The Waves is a Rotterdam-based production company founded by award winning filmmakers and producers Claudio Montesano Casillas and Loretta van der Horst.

Loretta is a Dutch-Puerto Rican producer-director. Her work as a producer as well as a director has been nominated for multiple Emmys including an Emmy for Best Investigative Journalism in Spanish and an Emmy for New Approaches in Arts Lifestyle and Culture. Her latest documentary ‘The Border Crossed Us’ (IDFA, 2023) was nominated for the Dutch Academy Award (Golden Calf). Her debut feature documentary BEHIND THE BLOOD (IDFA, 2019) won the award for best International Documentary at the HUMAN film festival Oslo 2020. At The Waves, Loretta works closely with directors to help them develop and articulate their visions so that they can become impactful cinematic films.

Claudio is an Italian-Mexican producer and director. He brings extensive experience initiating and producing projects that have been commissioned internationally and have attracted world class directors. His experience spans multiple continents, with professional roots in Switzerland, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. As an alumnus of ACE Producers, Eurodoc - Netherlands, IFFR Rotterdam Lab and the IDFAcademy, Claudio mentors emerging talent from underrepresented communities. With the Waves, Claudio continues on this journey, helping talent bring unique stories to both big and small screens.