Specialism

Directing
Editing
Photography

Stuart Acker Holt is a British-born photographer and filmmaker based in Amsterdam. He works internationally on editorial, commercial and cultural projects, combining strong visuals with compelling human stories.

Originally trained in music at Newcastle University, Stuart began his career lecturing in film music at Chichester University, where he also created the Expressing Computers lecture series, bringing filmmakers and composers together for live audio-visual performances. That spirit of collaboration continues to shape his work in photography and film.

In 2008 he launched Most Interesting Person, a self-generating documentary format where each subject nominates the next. The project has taken him around the world, producing over 200 portraits and interviews, and premiering at Ballhaus Ost, Berlin, where it drew 1,000 visitors in 24 hours. The format has since been commissioned by Philips, the Van Gogh Museum, Ableton and ID&T.

Stuart has also developed other storytelling series, including I HEART…. I HEART USA captured the mood of the 2016 US presidential election and screened at the Bicycle Film Festival in New York and The House of St. Barnabas in London. I HEART EUROPE traced his father’s escape from Nazi-occupied Vienna, connecting personal history with collective memory, and led to his first book The Short 6ft Tall Man.

His 2020 film For The Record was selected for the Crystal Palace International Film Festival (London) and festivals in Berlin and The Hague. Alongside his creative practice, Stuart teaches journalism at Fontys University in Tilburg.