, she not only explores relevant social issues but also experiments with form, as seen in her live performance Mijn vader de sterrenkijker (My Father the Stargazer). She successfully reaches a broad audience with her projects, encouraging conversations among people. This is evident in her highly listened-to podcasts De plantage van onze voorouders (The Plantation of

maartjeduin.nl

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Arnold van Bruggen
Film director
Arnold (1979) grew up on the beautiful island of Texel, where he now lives again after 20 years in Amsterdam. Arnold is fascinated by how the grand narratives and movements in history are experienced from everyday life. From this perspective, he created works such as the documentary De Russenoorlog and the cross-media The Sochi Project. With The Sochi Project and Hidden Wounds, he experimented with new storytelling forms, combining films, exhibitions, the web, and Arnold’s favorite medium—books.

arnold@prospektor.nl
t. +31614656351

Els van Driel
Film maker
Els and Eefje have known each other since their student days at film theater Kriterion. It soon became clear that they share a deep connection in their motivations and ideals. They collaborated on De Asielzoekmachine (The Asylum Seeker Machine), De Deal (The Deal), and Shadow Game. Both are passionate about in-depth research and believe that our treatment of refugees is the defining issue of our time.

elsvandriel.nl

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Tina Farifteh
Visual artist | Photographer | Film maker
Tina understands how malleable human nature is. With an academic background in both economics and art, she can approach this from various perspectives. Previously, she worked in marketing, where she was daily engaged in enticing people with imagery. In her current role as a multidisciplinary creator, she continues to do this, albeit with a critical reflection on the phenomenon. Central to her work is how people are influenced—by images, companies, and governments. In her award-winning video installation The Flood, she deconstructed right-wing populist rhetoric surrounding refugees. In her upcoming short documentary Kitten of Refugee?, she explores the mechanics and construction of our empathy.

tinafarifteh.com

Anaïs López
Photographer | Visual Artist
Anaïs is the kind of creator that producers dream of. She is a storyteller at heart. She speaks about her encounter with the Mynah bird with a blend of seriousness and a great sense of humor. Independent and open to collaboration, we are thrilled that Anaïs has come to us with her beautiful project De Migrant.

anaislopez.nl

Sara Kolster
Interactive designer | Film director
Sara Kolster is an interactive director and designer specializing in digital storytelling. She graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven and the Sandberg Institute. Eefje and Sara met during their collaboration on Sara's graduation project: the web documentary series Het Beloofde Land, which explores alternative uses of holiday parks (e.g., as a place for separated men or asylum seekers). The interface was designed based on a booking page for bungalow parks. A recurring theme in all their joint projects is that interaction, interface, and design must logically stem from the subject matter. They have collaborated on numerous projects, including Love Radio, Hidden Wounds, De Asielzoekmachine, Imperial Courts, and Shadow Game.

sarakolster.com

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Laura Stek
Radio maker | Writer
Laura has a background as a written journalist and radio producer, but she is increasingly experimenting with transmedia and film. We learned radio production from Laura. Together, Eefje and Laura created One Night Stiekem, about Lies, who was determined not to reach the age of 85. For the interactive music video Hidden Wounds about veterans with PTSD, we collaborated on the two-part radio documentary Mannen huilen niet, which explored post-traumatic stress syndrome throughout the ages. Laura, in turn, taught us what transmedia projects are and contributed to Imperial Courts (in collaboration with Dana Lixenberg), De Migrant, and the installation een luisterend oor with Sanne Rovers. She is also making her first film documentary, GIOIA, with Eefje as her coach.

laurastek.nl

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Çiğdem Yüksel
Photographer | Visual artist
Doing it ourselves, trying everything out, and learning along the way—this is our motto. We share this with Çiğdem. During her master’s in journalism, she discovered that her passion lies primarily in imagery. She bought a camera and decided to fully focus on photography. That choice paid off: in 2016, she won the Silver Camera award for her series on Syrian child labor in Turkey. Çiğdem and I collaborated on Shadow Game, the transmedia project about unaccompanied minors traveling through Europe in search of a better life. Her new transmedia project, Je moest eens weten, is currently being exhibited at the Nederlands Fotomuseum.

cigdemyuksel.com

Nicole Terborg
Documentary Maker | Presenter
Nicole Terborg is a documentary maker and presenter who uses a personal, investigative style to make social issues tangible. She works with broadcasters such as VPRO and NTR, and skillfully weaves together the personal and the political in her work. In the podcast series Kweekje, mi kwekipikin, she explores the Afro-Surinamese tradition of informal foster care through the lens of her own childhood as a kweekje, opening up a layered conversation about care, family, community, and the lasting effects of the colonial past. Nicole studied journalism in Utrecht and religion and philosophy of life at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She moves effortlessly between genres and formats — from documentary and radio to public speaking and lectures — always with an eye for nuance, identity, and social justice.

https://nicoleterborg.nl/