DENNIS OVEREEM
WRITER / DIRECTOR / ACTOR
Dennis Overeem (1971) is a writer, director and actor. He played leading roles in various series (including BITCHES, SAMEN, SOPHIE’S WEB, SUZANNE EN DE MANNEN) and in films (including UNWANTED, Kosovo's entry for the Oscars 2018, ALINE, best actor at the 48hr film festival). He was also seen in various theater productions (including DE JANTJES, nominated for best male lead at the Dutch Musical Awards).
In 2009, Dennis moved to Los Angeles where he took acting classes with Ivana Chubbuck. The acting coach who helped Halle Berry and Charlize Theron win Oscars. Not only did he learn a way of acting that he felt comfortable with, but he also used it to become a better director.
In 2010, he decided to turn his back on acting (for 90%) and start working on the other side of the camera. He wrote and directed four comedy series; GOOISCHE FRIETEN for RTLXL, (the first Dutch series specifically made for the internet platform), AANDACHT AUB! for KWF, FASHION PLANET and SOPHIE'S WEB for NET5.
Photo Tawfeek Barhom
Together with actress Dewi Reijs and producer In-Soo Radstake, Dennis is the founder of Buddy Film Foundation. This organisation was established in 2017 to connect refugee film professionals with the Dutch film network, with the main goal of helping them find paid jobs in their field. The company is threefold: The Foundation, a Casting agency and a Production department. BFF helps with organizing workshops, introducing crew and actors to Dutch producers and hiring them with the in-house productions.
There’s also plans to make a feature film named WELCOME (written and directed by Dennis) in which Dutch and refugee filmmakers collaborate. He hopes to start filming in 2025. Together with the Kurdish filmmaker Beri Shalmashi, he came up with the story for the film.
Photo Susanne Middelberg
He made three short films; VISKOM, with Petra Laseur, BAM with Annemieke Bakker, and FUK IT with Palestinian actor Tawfeek Barhom (known from THE IDOL). Especially BAM scored well in the festival circuit. The 7-minute short film was selected for 19 different international film festivals, including the Dutch Film Festival, and won awards in Spain, Canada, and Los Angeles.
Dennis worked as a casting director at Kemna Casting for 10 years. He provided actors for dozens of commercials, conducted castings for GTST, and also assisted with foreign productions such as DEUCE BIGALOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLO, BRUNO, AMPHIBIOUS 3D, and short films like COLLAPSUS, ANVERS, HARRY DORIGHT’S PRELUDE TO HELL, and BROTHER’S KEEPER.
