Dennis Gansel

Dennis Gansel (born 4 October 1973) is a German film director, writer and actor .

Gansel was born in 1973 in Hannover, Germany. He grew up in East Berlin and started making films when he was 17. Gansel worked in the festivals for film and television and with disabled people. During this time, he prepared himself for film school. He studied at Munich Film School HFF where he studied for 5 years. Gansel is best known for directing The Wave and his following project; the vampire film We Are The Night, which starred Karoline Herfurth, Nina Hoss, Jennifer Ulrich, Anna Fischer and Max Riemelt.

Other than directing, Gansel has also tried acting. He has had several small roles in his own movies as wells as others.

Gansel frequently casts Max Riemelt in his films and frequently works with editor Jochen Retter and composer/musician Heiko Maile. His favourite director is Sydney Pollack.

• F.W. Murnau Kurzfilmpreis for The Wrong Trip
• F.W. Murnau Kurzfilmpreis for Living Dead
• Adolf-Grimme-Preis 2001 for Das Phantom
• Bundesfilmpreis 2003 best unpicturized script for Before the Fall
• Bayerischer Filmpreis 2005 for Before the Fall
• Deutscher Filmpreis LOLA Bronze for The Wave
• Sitges - Special Prize of the Jury for We Are The Night