Saara Waasner

Saara Aila Waasner (born May 1981 in Starnberg ) is a German director .

After graduating from high school, she gained practical experience in cinema and television productions, especially in the areas of assistant director and casting. In 2003 she began studying at the Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg in the field of documentary . In February 2010 she finished her studies with the diploma film Frauenzimmer , which premiered at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival .

For the documentary film The Thoughts Are Free , she received the German Short Film Prize , the Starter Film Prize of the City of Munich, and the Max Ophüls Prize at the film festival , the DEFA Foundation Prize . Frauenzimmer was awarded the prize for the best documentary film at the international film festival “Sehsuchten” and won the camera prize at “Achtung Berlin”. Both documentaries will continue to be shown at national and international film festivals.

Films as a director

• 2010 Frauenzimmer, documentary, 74 minutes I Royal Pony Film in coproduction with ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy
• 2007 Thoughts are free, documentary film, 43 minutes I Baden-Württemberg Film Academy, funded by the LBBW Foundation, first broadcast on WDR (“Menschen hautnah”) in November 2008
• 2005 LEISE FLUCHTEN, documentary, 15 minutes I Film Academy Baden-Württemberg
• 2004 LISI & MARLISE, documentary film, 15 minutes I Film Academy Baden-Württemberg

Awards

For women

• Documentary film award at the international film festival "Sehsuchten"
• Camera award at the film festival "Achtung Berlin"
• Nomination for the First Steps Award 2010
• Nomination for the young talent award at the Five Lakes Film Festival 2010
• Nomination for the documentary film award at the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Film Art Festival
• Nomination for the New Berlin Film Ward for the best documentary film at the Berlin Film Festival
• Nomination for the A38 production grant at the Kassel Documentary Film Festival

For the thoughts are free

• German Short Film Award - Special Award
• DEFA Foundation Award
• Starter Film Award of the City of Munich
• Audience awards at the "Five Lakes Film Festival"
• Audience award at the international film festival "How we live"
• Nomination for the documentary film prize in the German competition at the Leipzig Documentary Film Festival

Web links

• Saara Waasner in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Biography on the DEFA Foundation website