Biography

Born and educated in Spain, Yan van der Hoek Gomez grew up in an environment filled with drama and adventure.

His mother, a television and film producer, raised him on production sets. His father, a captain in the merchant navy, took him to many parts of the world, enabling him to experience other cultures, religions, and ways of life. Always he brought a camera to shoot videos and take pictures. His interests gravitated to the arts, especially painting and sculpture, as well as literature, theatre, and film. Following small roles as a child actor in commercials, Estudio 1 productions, and the Geminis TV series, at 15 Yan directed his first short film. The next year, he became a production assistant for BAI Servicios TV, a production crew company serving TVE teleplays and series.

While at the Universidad Europea in Madrid, Spain, he worked as a production assistant on television programs and on producer Xavier Perez's film, Torrente 3, and on his later productions. In 2006, Yan wrote and directed a short, A Ciegas, which premiered at the Olympo Theatre in Madrid. He also covered cultural events for the university newspaper, websites, and magazines, and joined the Federacion de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España (FAPE) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

After college, Yan worked as an assistant director for TVE on news and live magazine programs. His second short film, Nada por ti, was nominated for "Best Directing" at the prestigious Lálfas del Pí Festival of Short Films. In 2009, he directed a documentary feature, Across the Seas, for British shipping company Geest Line. Spanish director Pedro Costa hired Yan as an assistant director on three television movies, including El crimen de lo Marqueses de Urquijo (Moscú Film Festival Special Award), and as a director for commercials. This led to directing assignments from Molinare Madrid and Charisma Productions for the Ministerio de Sanidad (Ministry of Health) on a campaign to prevent drug abuse, additional commercials, and sizzle reels. Yan also became the representative producer in Spain for the Swiss-based ClubTV Media Vista Emocion, coordinating crews for productions in Spain. From 2009-11, Yan was a director and assistant director for the Telemadrid TV channel on Diario de la noche and Madrid Directo. In his last year before coming to the United States to seek further career opportunities, Yan directed his third short film, El Nicho, and was an assistant director on Spain's most highly-rated TV soap opera, Amar in tiempos revueltos, and a production assistant on the blockbuster film, Torrente 4. In addition, he became a member of the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias de la Television de España.

Throughout these early years of his career, Yan have continued to study all aspects of the craft. In 2012 at the New York Film Academy he wrote and directed two more shorts, Identify and In Your Mind. He have since worked as a director and assistant director for commercials, TV pilots, and short films. Recently he just got placed on the DGA Southern California Qualification list as a 2nd AD
- IMDb mini biography by: Antonio Fuentes