Cheryl Asruf

Cheryl Asruf is an Indian-Surinamese Dutch actress, screenwriter, director and producer who works from personal experience as an immigrant’s daughter and a brown woman in a white man’s world. After training at De Nieuw Amsterdam Theaterschool and the Mimeschool at the Amsterdam Academy of High Arts, Cheryl worked as a television and film actress for 24 years.

In 2021 she started her screenwriting, directing and producing career when she received financing from the Dutch Filmfund for script development of her short film Botje. Cheryl then joined the Pluswhat Programme for further skill development and will continue to learn and research in the Filmforward Vrijplaats for which she’s been selected in 2022. Her first feature film as writer and producer is also in development.

Research within de Vrijplaats
Cheryls research focuses on positionality of her artistic yet authentic streetvibe brown films as well as the creative visualisation of the imaginative scenes in her  short film for the youth and how to respect the budget ánd creativity.