Meet the Stars

Mirko Borscht/Director COMBAT SIXTEEN
was born in 1971 in Cottbus, East Germany. At seventeen, he quit his tailor’s apprenticeship, headed for Berlin, and began acting, assisting directors, and producing short films. COMBAT SIXTEEN is his first feature film.

Agata Buzek/ Actress VALERIE
was born in 1976 in Poland and graduated from Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy in Warsaw in 1999. Her works include NIGHTWATCHING and DAS LETZTE VERSTECK.

Andreas Dresen/Director SUMMER IN BERLIN
was born in 1963 in Gera. He was a sound engineer for Schwerin’s theater and DEFA film studios before studying at the Film Academy Konrad Wolff in Potsdam-Babelsberg. His works include STILLES LAND (1992), his first box office success NACHTGESTALTEN (1999), HALBE TREPPE and WILLENBOCK (2005).

Florian Gaag/ Director; Screenplay WHOLETRAIN
was born in Germany in 1971. He studied at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University for four years before entering the film industry. From 1995 – 2001 he directed or assisted in directing numerous shorts and documentaries such as JACK & STERLING, GREG’S CABIN and PRELUDE. WHOLETRAIN marks his feature film debut.

Matthias Glasner/Director THE FREE WILL
was born in 1965 in Hamburg. In 1993, Glasner, a member of the band homesweethome, founded Jack Film and Music Production. The following year, he filmed his movie debut DIE MEDIOCREN (1994). With his friend and colleague Jürgen Vogel, he founded the Schwarzweiss Filmproduktion in 1996. His films include, among others, SEXY SADIE (1996), FANDANGO (2000) and DIE FREMDE FRAU (2003).

Rainer Hoffmann/ Cameraman THE SHORT LIFE OF JOSÉ ANTONIO GUTIERREZ
Rainer Hoffmann has worked as cameraman, director, and executive director for films as DIE SPIELWUETIGEN, TUPAMAROS, or DIE REISE VON ST.PETERSBURG NACH MOSKAU.

Matthias Keilich/ Director LUMBER KINGS
was born in 1965 in Calw, Baden-Württemberg. He worked as a sculptor in Stuttgart and Freiburg until 1993, when he began studying script writing and directing at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin (DFFB). During his studies, Matthias Keilich made WER AUSSTEIGT HAT VERLOREN (1996), TOD IN NEW YORK (1996), ZU (1998), and his feature-length graduation film NEITHER FISH, NOR FOWL (2001).

Björn Knechtel/ Screenplay; Cameraman HERE WE COME
was born in 1977 in Hanover. He has been studying camera at the Filmakademie Baden Württemberg since 2001. His works include PARADISO, ACHSENBRUCH, HINTERM SPIEGEL, WARUM TANZT IHR NICHT, and DER KLEINE SEE UND DAS MEER.

Matthias Luthardt/ Director PINGPONG
was born in 1972 in Leiden, Netherlands. After studying German, French and Rhetoric in Tübingen, Paris, and Hamburg, he graduated in directing at the Film Academy Konrad Wolf in Potsdam-Babelsberg. PINGPONG is his directing and screenwriting feature film debut, but he also has several documentaries and short films to his credit.

Gordian Maugg/ Director ZEPPELIN
was born in 1966 in Heidelberg. From 1987 to 1993 he studied at the Art Academy in Kassel, majoring in film and TV. Since 1986 he has worked as a freelance screenplay writer, director, and producer. One year after his graduation he founded the Gordian Maugg Filmproduktion GmbH. His works include DER OLYMPISCHE SOMMER (1993), DIE KAUKASISCHE NACHT (1996), HANS WARNS – MEIN 20. JAHRHUNDERT (2000) and ZUTATEN FÜR TRÄUME (2001).

Birgit Möller/ Director VALERIE
was born in 1972 in Osnabrück, Germany, attended DFFB, Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie Berlin. Since 2003 she directed numerous commercials, VALERIE is her feature film debut.

Nico Raschick/ Director HERE WE COME
was born in Dessau in 1978. He took acting and directing classes at the Gaeity School of Acting in Dublin in 1998. From 1998-2000 Nico Raschick worked at the Hessischer Rundfunk, at VCC/Frankfurt and at DoRO/Berlin. Since 2001 he has been studying at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Ludwigsburg.

Sebastian Schipper/Director A FRIEND OF MINE
studied acting at the Falckenburg Schule in Munich, and his acting credits include THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996), MAJA (1996), WINTERSLEEPERS (WINTERSCHLÄFER, 1997), RUN LOLA RUN (LOLA RENNT, 1998), EINE UNGEHORSAME FRAU (TV, 1998) and DER KÖNIG VON ST. PAULI (TV, 1998). His short films include WUNDERHELL (1994) and HELDENSOMMER (1995), and his feature directorial debut was GIGANTIC (ABSOLUTE GIGANTEN, 1999).

Thomas Stiller/ Director; Screenplay THE BOY WITHOUT QUALITIES
was born in 1961 and studied acting in New York at the HB Studio and Actors Studio. After several appearances in plays and TV films, he set himself to writing screenplays and directing. His films include THE BURNING SNAIL (1994/95), STILLE NACHT – HEILIGE NACHT (1998/99), and DIE WUNDE (2001, at Berlin & Beyond, 2002).

Andres Veiel/ Director THE KICK
was born in 1959 in Stuttgart. He studied psychology in Berlin and concurrently trained in directing and drama at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien. His works include BALAGAN (1993), DIE ÜBERLEBENDEN (1996), BLACK BOX (2000, at Berlin and Beyond 2002) and DIE SPIELWÜTIGEN (2004).

Armin Völckers/Director LEROY CLEANS UP
began screenwriting 7 years ago, worked as a producer for animated series and kids TV, script editor and head of creative development for a production company.

Mike Wiedemann/ Director Kinofest Lünen
Mike Wiedemann has been the director of the Kinofest Lünen since 2005.

 

 

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