Kenneth Mercken is a Belgian writer-director whose unique background as a former professional cyclist informs his authentic approach to character-driven storytelling. After leaving competitive cycling and graduating from RITCS film school in Brussels in 2011, he earned the VAF-Wildcard for his graduation short 'The Letter,' which screened at festivals in Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, and Encounters. His second short 'Feel Sad for the Bunny' won an Ensor Award for Best Flemish Short. Mercken's commercial breakthrough came with a campaign for Studio Brussel, Belgium's largest youth radio station, which was featured on SHOTS and led to his inclusion in SHOTS Magazine's New Directors section. He has since directed commercials for Opel, Base, Het Nieuwsblad, Radio Willy, and Barcode Leuven. In 2019, he made his feature debut with 'Coureur' (released internationally as 'The Racer'), a cycling drama co-written with Monica Stan that premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam and received theatrical releases in Belgium and the UK/Ireland. Mercken has also directed music videos for Belgian band SONS. He is working with CZAR across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany.