Kees van Hattum was born and raised in Amsterdam. He first got interested in directing after seeing the making of featurette on the 'Empire Strikes Back' VHS tape, at the age of 6. This made him understand film as something a person could make, and he was sold.

 

He studied film theory and analysis at the University of Amsterdam, where he graduated with his bachelors degree in 2009. Immediately afterwards he threw himself on to making his first short film, Cold Spoon. The screenplay for Cold Spoon was selected for the We're Next programme of the Rotterdam Film Festival. Later the film was selected for the YAKFA film festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award.

 

The next year his second short film, Zout, was also selected for the YAKFA film festival, and once again took home the Audience Choice Award.  His third film, Parallel Crossing, premiered online, and was later invited to be shown at both the MUS and ICARUS art festivals.

 

With the Star Wars fan film Remnants of the Order, Kees managed to deliver a film with huge production value, despite the small budget. Together with producer Ruben de Ronde, he told an original Star Wars story, set in the universe they both know and love.

 

Kees entered the commercial scene working alongside director Bart van Dam, and went on to be the youngest director working under van Dam's production company More Than TV. Through this company Kees directed commercials for Heineken, Kamer van Koophandel and PwC.