Joining us from Redivider Studio are director Tim Smit and digital artist Sohaib Bouiass. In this talk they’ll discuss how the team uses video and virtual media to tell stories that emphasize impact-driven messages.
This artist talk is part of our Open Stage. At the start of 2026 we initiated an open call to give our community the chance to become a speaker on our coziest stage yet: The Living Room.
TIM SMIT
Tim Smit graduated as a physicist but quickly found his true passion in the world of visual effects and filmmaking. His breakthrough came in 2009 when his short What’s in the Box?.
The years that followed inspired Tim to craft his first feature film based on the short. He took a deep dive into the world of visual storytelling, by working on a range of projects as a director and visual effects artist.He completed his first directed feature film debut Kill Switch. The movie got international acclaim for its use of visual and unique camera work.
Succeeding his film, Tim has directed VFX for award winning commercials such as Woolmark: Wear wool not fuel and Woolmark: Wear wool not waste. He directed the short Airborne as a proof of concept for a brand new feature film concept, tailored to his abilities and visual narrative. He recently finished second unit directing on the new Hulu series: The Kollective and is currently working on his new short film film project Axis Mundi.
SOHAIB BOUAISS
Sohaib Bouaiss (The Netherlands) is a director and digital artist from Rotterdam specializing in 3D animation, lighting, and environmental design. He studied Animation at the Willem de Kooning Academy and graduated in 2020 with his experimental 3D short film A White Screen Is Visible (2020), which received the Wildcard Award from the Dutch Film Fund.