Elan Gamaker

A professional screenwriter and director since 2001, Elan, a two-time resident of Amsterdam’s Binger Filmlab, has worked alongside and under international screenwriting tutors such as Mark Travis, Judith Weston, Martin Daniel, Arne Bro, Franz Rodenkirchen, Ellis Freeman, Angeli Macfarlane and Jacques Akchoti.

Writing recognition includes Wayward Nature (EU Literary Award Shortlist, 2009), Jutro (Beeld Best New Play, 2007) and Hidden Life (AMA Nominated, Best Screenplay, 2011). Following the award-winning features Visa/Vie (2011) and Icehorse (2014) as writerdirector, his next projects are dystopian romance Headland (DFM & Produire au Sud 2016), the Film London-supported magic realist road movie Violet Culbo (New Approaches & Cross Channel Film Lab 2016), and The Night Outside (DFM & IFP No Borders 2013), a psychological thriller produced by Fireworx Media and One Two Film. 

Elan has also worked as story consultant for Soho-based Scriptwriter London, and has devised screenwriting workshops for, among others, Stop Play Record, a writing scheme for young filmmakers organised by Channel 4 and Arts Council England.

He is also Associate Editor of peer-reviewed practice research journal Screenworks. 

Having completed a PhD in Film, Elan lectures both theory-based and practical modules within BA (Film) undergraduate studies.

PhD (Film, University of Amsterdam), MA (Film and Photographic Studies, Leiden University), BA (Film, English, Linguistics, University of the Witwatersrand)

Genre Studies, Visual Cultures, Cinema of Urbanity, Ethnography, British Cinema/Social Realism

Fellow, Higher Education Academy

Associate Editor, Screenworks