Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs for Lilian Sijbesma
Presentation during opening Cinekid Festival 2024.
Director and screenwriter Lilian Sijbesma wins the Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs 2024. On Sunday 20 October, she will receive the award at the opening of Cinekid Festival in Pathé Noord. The jury hopes Lilian will continue making more wonderful productions for children and their parents. This is the second time the Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs is awarded. In addition to the Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs award, Lilian Sijbesma will receive €5,000 euros from the VandenEnde Foundation Culture Fund.
“Lilian Sijbesma worked by herself, but also with others, on several programmes and films for children, from toddler to preschool to primary school age. She knows how to process the imaginative experiences of young children in a mature way in scenarios that appeal to and manage to touch both very young and adult audiences. In her direction, too, you can sense that she works with a lot of love; in a playful, but never childish way, she empowers the children.”- from the jury report
About Lilian Sijbesma
Lilian Sijbesma (1983) graduated in direction and screenplay from the Utrecht School of the Arts in 2011. Since then, she has worked on several film projects and series. Together with Floor Paul, she wrote the children's series KABAM!, winner of an International Emmy Award and in 2021 the Cinekid Lion for Best Dutch Fiction Series. Sijbesma wrote and directed several episodes of the children's series Dropje. Together with director Nicole van Kilsdonk, she wrote the screenplay for the children's film Okedoeibedankt. Sijbesma co-directed the children's series Saïd & Anna. Last autumn, Under the Naked Sky was released, her feature film debut as writer and director. The screenplay won the 2018 Visser-Neerlandia Award for best unproduced screenplay in the Netherlands and Flanders, and the film had its international premiere at the Tallinn Film Festival. Sijbesma is currently working with screenwriter Floor Paul, director Elisabeth Hesemans, producer IJswater Films and KRO-NCRV on the second season of KABAM!.
“What a huge honour! Burny Bos is such a great inspiration. As a child, I used to watch his films and series. ‘My father lives in Rio’ and ‘Children of Waterland’ really shaped my view of the world and of youth drama. His oeuvre is so original and full of sprightly, headstrong children. So, for the jury to award me this prize means a lot. It encourages me to seek out my stubborn voice as a filmmaker even more.”- reaction Lilian Sijbesma
Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs
Two years ago, Cinekid established the Eigenwijsprijs in honour of one of the festival's founders: Burny Bos. At the time, Burny presented the prize to filmmaker Mascha Halberstad. Burny Bos sadly passed away at the end of last year, we honour him again this year by presenting the Burny Bos Eigenwijsprijs. In 2024, the three nominees were Zara Dwinger, Jeanine Cronie and eventual winner Lilian Sijbesma. The jury consisted of: Burny's daughter (screenwriter) Tamara Bos, author and documentary maker Mirjam Marks and festival director Heleen Rouw. With this award, Cinekid wants to encourage youth filmmakers to keep developing. The prize is awarded every two years by Cinekid, the next time will be during Cinekid's 40th anniversary in 2026.