Dutch director Jos Stelling was born in Utrecht in 1945. He made his debut as a film director in 1974 with Mariken van Nieumegen. The film was selected for the official Cannes competition in 1975. Stelling is a self-taught artist; he never studied at a film school. In Utrecht, centre of Holland, Jos Stelling owns and runs the Springhaver art house cinema and cafe/restaurant. In September 2004 he opened the Louis Hartlooper Complex, a cultural centre for film and visual arts, which is set in a former police station. Jos Stelling has received numerous national and international prizes. In 1996 he was awarded the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands for his contribution to film art. Whether set in the past – Rembrandt Fecit 1669 and The Flying Dutchman – or in the present – Duska or No Trains, No Planes – Stelling’s personal signature is unmistakably visible in all his work. Stories are told in images, not words.
Jos Stelling was awarded the Sofia Municipality award for outstanding achievements in world cinema in 2013.