Stefan Schaefer
American film writer and director (born 1971)
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Stefan Schaefer (born August 17, 1971) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. He works as a screenwriter and director for films that have been screened at festivals such as South by Southwest and the Berlin International Film Festival.
Kiel University (Fulbright Scholar)
Stefan Schaefer | |
|---|---|
Schaefer in 2015 | |
| Born | August 17, 1971 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | Wesleyan University (BA) Kiel University (Fulbright Scholar) |
| Occupations | |
| Spouse | Chenta Laury |
| Children | 2 |
Biography
Early life and education
Schaefer was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was raised in Sussex during his early childhood, and later lived in both Michigan and New York. He studied theatre and political theory at Wesleyan University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. After completing his undergraduate studies, he spent a year and a half in Germany as a Fulbright scholar at Kiel University. After returning to New York City, he co-founded the production company Cicala Filmworks.[1]
He is the maternal grandson of Carl R. Eklund, a polar explorer and ornithologist.[2][3]
Career
Schaefer's films have been screened at festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW).[4] His work has been made available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO, PBS, and Sundance Channel.[5]
With writer Chris Silber,[6] Schaefer has co-written television films for the European networks ARD and ZDF, including two productions filmed in Hawaii.[7]
Schaefer directed the documentary, Contested Streets,[8] which compared the use of public space and streets in New York City with London, Paris, and Copenhagen. The film was shown at environmental film festivals and aired on Sundance TV as part of The Green series.[9] He also directed a documentary on W.S. Merwin, Even Though the Whole World Is Burning.[10]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Confess | Director/writer | |
| 2006 | Act Normal | Co-producer | Documentary |
| Contested Streets[8] | Director/Producer/Editor | Documentary | |
| 2007 | Arranged[11] | Director/Writer/Producer | |
| 2008 | The Higher Force[12] | Writer/Producer/Actor | Comedy |
| The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela | Drama film | ||
| 2009 | The Hungry Ghosts | Producer/Actor | Drama film |
| 2011 | The Roundup | Director/Writer/Producer | Short film |
| Get a Job[13] | Producer/Actor | ||
| My Last Day Without You[14] | Director/Writer/Producer | ||
| 2014 | Even Though the Whole World Is Burning | Director/Writer/Producer | Documentary |
| 2017 | Kuleana | Producer/Actor | |
| 2020 | Aloha Surf Hotel[15] | Director/Writer/Producer | |
| 2023 | Viral | Director/Co-writer/Producer | Short film |
| 2024 | Grit & Gratitude: The Sig Anderman Story | Director/Writer/Producer | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Circledrawers[16] | Co-creator/producer/actor |
| 2012 | First Lady / Nicht mit mir, Liebling[17] | Writer |
| 2013 | The Paradise Within / Das Paradies in uns | |
| To Love, Let Go / Wer liebt, lässt los | ||
| 2015 | Bluewater: Nightmare in Paradise / Blauwasserleben | |
| 2016 | Surf Break Hotel[18] | Director/Writer/Producer |
| W.S. Merwin: To Plant a Tree | Director/Writer/Producer | |
| 2018 | I Am Because You Are | Director/Writer/Producer |
Awards and nominations
- 2002 – New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Screenwriting[19]
- 2003 – Berlin Talents, Berlin International Film Festival[20]
- 2004 – Grand Prize in Digital Filmmaking from Apple and Panasonic[21]
- 2005 – Scribe Prize Hamptons International Film Festival, Confess[22]
- 2007 – Berkshire International Film Festival: Audience Award Arranged[23]
- 2007 – Brooklyn Film Festival: Best Film, Best Narrative Feature Film, Arranged[24]
- 2008 – Skip City International Film Festival:[25] Grand Prize, $100,000 award for Best Film Arranged[26]
- 2012 – Black Reel Awards: Best Original Song My Last Day Without You (nominated)[27]
- 2018 – Writer-in-Residence, Can Cab Literary Residence[28]
- 2020 – Hawaii International Film Festival: Made-in Hawaii Best Feature Aloha Surf Hotel (nominated)[29]
- 2021 – Hawaii Film Critics Society: Best Hawaii Feature Film Aloha Surf Hotel (nominated)[30]
- 2022 – Individual Artist Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts[31]