I'm a filmmaker, artist, and researcher based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Currently I'm developing my feature documentary debut called Wolf Park, produced by Anita Norfolk (Folk Film, Norway). We are beneficiaries of Screen Scotland development support, Creative Europe MEDIA funding, and the film is part of Eurodoc 2023. I'm also the writer for a sci-fi project with Sisyfos Film Production, Sweden.

My work is presented at film festivals, conferences, and museums. Highlights are winner of the Jury Prize at the 57th Ann Arbor Film Festival 2019 for Wolves From Above, Wroclaw Media Art Biennale, and screenings at Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma Montréal, Hamptons IFF, Edinburgh IFF, Zinebi, Full Frame, Finnish Museum of Photography Helsinki, Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp [M HKA], FACT Liverpool, and The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul [MMCA].

My practice and research interests relate to depicting other worlds: un(der)explored territories nearby and far away; interactions between animals, film art, hybrid film, sensory film, sensuality, empathy, darkness and the night, ecologies of the sea, land, sky and exchanges in-between. Alongside directing, I usually take on another crew role as cinematographer, sound recordist or editor.

In 2020 I completed a PhD in Film Production (Liverpool John Moores University) with thesis title: Empathising with Animals: Non-Human Subjectivity in Documentary Film. Additionally, I obtained a BA Hons Archaeology (University of Amsterdam, 2008), MA Philosophy (University of Amsterdam, 2009), and an MA Documentary Filmmaking (Royal Holloway University of London, 2010).

From 2021-2023 I was Associate Professor in Film at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. Before this from 2015-2021, I was Senior Lecturer for the BA Hons Film Studies, MA Film, and MA Art in Science at Liverpool John Moores University, England. I have also been tutor at Edinburgh College of Art / University of Edinburgh and worked at Scottish Documentary Institute.

Contact me if you are looking for a director, writer, crew, lecturer, workshop lead, consultant or researcher on short and long term projects globally.

Kooij is pronounced: coy