About
ISABELLA FILMS
Isabella Films was originally founded in 1997 by producers Els Vandevorst and Wilfried Depeweg, and it was named after their only daughter, Isabella Depeweg. Both founders studied at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. Els Vandevorst had already achieved noteworthy success as a film student, winning the Student Oscar for Alaska (directed by Mike van Diem and produced by Vandevorst). Wilfried Depeweg initially entered the industry as a writer/director and later developed an interest in producing.
From the very beginning, the company aimed to work both in the Netherlands and internationally, (co)producing films for acclaimed directors such as Lars von Trier, Alexander Sokurov, Thomas Vinterberg, Martin Koolhoven, Stijn Coninx, Ineke Smits, Ágnes Kocsis and Christophe van Rompaey.
Since February 2018, Isabella Depeweg has become an equal partner in the company. She hopes to bring fresh and burgeoning energy to the prodigious reel. This new partnership focuses on the production of films with commercial potential, appealing to an international audience through their artistic value, accessibility, and beauty. To align with the difference in age and experience, Els Vandevorst and Isabella Depeweg are actively seeking both undiscovered raw talent and established, acknowledged filmmakers.
Isabella Depeweg
Producer Isabella Depeweg was born in 1996 to parents who were both filmmakers, Els Vandevorst and Wilfried Depeweg. She was briefly enrolled at the Netherlands Film Academy, before realising that a practical education in film producing was more to her liking. You can almost say she has grown into the business, being affected on her father as well as her mother’s side, as the two of them founded the company Isabella Films together.
Since February 2018 Isabella is equal partner in the company. She hopes to bring fresh and burgeoning energy to the prodigious reel. Isabella is actively seeking for undiscovered raw talent, and has so far produced short films with upcoming directors like Marc Wagenaar, Jonas Smulders and Gaite Jansen.
She also worked as a co-producer on award-winning film Quo Vadis, Aida? (Jasmila Žbanić), Cool Abdoul (Jonas Baeckeland) and Kaymak, the new film of Milcho Manchevski. Truly Naked (Muriel d’Ansembourg) will be her first film as a delegate producer.
Isabella@isabellafilms.com
Els Vandevorst
Producer Els Vandevorst was born in 1962 and graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. She already booked tremendous success as a film student, when the graduation film Alaska (directed by Mike van Diem and produced by Els Vandevorst) won the Student Oscar. This jumpstarted her career, since when she has thrived.
Vandevorst loves working both in the Netherlands as well as internationally, having (co)produced movies for acclaimed directors such as Lars von Trier, Alexander Sokurov, Thomas Vinterberg, Martin Koolhoven, Stijn Coninx, Ineke Smits, Ágnes Kocsis and Christophe van Rompaey.
In 1997, Els Vandevorst and Wilfried Depeweg founded Isabella Films, a production company based in Amsterdam focussing on the production of feature films with high artistic value, commercial potential and international appeal.
After the artistic success of The South and Winter in Wartime plans for a new company were made. Els Vandevorst and director Martin Koolhoven founded N279 Entertainment in 2010 and are (co)producing feature films since, among which their last international film, Brimstone.
Els@isabellafilms.com
Adeline Siepel
Producer in training Adeline Siepel was born in 2001. She studied at the European Film College in Denmark before enrolling at the Netherlands Film Academy. During her bachelor's, she was always looking for a new challenge, which led her to discover the Dutch producing field through her work at NCP | Nederlandse Content Producenten, the industry's trade association. She subsequently spent two years on the board of NCP-Young, its sister organisation dedicated to a healthy and equal playing field for starting producers.
During her bachelor's, Adeline also worked at Isabella Films, where she contributed to the productions FUCK-A-FAN (Muriel d'Ansembourg), Truly Naked (Muriel d'Ansembourg), the co-production Zondag de Negenste (Kat Steppe) and How You Were Never Born (Gaite Jansen). Now that she has graduated, Adeline joined Isabella Films in August 2026 as producer in training, working alongside Isabella and Els to bring beautiful new productions to life. Her focus lies with stories that combine artistic depth with broad appeal, stories that resonate with a wide audience while leaving room for reflection.
Adeline@isabellafilms.com