Gelderland Short Competition Jury

Charlotte Rietbergen is a producer and one of the driving forces behind Lavender Films, a production company based in Gelderland that explores the boundaries between genres, disciplines, and forms. Driven by her belief that film can not only move audiences but also inspire change, she works across fiction, documentary, and animation. 

In her work, Charlotte seeks out stories that open up new perspectives and make social issues tangible and relatable to a broad audience. She has a particular interest in filmmakers who dare to venture off the beaten path and develop their own distinctive cinematic language. 

At Lavender Films, Charlotte regularly connects filmmaking with social impact and audience engagement beyond traditional screening contexts. The company developed, among other initiatives, an impact campaign around De Swarte Krie van de Deelen, which helped open up conversations about grief and bereavement among children. Lavender Films also created the travelling truck cinema Femicide around the short film Het ligt aan mij. Through this mobile cinema, the film was screened across the Netherlands, reaching more than 26,000 people in towns and cities, with the aim of raising awareness of the warning signs of femicide and encouraging public discussion. 

As a producer, Charlotte is equally curious about a film’s artistic power and the world it enters once it is released. She is drawn to new voices, bold choices, and films that continue to resonate long after the credits roll.