Ayla Spaans is a director based in Amsterdam who tells stories between reality and imagination. With an eye for atmospheric settings, evocative emotions, and playful movements, she has left her mark on various projects, including short films, children’s series, commercials, and music videos. Her work is clear, colorful, humorous, and always imbued with deeper meaning. She enjoys exploring themes such as friendship, family, and self-love. Although her work carries a light-hearted tone, there are often tragic stories hidden between the lines.

After completing her education in fashion, Ayla graduated in film from HKU. She worked as a director at an advertising agency for two years before making her debut in September 2019 with her first fictional film, “WHEN WE WERE STRANGERS,” presented at the Netherlands Film Festival. In 2020, she produced and directed two short films, “ABOUT TWO GIRLS” and “A BORING DAY IN HELL.” In 2021, she won the 3LAB competition with her pilot “RAKHI & PEPPE,” leading to a complete children’s series for the Dutch public broadcast (NPO). This comedic bicultural series follows two best friends navigating the transition from childhood to adolescence.

In addition to her fiction work, Ayla has created commercials for brands such as Chupa Chups, Naked, Coca Cola, and Pourri. Currently, she is developing her recently written short film, “LAST DANCE.” She has been selected for Green Lit, where she is guided in the development of her first feature film script titled ‘AQUA DREAMS.’