Els van Driel (b. 1976) studied Art History and Theology (UvA) and works as an independent journalist and documentary filmmaker specializing in asylum and migration issues. Her award-winning portfolio includes Mensjesrechten, De Deal (2017), and Shadow Game (2021, Golden Calf & Prix Europa winner, co-directed with Eefje Blankevoort).

In 2021, she won a Tegel award with Lighthouse Reports for Europe’s Shadow Army, exposing illegal pushbacks in Croatia. She created the docuseries Holland Gate (2026) and the four-part series on EU border policy, Gates of Europe (2026).

Photo credit: Teska Overbeeke