Nine NMDC alumni enter this year's HOT HUNDRED

For six years Virtueel Platform has been compiling the list of most promising talents in media theory and practice graduating in the Netherlands. Excellent alumni from universities, art schools and professional universities are nominated by their supervisors. Virtueel Platform follows recommendations in general, but nominates only those candidates who have an exceptionally strong profile. Having good grades is not sufficient, candidates must have made an impact and proved their media savvyness. The HOT HUNDRED profiles show that they already have set up and executed media projects, have published research and have been active in consulting and media production. The HOT HUNDRED therefore consists not necessarily of 100 alumni, but of the best alumni selected each year. This year's list consists of 50 nominees in total. The nine nominees from Utrecht are:
 

• Thomas Boeschoten
• Alex Gekker 
• Katja Hazenberg 
• Thomas van Manen
• Elize de Mul
• Marja Silvertant
• Ryanne Turenhout
• Pim Verlaek
• Annouck Welhuis

 
"We are very happy to see our alumni enter Virtueel Platform's Hot Hundred list every year" says Dr. Ann-Sophie Lehmann, programme director of Utrecht's prestigious New Media & Digital Culture MA programme. "It is not only a recognition for our educational efforts here at NMDC, it is also a great opportunity for the students".

Virtueel Platform invites the laureates to spend a day at the popular PICNIC festival where they can meet each other and representatives from the creative industries and the media world. "Many of our alumni embark on a career in the creative industries and the media businesses. PICNIC festival offers them a promising glance into this dynamic and volatile world" says Prof. Dr. Joost Raessens who holds the chair for media theory at Utrecht University. "At NMDC we are dedicated to offer an education that provides students with the opportunity to develop a very strong profile.  Analytical skills, a profound understanding for media materiality and their socio-political as well as technical context are key objectives. I believe that those elements allow them to function at a high level in the most diverse areas of our society where top talents are needed to face the profound challenges which the emerging knowledge society provides."

Picnic 2012 takes place 17 to 18 september at the EYE Film Institute in Amsterdam:
http://www.picnicnetwork.org/festival

More information on Virtueel Platform's Hundred:
http://virtueelplatform.nl/activiteiten/hot100