I’m Sophie van Bree (1995), a Dutch documentary filmmaker and director specialising in intimate, in-depth stories around mental health and vulnerable subjects. I tell stories with a strong ethical, cinematic and poetic approach.

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I graduated in Film from the HKU University of the Arts Utrecht in 2019. During my bachelor’s, I worked in programme development, took part in an international film project in Uganda, and graduated with De Prins op het Grijze Paard (VPRO, NPO 2 Extra).

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In 2022, I started the Master’s in Film Directing at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating cum laude in 2023 with the short documentary Luna in Wonderland. During my master’s, I focused on Film Medicine: exploring mental health through film.

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After graduating, I won the Amsterthem Pitch at Shortcutz with Chico, followed by funding for a television documentary. This became the 2025 Teledoc Campus Als de Zee (EO, NPO 2), selected for the Golden Calf Competition at the Netherlands Film Festival.

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In 2025, I was selected for Bridging the Gap by the Scottish Documentary Institute. After winning the commissioning pitch, Hidden Trees (2026) went into production, premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Alongside my own work, I freelance as a researcher, director, self-shooting documentary filmmaker and editor for documentary, television and commercial productions, particularly around socially engaged subjects.