The Waves is a Rotterdam-based, author-driven production company founded in 2024 by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Loretta van der Horst and international photojournalist and filmmaker Claudio Montesano Casillas. Drawing on years of international experience, we produce documentaries and narrative films on urgent, global themes, built on true stories, marked by authentic storytelling, and grounded in deep collaboration with the people whose stories are told. We're dedicated to bringing bold ideas to life with sincerity, transparency, and artistry.
Loretta's own directing work has the same instinct: from Behind the Blood (IDFA 2019) to The Border Crossed Us (IDFA 2024, three Golden Calf nominations).
As devoted talent developers, having co-founded the New Producers Academy in 2020, we put our network, knowledge, and infrastructure toward nurturing underrepresented emerging filmmakers, alongside producing work with experienced directors.
Recent premieres include BLM 5 Years Later: Echoes of the Dam (dir. Festus Toll & Loretta van der Horst, 2025, Omroep Zwart/BNNVARA) and Thay (dir. Sabine van Wechem, 2025, VPRO Makers van Morgen).
Current projects include Dust to Dust (dir. Morgan Knibbe, in late development), Stowaway Man (dir. Festus Toll, recently selected for TalentScope by the Dutch Film Fund), The Documenters (dir. Loretta van der Horst, selected for IDFA Forum 2025), Mester Muri (dir. Kristen Dania, awarded Filmfonds Scriptontwikkeling funding), The Prodigy (dir. Richard Hu, with Filmfonds Shorts), and Tussen de Bloemen (En: Between Flowers) (dir. Ayisha Siddiqi, with Teledoc Campus).
Loretta
Loretta is a Dutch-Puerto Rican producer-director. Her work as a producer as well as a director has been nominated for multiple Emmys including an Emmy for Best Investigative Journalism in Spanish and an Emmy for New Approaches in Arts Lifestyle and Culture. Her latest documentary ‘The Border Crossed Us’ (IDFA, 2023) was nominated for the Dutch Academy Award (Golden Calf). Her debut feature documentary BEHIND THE BLOOD (IDFA, 2019) won the award for best International Documentary at the HUMAN film festival Oslo 2020. At The Waves, Loretta works closely with directors to help them develop and articulate their visions so that they can become impactful cinematic films. She is an alumna of IDFAcademy and IFFR Rotterdamlab.
Claudio
Claudio is an Italian-Mexican producer and director. He brings extensive experience initiating and producing projects that have been commissioned internationally and have attracted world class directors. His experience spans multiple continents, with professional roots in Switzerland, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. As an alumnus of ACE Producers, Eurodoc - Netherlands, IFFR Rotterdam Lab and the IDFAcademy, Claudio mentors emerging talent from underrepresented communities. With the Waves, Claudio continues on this journey, helping talent bring unique stories to both big and small screens.
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The Waves B.V.
Aert van Nesstraat 45
3012 CA Rotterdam
Netherlands
KVKnummer: 94128642
