Charlie / Charlot van Heeswijk is a self-made creative based in Berlin. They shoot portraits and develop visual branding concepts for actors, dancers, musicians, performers and creative professionals. With over 7 years of experience in filmmaking, they also work on cross-media concepts for selected clients and brands.
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get in touch
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Biography
Being a passionate, curious and perpetually restless child, I've always had a plethora of interests and creative pursuits. Much to my parents dismay, I would find a new passion or hobby every week. The thing that stuck was an insatiable drive to draw, paint, create and design. Growing up, I became enticed with the art of filmmaking. It combined everything I was passionate about: visual storytelling, composition, movement and music.
After relocating to Berlin I spent the past decade working in a variety of positions on set, in pre and post production before eventually writing, directing, editing and drawing storyboards for commercials, music videos, documentaries and narrative shorts.
Working for Kanakfilm Berlin and Kooperative Berlin as head of production I've coordinated live shows and talk formats for clients like Netflix, rbb, swr and the German Federal Agency for Civic Edeucation.
As a portrait photographer for actors, dancers, musicians and performers I'm fascinated with capturing humans in their diversity and authenticity. I'm always on the lookout for those rare and quiet moments in which, for a second, someone drops their guard and lets me see a glimpse of their inner world.
Choosing to hone a multifaceted set of skills has kept me on my feet, allowing me to connect creative disciplines, easily adapt and draw from a variety of experiences within any position. I've been called the "Swiss Army Knife" of many projects.
Across all of my work I like to portray queer life, clubculture and feminist narratives. But I'm always eager to expand my horizon and explore new places and themes. Beyond visual mediums, I manifest my deep love for music and Berlin's dancefloors in my music project Charlie Vaux.
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Clients ⤵
Charlie has worked with Netflix, SWR, ZDF, rbb, Universal Music, Shilouette, Jung von Matt, Spingun Media, Yung Eldr, Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung, Humboldtforum Berlin, Deutsche Kinemathek, Clubcommission Berlin, Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH, Technische Universität Berlin, Iconoclast Germany, Yung Eldr, Bahman Ghobadi, Ofir R. Grazier, La Chica, Emily D'Angelo, ARDEN, Sarah Entwistle, Finn Ronsdorf, FHAT (...)
Publications and Festivals (selection)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur, MONOPOL Magazin, WDR ,TITLE Mag, DAS FILTER, KOX Radio, HART Magazine, Berliner Filmfestivals, Short Close Up, Fazemag
- Nominated for Deutscher Nachwuchsfilmpreis 2021 / HYSTERIA at Up & Coming, Hannover (2021)
- Official Selection / HYSTERIA at Queerstreifen, Regensburg (2021)
- Official Selection / HYSTERIA at Hive Filmfestival, Berlin (2021)
- Winner / Best Cinematography for HYSTERIA at Sappho Filmfest, UK (2021)
- Finalist / Best International Short Film for HYSTERIA at Sappho Filmfest, UK (2021)
- Official Selection / STADT OHNE MORGEN at 6th Filmfest Bremen (2021)
- Official Selection / STFU at Choreo Scope International Dance Film Festival Barcelona (2019)
- Silver Selection / STFU at Berlin Music Video Awards (2019)
- Winner / FREI_RAUM at SHORT to the Point Festival (2019)
- Best of 2019 / FREI_RAUM at GRRL Haus Cinema (2019)
- Official selection / "Acht Uhr Neunundzwanzig" SHORT to the Point Festival (2017)
- Official Selection / "Acht Uhr Neunundzwanzig" at Short & Sweet Filmfestival Chennai (2017)
- Official Selection / "Acht Uhr Neunundzwanzig" at WIPE Filmfestival (2017)
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