Justus van den Elsen (’90) is een self-taught Dutch filmmaker and co-owner of production company Fabel Film in Tilburg. Raised in the South of the Netherlands on carnival parades, folklore, films and the fairy-tale world of Efteling, he developed a fascination for colourful rituals and storytelling that fuel his sense of wonder. His bittersweet stories blend magical realism with practical effects and VFX to create visually distinctive worlds.

His no-budget folk-horror short DE GLOEIIGE (2019) premiered at Imagine Film Festival and screened at genre festivals worldwide. In 2025, his magical-realist youth short BEHIND THE DOOR was selected for the New Dutch Talent collection at the Cannes Short Film Corner. Van den Elsen has participated in talent programs including Dutch Film Talents to Cannes (2025), Netflix Writers Room (2022), Filmfonds Cypher (2022) and TalentHub NEXT (2020–2021).

IN DEVELOPMENT

TALES OF THE FOREST (WORKING TITLE) | Feature film – ±95 min Writer/Director Production: Make Way Film (+ co-producers t.b.d.) Status: In development Logline: During a family camping trip, a 12-year-old boy and his cousins venture into the forest to retrieve his lost pocket knife—only to discover his father’s campfire legends are alive. Download onepager.

FILMOGRAPHY

BEHIND THE DOOR (ACHTER DE DEUR) | 2025 Short Film – 17 min Writer/Director Production: Make Way Film & Fabel Film Cast: Derek de Lint, Sanne Vogel, Walt Sheean A magical realist tale where art comes to life, exploring the complex bonds between three generations of artists.

THE GLOWING (DE GLOEIIGE) | 2019 Short Film – 9 min Writer/Director Production: Fabel Film World Premiere: Imagine Film Festival, Netherlands. Folk-horror set in 1850 about a farmhand smuggling cattle who confronts an ancient evil from southern-Dutch folklore.

Festival selections:
• Grimmfest (United Kingdom)
• Imagine Film Festival (The Netherlands)
• Final Frame Horror Short Film Competition (United States)
• Courts-Mais-Trash – Les Etranges Nuits du Cinéma (Switzerland)
• Aurora Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror (Mexico)
• Eindhoven Film Festival (Netherlands)
• Stuff MX Film Festival: Mexico City Independent Film Festival (Mexico)
• South African Horrorfest (South Africa)
• Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival (United States)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Dutch Talents to Cannes (2025)
• Netflix Writers Room (2022)
• Filmfonds Cypher (2022)
• TalentHub NEXT (2020-2021)