Tzetzi Lazarov

Born to immigrant parents, I moved to the Netherlands at the age of five. From as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a performer—captivating my schoolmates with heartfelt and silly performances that brought laughter and joy.

At just 17, I produced my first narrative short film, A Cat's Tail, using a spy pen camera. This ambitious project went on to win National and State awards at the Kunstbende Film Festival. By the age of 19, I created Flappie, a simple yet humorous music video that became the official video for Youp van 't Hek’s iconic Christmas song. To date, the video has amassed over 3.7 million views.

Encouraged by these early achievements, I pursued my passion for filmmaking and enrolled at the NFTA. Despite having no prior experience in animation, my fascination with the medium led me to discover rotoscoping. This technique became the foundation for my debut animated children’s film, The Cherry Tree. The film was screened at over 30 international film festivals, earned three finalist positions, and won awards for Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and Best Romantic Film. A quote I live by   "If the story is not life-altering, it is not good enough"