MARIA VON HELAND www.vonheland.com

Represented by Silke Bacher, Agentur Homebase www.agenturhomebase.de

Writer/Director Born and raised in , , studied photography in Stockholm, acting in Paris and New York, directing in Los Angeles with Alexander Mackendrick. Works out of Berlin.

Degrees: BA cum Laude in Journalism from Rider Colleage, Lawrenceville, NJ. MFA in Directing for film and Theatre from California Institute of the Arts.

Languages Swedish, English, German, French.

Filmography

2014 HEIRS OF THE NIGHT – WRITER Children’s TV Series in development. Adaptation of the novel series by Ulrike Schweikert. Produced by Dorothe Beinemeier & Leontine Petit of Hamster Film and Philipp Kreuzer.

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS – WRITER with Peter Chelsom & Tinker Lindsay. Director Peter Chelsom. Feature Film. Produced by Egoli Tossell Film, Screen Siren Pictures, Erfttal Films and Wild Bunch . Starring: Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgård, and Barry Atsma.

REAL MEN DON’T DANCE (W.T.) – WRITER & DIRECTOR Feature Film in financing. Produced by Sigi Kamml & Chistian Alvart of Syrreal Entertainment. Starring: Heike Makatch.

2013 STUBBORN LOVE (GÖTTLICHE FUNKEN) – DIRECTOR TV Feature 90 mins for Channel 1 Germany (ARD/Degeto). Written by Sathyan Ramesh. Produced by Nataly Kudiabor of NDF. Starring: Devid Striesow, Jeanette Hain, Anna Maria Mühe and Barry Atsma.

THE DEVIL WITH THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS – DIRECTOR Children’s TV Feature 60 mins for Channel 1 Germany (ARD/Degeto). Written by Rochus Hahn. Produced by Uschi Reich of Bavaria Filmverleih und Produktion.

Curriculum Vitae, Maria von Heland, writer & director, www.agenturhomebase.de

2013 CONTINUED TH THE 26 – WRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony hosted by Anke Engelke broadcast in 35 countries. Speakers: Karoline Herfurth, Nomi Rapace, Javier Cámara, Rossy de Palma, Carice van Houten, , .

2012 MR. LU’S BLUES – WRITER & DIRECTOR Feature Film in development. Produced by Oliver Damian of 27 Films Production.

MISSION CINEMA – WRITER & DIRECTOR Documentary Clip Series for the European Film Academy, produced by Marion Döring and Jürgen Biesinger. With: Bernardo Bertolucci, Costa Gavras, Ken Loach, Stellan Skarsgård, Daniel Brühl, Fatih Akin, Liv Ullman, Julie Delphie and Agnieszka Holland.

TH THE 25 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – WRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony held on Maltha hosted by Anke Engelke. Speakers: , Amira Casar, Carice van Houten, Caterina Murino, Sir Michael Gambon.

GLOOMY SUNDAY – WRITER & DIRECTOR Feature Film, 60 mins with students from Ludwigsburg Arts Academy. 2011 STAR TALERS - DIRECTOR Children’s TV Feature 60 mins for Channel 1 Germany (ARD/Degeto). Produced by Uschi Reich of Bavaria Filmverleih und Produktion. WON: Best of Fest, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, 2011 Bavarian TV Award Best Director, 2012 NOMINATED: International EMMY 2012, Best Children’s film

TH THE 24 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – WRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony held in Berlin hosted by Anke Engelke. Speakers: Anouk Aimée, Stellan Skarsgård, August Diehl, , Katja Riemann, Heike Makatsch, Moritz Bleibtreu, Irène Jacob and Sylvie Testude. 2010 ROBIN HOOD TAX CAMPAIGN (STEUER GEGEN ARMUT) - DIRECTOR written by . Short Film for Oxfam and Cinema for Peace. Starring: Heike Makatsch and Jan Josef Liefers.

Curriculum Vitae, Maria von Heland, writer & director, www.agenturhomebase.de

2010 CONTINUED CINEMA FOR PEACE AWARDS – DIRECTOR Speakers: , Leonardo DiCaprio, , Sir Bob Geldof, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Liam Neeson, Katja Riemann, Mikhail Gorbachev.

RD THE 23 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – WRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony held in Tallinn, Estonia hosted by Anke Engelke. Speakers: , Jean-Marc Barr, Miki Manojlović, Amanda Ooms and Hannelore Elsner. 2009 HILDE – WRITER Feature Film, Bio Pic about Hildegard Knef. Directed by Kai Wessel. Produced by Judy Tossell of Egoli Tossel Film. Distributed by Warner Bros GmbH. Starring: Heike Makatsch, Dan Stevens and .

ND THE 22 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – WRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony held in Bochum Germany hosted by Anke Engelke. Speakers: Caterina Murino, Volker Schlöndorff, Johanna ter Steege and . 2008 THE RAINBOWMAKER – CONTRIBUTING WRITER Written with Irakli Kvirikadze. Feature Film, Director: Nana Djordjadze. Starring: Merab Ninidze, Chulpan Khamatova, Nino Kirtadze.

ST THE 21 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Award Ceremony in Copenhagen hosted by Mikael Berthelsen. Presenters: Marianne Faithfull, , , Hannah Herzsprung and .

2007 SUDDENLY GINA – WRITER (uncredited) & DIRECTOR TV FEATURE 90 mins for SAT 1, SEVEN ONE INTERNATIONAL. Remake OF “Girl in the Cafe“ by Richard Curtis. Produced by Cinema for Peace and Egoli Tossel Film. Starring: Jan Josef Liefers, , Jördis Triebel, Andrea Sawatski and Catherine Deneuve.

2006 THOSE WHO WHISPER (DEN SOM VISKAR) – WRITER & DIRECTOR TV Features for SVT, Schweden 2x90min. Produced by Helena Danielsson of Hepp Film. Starring Pernilla August, Lia Boysen, Anders Ekborg, , Dag Malmberg, Fredrik Nilsson and Per Oscarsson.

Curriculum Vitae, Maria von Heland, writer & director, www.agenturhomebase.de

2006 CONTINUED SEARCH (SÖK) - WRITER & DIRECTOR Feature Film. Produced by Helena Danielsson: Hepp Film. Distributed by Sonet Film. Starring Amanda Ooms, Lia Boysen, Pernilla August and Mikael Persbrandt. WON Guldbagge (Swedish National Award), 2007 Best Supporting Actress Lia Boysen. NOMINATED Grand Prix des Amériques, Montreal Film Festival 2006. Guldbagge, 2007 Best Actress Amanda Ooms.

2004 ORKA! ORKA! - DIRECTOR TV Series for SVT (Ep. 10-12) 3x45 mins.

2002 BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY – WRITER & DIRECTOR Feature Film. Columbia Pictures. Produced by Judy Tossell of Tossell Pictures. Starring Anna Maria Mühe, Karoline Herfurth and Jennifer Ulrich. WON Golden Biber, Biberach Film Festival, 2002 Best Actress Award for Anna Maria Mühe, Las Palmas Filmfestival, 2003

2000 ENGLAND! - WRITER with Achim von Borries and Karin Åström. Directed by Achim von Borries. Feature Film produced by Judy Tossell for Tossell Pictures, distributed by Neue Visionen. WON German Film Critic’s Award for Best Screenplay 2002

1999 RECYCLED - WRITER & DIRECTOR written with Mani Beckmann and Mathias Dinther. TV feature 90 mins for ARD. Produced by Susanne Dietz for Dom Film/Studio . Starring: Amanda Ooms, Peter Lohmeyer, Blixa Bargeld NOMINATION Shooting Star, Baden-Baden, 2000 1998 STATE OF DOGS – WRITER (NARRATION) documentary by Peter Brosens Produced by Inti Film. WON: Grand Prix, Visions du Réel, Nyon

Curriculum Vitae, Maria von Heland, writer & director, www.agenturhomebase.de

1998 CONTINUED REAL MEN EAT MEAT – WRITER & DIRECTOR & PRODUCER Short Film financed by SVT and Film i Väst co-produced with INTI FILMS/Wave Copenhagen/Tossel Pictures. Shot with an all Mongolian team on location in Mongolia. WON: Grand Prix du Court Métrage, Valenciennes, 1999 Best Short Film, Cork, 1999 Best b&w Shortfilm, Cork, 1999 Best Short Film, Dresden 1999 Best short film, Bamberg 1999

1997 CHAINSMOKER – WRITER & DIRECTOR Short Film produced by Judy Tossell for Tossell Pictures. Starring: Amanda Ooms, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. WON: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Kurzfilmpreis1997 FIPA d’Argent Biarritz 1998 Certificate of Merit Bombay 1998 Grand Prix du Court Métrage Valenciennes 1998, International Canal+ Award1998 Danzante de Bronze de Huesca1998 Multicurta Award, Sao Paulo 1998

Teaching & Master Classes

MET FILM SCHOOL - BERLIN Screenwriting, Directing, Acting for the Camera.

BROBY GRAFISKA - SWEDEN Screenwriting for professional writers.

AKADEMIE FÜR DARSTELLENDE KUNST- BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG Work shop. Acting for the Camera.

INTERFILM FESTIVAL - BERLIN Master Class. Fail and Fame in Filmmaking.

INTERNATIONALES FRAUEN FILMFESTIVAL – DORTMUND KÖLN Master Class. Screenwriting and Directing.

Curriculum Vitae, Maria von Heland, writer & director, www.agenturhomebase.de