Stefan received his BA in film directing at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. In 2017 he was selected to participate in the documentary film residency Aristoteles Workshop in Romania. Mentored by renowned Dutch filmmaker John Appel, he made his third short film When the dragon came. The film had its premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2018, followed by its international premiere at the Krakow Film Festival. It would go on to win the Best Film Award at the Szczecin International Film Festival. Stefan received his MA at the Netherlands Film Academy in Artistic Research in and through Cinema. His research, From filming intimacy to filming intimately, was nominated for the AHK Best Work Price and the Young Art Fund Amsterdam.