Born in 1966, Walter Stokman studied film at the Art Academy in Breda, the Netherlands. Since 1993 he has made several documentary films, including one about funk musician Sly Stone (LET ME HAVE IT ALL) and one about American black pop stars (CAN’T U HEAR ME SINGIN’). Since 1997 he has also worked as a free lance director for Dutch TV station VPRO. For a VPRO’s music series called Loladamusica, he did specials on Keith Caputo (Life of Agony), Kevin Coyne, Super Furry Animals, Motorpsycho, jazz legend Hank Jones, among others. 

His work became internationally recognized when he was awarded for Best Documentary at the Brooklyn International Film Festival in 2003 and when he won the Dutch ‘Gouden Kalf’ for his documentary film ‘ASH WORLDWIDE SUICIDE’ (2002).  

In his documentary, BASED ON A TRUE STORY (2005), he returns to the real story behind Sidney Lumet’s film Dog Day Afternoon. This was rewarded for a Grand Jury Award at the International Film Festival in Seattle in 2005 as well as nominations and officially selected at the Berlinale and Tribeca, New York.

In, BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORT-WES (2006), he shows a portrait of this South African Village with the music and poems of Gert Vlok Nel. It was nominated for best camera en director at the Dutch Film Festival (Gouden Kalf) and won for best documentary at the Dutch TV awards (Gouden Beeld) 2006

His film, SCENA DEL CRIMINE (2011) is about life in the city of Naples. It is a frame narrative in seven ‘scenes.’ Soberly, director Walter Stokman creates an oppressive image of life under the influence of the underworld that is as elusive as it is nearby. The film was selected for the 67th Labiennale di Venezia and awarded with the Art Competition Jury Prize at the Docu Days film festival, Ukraine. Walter Stokman continues developing and making documentaries and series for Dutch TV.