Sherman De Jesus

Sherman De Jesus was born the 11th of December 1947 in Willemstad, Curaçao (one of the Dutch Caribbean islands). He has lived in the Netherlands since 1970 where he studied law at the Utrecht University. Starting in the seventies he produced numerous documentaries and educational programs as a producer-director for the Film Department of the Radio Nederland World Service, where he received his formal film education. In 1981 HE was one of the founding members of the Dutch Filmdays in Utrecht and became the first director of this national film festival. In the same period he launched the first Dutch Film Market. In 1985 he was a member of the Jury of The Grand Prix of The Dutch Film (The Golden Calf). He attended the Film Business School in Madrid, supervised by Jonathan Olsberg. He also attended the master class by István Szabó; and Acting for Directors by Judith Weston at the Maurits Binger Film Institute. He was a member of the steering group of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam and since 2000 he is board member of the Dutch Fund for the Promotion of Cultural Broadcasting. Since 1988 Sherman de Jesus has been making documentaries for Dutch Television, besides writing scripts and producing feature films. In 1992 Sherman de Jesus joined forces with producer Cécile van Eijk to set up Memphis Film & Television. This production company has been operated since. The express purpose of Memphis Film & Television is the development and production of high quality feature films, international documentaries, television programs, corporate videos and educational films for theatrical and television release and world-wide distribution. Memphis Film & Television has an impressive track-record directing and producing films, including the international festival hits and award-winning films Daddy's Little Girl, Joy Meal, All is Light, Boy Ecury, Honey (Dutch submission for the Academy Award for Best Short Film 2005) and Souls Of Naples. In 2005 Memphis Film & Television finished three productions: Souls Of Naples, a cinematographic journey through the city of Naples (a co-production with Ikon). Jan Schoonhoven - Official 18977, an intimate portrait of Holland's most important artist (a co-production with VPRO). And Abortion - Right or Wrong, stories about abortion anno 2005. In production with the most highly qualified and exciting writers and directors, are: Tulip Time, the story of the enormously popular all-girl band Trio Lescano under Italian fascism, to be directed by Marco de Stefanis and Tonino Boniotti and Illiteracy, to be directed by Chris Westendorp and Izaline Calister to be directed by Miluska Rosalina. Sherman de Jesus is developing a feature based on the novel Weekend Pilgrimage by the Caribbean novelist and poet Tip Marugg (funded by the European Script Fund). In development are Piet Zwart, Boeroes and seeral more documentaries and feature films.