Contact Info
Sil van der Woerd
Director Co-Founder
In his films, music videos, and new media projects, Dutch native Sil van der Woerd combines exotic locations, stunning cinematography, and visual effects to tell heartfelt stories about ecological and humanitarian subjects. Sil’s recent works brought attention to topics like deforestation, overconsumption, global warming, and plastic soup, and collected many awards & recognitions. Sil studied Fine Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and Visual Effects in Hollywood. In 2019, Sil co-founded Studio Birthplace, a studio that focuses solely on ecological topics and a sustainable future for our planet.
Awards & Recognitions:
| Year | Film | Prize | Festival | Location |
| 2021
2020 |
Mirage
Sleepless / RUD Sleepless / RUD |
Winner
Winner Winner |
Best International Short Fiction Film, Alicante International Film Festival
Best Cinematography, Fastnet Film Festival Best Photography, Ushuaia SHH International Mountain Film Festival |
Alicante, Spain
West Cork, Ireland Ushuaia, Argentina |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Festival Prize, Crossroads Section, Festival Cine De Montana Petrelda | Elda, Spain | |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Best Cinematography, 15th Edition of Dieciminuti Film Festival | Ceccano, Italy | |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Best Soundtrack, 15th Edition of Dieciminuti Film Festival | Ceccano, Italy | |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Gülden Glöbe, Short Film Festival Kontrast | Bayreuth, Germany | |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Premio Mejor Film Encrucijada, Cuenta Montes | Spain | |
| Epoch | Winner | Best Music Video, Festival Cortos Rodinia | Villadolid, Spain | |
| 2019 | Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Special Merit Award, Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival | KL, Malaysia |
| Sleepless / RUD | Winner | Best Short Film, Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival | KL, Malaysia | |
| Sleepless / RUD | 2nd Prize | Best Film, Film Festival Of The Shortest Night | Arnhem, Netherlands | |
| Those Who Have Reindeer | Bronze | Best Cinematography, Ad Stars | Busan, South Korea | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Film Inspired By Ecological Issues, Malescorto ISFF | Italy | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Audience Award, Fest – New Directors / New Films Festival | Portugal | |
| Birthplace | Annual Winner | Best Music Video, Queen Palm Film Festival | Palm Springs, USA | |
| Birthplace | Annual Winner | Best Cinematography In A Music Video, Queen Palm Film Festival | Palm Springs, USA | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Music Video, Ecozine Festival | Zaragoza, Spain | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best International Documentary, Imperia Video Festival | Imperia, Italy | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Documentary, Int. Children And Youth Festival Cinemegaguay | Almeria, Spain | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Music Video, Ecu, the European Independent Film Festival | Paris, France | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Film, Reel Teal Film Festival | Wilmington, USA | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Experimental, Reel Teal Film Festival | Wilmington, USA | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Video Clip, The Blue Gold | Santo Stefano, Italy | |
| Terraform | Spec. Mention | Best Documentary, Festival Internacional del Cortometraje FIC | Argentina | |
| 2018 | Birthplace | Winner | Best Music Video, CamerImage | Bydgoszcz, Poland |
| Birthplace | Winner | Independent Video Of The Year, AIM Independent Music Awards | London, UK | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Film, Punto Di Vista Film Festival | Cagliari, Italy | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Short Film, Corto Corto Mon AMour | Palermo, Italy | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Short Film, Cat.Environmental Issues, Villammare Film Festival | Salerno, Italy | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Best Short Fiction Film, Innsbruck Nature Film Festival | Innsbruck, Austria | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Royal Gem Diamond, Palm Springs Film Fest | Palm Springs, USA | |
| Birthplace | Winner | Most Inspiring Film, Carrboro Film Festival | Carrboro, USA | |
| Birthplace | 2nd Prize | Open Category, Barrie Film Festival | Barrie, Canada | |
| Birthplace | Spec. Mention | Best Experimental Short, Fincortex Int. Short Experimental Film Festival | Colombia | |
| Birthplace | Nominated | Best Alternative Video UK, UK Music Video Awards | London, UK | |
| Birthplace | Nominated | Best Cinematography in a Music Video, CamerImage | Bydgoszcz, Poland | |
| Birthplace | Nominated | Best Photography, Soundie Music Video Awards | Barcelona, Spain | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Music Video Award, Short Shorts | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Terraform | Nominated | Best Music Video + Best Cinematography in a Music Video, CamerImage | Bydgoszcz, Poland | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Experimental, Swiff South West London International Film Festival | London, UK | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Documentary, 7th Visioni Corte International Film Festival | Minturno, Italy | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Documentary Cinematography, Int. Film Fest. ‘Autumn At Voronet’ | Gura H., Romania | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Film, Interactions Jury, 13th SoleLuna Doc Film Festival | Treviso, Italy | |
| Terraform | Winner | CortoNatura Award, 21th Gran Paradiso Film Festival | Cogne, Italy | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Film, Audience Award, 16th Festival De Curtmetratges de Manlleu | Manlleu, Spain | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Short, New Italians Jury, Sole Luna Doc Film Festival | Palermo, Italy | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Short, Mt. Fuji, Atami Film & VR Festival | Atami, Japan | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Documentary, Greenwich Village Film Festival | New York, USA | |
| Terraform | Winner | Best Music Video, Audience Choice Award, 42nd Cleveland IFF | Cleveland, USA | |
| Terraform | Spec. Mention | Best Short, International Jury, Sole Luna Doc Film Festival | Palermo, Italy | |
| Terraform | Spec. Mention | Best Miglior Short Documentary, Malescorto Int’ Short Film Festival | Malesco, Italy | |
| Terraform | Spec. Mention | Special Jury Mention, 6th International Audiovisual Festival Mambe | Florencia, Colombia | |
| Terraform | Spec. Mention | Special Jury Mention, Minidoc | Polan, Toledo, Spain | |
| Terraform | Staff Pick | Vimeo Staff Pick | Online | |
| Epoch | Winner | Outstanding Prod. Design, Spec. Jury Award, Autumn Shorts Film Fest. | Kentucky, USA | |
| Growth | Winner | Best Short Film, Gouden Hert, Gelders Doek | Arnhem, NL | |
| Growth | Staff Pick | Vimeo Staff Pick | Online | |
| 2017 | Growth | Spec. Mention | Spremio International, De Cortometrajes De La Universidad | De La Laguna, Spain |
| Growth | Winner | Best Picture, Jury Award, 9th Wordless International Short Film Festival | Tehran, Iran/Australia | |
| Growth | Winner | Outstanding Editing, Autumn Shorts Film Festival Somerset | Kentucky, USA | |
| Growth | Nomination | Best of Fest, Autumn Shorts Film Festival Somerset | Kentucky, USA | |
| Growth | Spec. Mention | Short of the Year, Winter 2017 | Madrid, Spain | |
| Growth | Spec. Mention | Trani Film Festival | Italy | |
| Growth | Winner | Best Set Design, Gino Pellegrini Prize, Movievalley Bazzacinema | Italy | |
| Mantra | Winner | Best Experimental Film, My Hero International Film Festival | Santa Monica, USA | |
| Mantra | Winner | Best Music Video, DNBA Drum and Bass Arena Awards | London, UK | |
| 2016 | Mantra | Staff Pick | Vimeo Staff Pick | online |
| Requiem 2019 | Winner | Best Film, Official Selection, Sisak Eco Film Festival | Croatia | |
| 2014 | Requiem 2019 | Winner | Best Music, San Gió Video Festival | Verona, Italy |
| 2013 | Requiem 2019 | Staff Pick | Vimeo Staff Pick | Online |
| 2012 | Tommy’s Theme | Staff Pick | Vimeo Staff Pick | Online |
| White Swan | Winner | Best Music Video, Rutger Hauer’s I’ve Seen Films Festival | Milan, Italy | |
| 2010 | White Swan | Winner | Best Music Performance, Rutger Hauer’s I’ve Seen Films Festival | Milan, Italy |
| White Swan | Winner | Special Jury prize, World Music Video, Amsterdam Film Festival | Amsterdam, NL | |
| White Swan | Winner | Special Jury Mention, Musiclip Festival | Barcelona, Spain | |
| 2009 | White Swan | Winner | Best Music Video, HDfest Event | New York, USA |
| White Swan | 2nd Prize | Best Dutch Music Video, Shoot Me Film Festival | The Hague, NL | |
| Worms | Winner | Best Music Video, Cyprus International Film Festival | Cyprus | |
| 2008 | Worms | Nomination | Most Cutting Edge Dutch Music Video, Kosmopolis Hero Award | Amsterdam, NL |
| Worms | Winner | November Edition of NPS New Arrivals Competition | Utrecht, NL | |
| 2007 | Worms | Winner | Music Video of the Month, Dutch magazine Music Maker | NL |
| Swim | Winner | Best Animation, In De Maak Final | Utrecht, NL | |
| 2006 | Swim | Winner | Best Digital Short, Playgrounds Festival | Tilburg, NL |
| Swim | Winner | Best Graduating Student, Academy Prize Arnhem | Arnhem, NL | |
| 2005 | Swim | Finalist | Global Student Animation Award competition | New York, USA |
| Swim | 2nd Prize | Best Film, Tent Academy Awards | Rotterdam, NL | |
| Duet | Winner | Best Film, Beeldbuis Festival | Zwolle, NL | |
| 2004 | Duet | Winner | Best Film, Teek Festival | Breda, NL |