Wessel van Wanrooij (1997) is a Brabantian writer and director. His work is know for its dark humour and tragic absurdities.
In 2017 he attended the Open Studio. He studied Directing Fiction at the Netherlands Film Academy after that. Here Wessel experimented extensively in the search for his voice as a filmmaker. In his third grade, for example, he made the Swedish espionage thriller Krigshjältar and with his graduation film About A Priest On Rain Boots he investigated how to maintain emotional involvement in an absurd story. This film was awarded the NFF Talent Award for Best Graduation Film of the Netherlands Film Festival.
To further develop his skills, he also made a film outside the course every academic year. For example, in 2018, together with Sean Louw, he took part in De Ontmoeting with their film The Beginning and the End. In 2021 his short film Männer Ouni Virnimm premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival.
In addition to being a writer and director, Wessel is a volunteer at the nursing home in his hometown. The experiences he gains there regularly form a cornerstone of his stories. Since January 2023 he also lectures Film Creation at Fontys Hogescholen.
Part from drama, Wessel focusses on commercial directing as well.
