Sven Zellner · short biography

Sven Zellner studied at the Munich University of Television and Film (HFF). He has been the director of photography for feature movies like »Don't look at me that way« by Uisenma Borchu (Fipresci prize, Filmfest Munich 2015, Bavarian Film Award 2015, Most Promising Talent Award 2016, Osaka, Grand Prix - Taipei Film Festival - New Talent Competition 2016), »Black Milk« by Uisenma Borchu which he also produced and »Die Hummel« by Sebastian Stern (Bavarian Film Award 2010) and he has been cinematographer of feature documentaries like »Walchensee Forever« (Bavarian Film Award 2019) by Janna Ji Wonders,  »Der Rote Berg« by Timo Müller and »Price of Gold« (ARTE Documentary Film Award 2012) which he also directed. He was Villa Aurora Fellow 2019.
His photography appeared in magazines like GEO, DIE ZEIT, DAS MAGAZIN and Leica Fotografie International. His photo essay »Ninjas« about informal gold miners in Mongolia was presented at the international festival of photo journalism, »Visa pour l’image – Perpignan«, in 2011 and in an exhibition at the International Munich Filmfest 2012 and by the German embassy in Ulaanbaatar Darkhan und Erdenet from 2013-2014. The exhibition »Mongolian Disco« was presented in the Radialsystem V in Berlin 2014, the LFI Gallery in Hamburg 2014 and in the German House at the UN Plaza in New York 2015. The exhibition »Greenland's Future Generation« was presented at the Nordic Embassies in Berlin 2017. Sven Zellner received a honorable mention for his long-term project »Childhood in Romania« by the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography and Film in 2015 and the VG-Bild-Kunst-grant of der Stiftung Kulturwerk for his project »Greenland’s Future Generation« in 2013 which was published in GEO 02/2016.

Sven Zellner gives lectures at the Munich University of Television and Film.

Budunka Films

PORTFOLIO download link

Filmography Sven Zellner

Cinematographer · Director of Photography:

2025 1982 (wt) - post-production
directed by Nguyen Hoang Diep · 100 min · Do Thi Hai Yen, Nguyen Thi Chieu Xuan, Nguyen Thuy Anh, Nguyen Truong Khang, Bui Thac Phong
OKIA HANOI Film Production, Budunka Films, Lavelle Production

2025 UN GRAN CASINO - post-production
directed by Daniel Hoesl · 78 min · Sandra Ceccarelli, Andreas Spechtl, Christina Andrea Rosamilia
European Film Conspiracy

2020 SCHWARZE MILCH · BLACK MILK
directed by Uisenma Borchu · 91 min · Uisenma Borchu, Franz Rogowski, Gunsmaa Tsogzol, Terbish Demberel
Budunka Films,  FFF Bayern, BKM - Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Bayerischer Rundfunk
official selection Berlinale Panorama 2020

2020 »Walchensee Forever« cinema-documentary directed by Janna Ji Wonders
100 min · FFF Bayern · Bayerischer Rundfunk · Flare Film GmbH
official selection Berlinale Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2020
Bayerischer Filmpreis für bester Dokumentarfilm 2019 / Bavarian Film Award 2019 for best documentary

2019 »Der Rote Berg« cinema-documentary directed by Timo Müller
90 min · FFF Bayern · Kuratorium junger deutscher Film · Klappboxfilme

2016 »Töne bedeuten mir mehr als Worte - Klaus Doldinger« documentary · directed by Antje Harries
90 min · FFF Bayern · Bayerischer Rundfunk · Made in Munich Filmproduktion and Uschi Reich Filmproduktion

2015 DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY · SCHAU MICH NICHT SO AN
directed by Uisenma Borchu · 88 min · Uisenma Borchu, Catrina Stemmer, Josef Bierbichler
FIPRESCI AWARD 2015 for best film NEUES DEUTSCHES KINO · FILMFEST MUNICH 2015
Special Mention International Tarragona Filmfestival REC 2015, Spain
Bayerischer Filmpreis für beste Nachwuchsregie 2015 / Bavarian Film Award 2015 for best newcomer director
MOST PROMISING TALENT AWARD · Osaka Asian Film Festival 2016
Grand Prix · Taipei Film Festival · New Talent Competition 2016

2012 PRICE OF GOLD cinema-documentary · director, writer, cinematographer, editor
88 min · FFF Bayern · Bayerischer Rundfunk · Nominalfilm · ARTE-Dokumentarfilmpreis 2012

2012 »Khuyagaa - Tag im Leben eines Nomadenjungen« documentary · KiKa · makido film · directed by Uisenma Borchu

2011 »Tatort - Ein ganz normaler Fall« feature film · directed by Thorsten C. Fischer, camera operator

2011 »Deutscher Fußballbund (DFB) – Umweltspot« directed by Sönke Wortmann, camera operator

2011 »Ein vorbildliches Ehepaar« Regie: feature film · Ben Verbong, camera operator & 2nd Unit

2011 »Thos Brand Video« · Thos Cashmere · Paris / Mongolei · directed by Uisenma Borchu
Porsche international student advertising film award 2012

2010 »Die Hummel« feature film directed by Sebastian Stern
2010 Bayerischer Filmpreis / Bavarian Film Price · FFF Bayern · Bayerischer Rundfunk

2010 »Himmel voller Geigen«/»Serendipity« documentary · directed by Uisenma Borchu
2012 DokFest Munich · megaherz filmschool award · 2011 Kassel Documentary Film Festival · 2011 International Festival of the film schools Munich

2009  »Freunde von Früher« short film · directed by Tim Moeck
2009 Hofer Filmtage · price for the best production design, Max Ophüls Filmfest

2007 »Donne-moi plus« documentary, directed by Uisenma Borchu
2008 FESTIVAL DE CANNES, german films - next generation 2008, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) New York,...

2007 »Die City Schläft - Blumentopf - Album Musikmaschine« music video, MTV directed by Tim Fehlbaum  and Janna Ji Wonders

2006 »Der Fliegende Mönch« short fiction film, directed by Batmunh Suhbaatar

2006 »Anahit - Spurensuche in Armenien« documentary, directed by Anahit Roth

2006 »Du und Ich - Blumentopf - Album Musikmaschine« music video, MTV, directed by Janna Ji Wonders

2005 »Der Engel Heut Nacht« short fiction film directed by Tim Moeck

2005 »Lieb ich Dich« directed by Janna Ji Wonders and Tim Fehlbaum
2006 Kurzfilmpreis, kurzundschön WDR, 2006 Bester Kurzfilm & Publikumspreis, local heros

2004 »Der Weg nach Shambhala« short fiction film, directed by Batmunh Suhbaatar

2003 »Für Julian« short fiction film, directed by Tim Fehlbaum 

2003 »Warten auf den Sommer« documentary, directed by Janna Ji Wonders
2004 Nachwuchspreis des Journalistinnenbundes, 2004 Dokfest Munich · 2004 VGIK Moscow 

Director:

2012 PRICE OF GOLD cinema-documentary · director, writer, cinematographer, editor
88 min · FFF Bayern · Bayerischer Rundfunk · Nominalfilm · ARTE-Dokumentarfilmpreis 2012
Dokfilmwoche Hamburg 2013
Duisburger Filmwoche 2012
Hot Docs Film Festival Toronto · official selection 2012
World Showcase · the year's finest non-fiction films from around the world
Filmfest München 2012 · Neues Deutsches Kino
Brooklin Film Festival 2012
Bel Docs 2012
3rd prize BR / Telepool Treatment Award for Best Documentary at Munich Filmfest 2009

Producer: Budunka Films

2020 SCHWARZE MILCH · BLACK MILK
directed by Uisenma Borchu · 91 min · Uisenma Borchu, Franz Rogowski, Gunsmaa Tsogzol, Terbish Demberel
Budunka Films, FFF Bayern, BKM - Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Bayerischer Rundfunk

photography

2017 GREENLAND'S FUTURE GENERATION exhibition Nordische Botschaften Berlin · GEO

2015 honorable mention for »Childhood in Romania« by the Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography and Film

2015 »Mongolian Disco« exhibition German House UN Plaza New York

2014 »Mongolian Disco« exhibition RADIALSYSTEM V Berlin

2014 »Mongolian Disco« single exhibition LFI Gallery Hamburg

2013-2014 »NINJAS« single exhibition Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan and Erdenet Mongolia

2013 VG BILD-KUNST grant of the Stiftung Kulturwerk

for »GREENLAND'S FUTURE GENERATION« · »DIE JUGEND GRÖNLANDS«

2013 2nd prize BR / Telepool Treatment Award for Best Documentary at Munich Filmfest 2013

2012 ARTE-Dokumentarfilmpreis / ARTE Documentary Film Award

2012 HFF-Scholarship for media art of the Kirch-Stiftung for the exhibition »NINJAS«

2012 »NINJAS« single exhibition HFF Munich

2012 PHOTOCRATI FUND Honorable Mention for »nomadic children«

2009 3rd prize BR / Telepool Treatment Award for Best Documentary at Munich Filmfest 2009

2000 runner-up BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2000

1995 runner-up BBC Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 1995

PORTFOLIO download link

theatre

2017 video for NACHTS ALS DIE SONNE FÜR MICH SCHIEN by Uisenma Borchu · INSZENIERUNG: Uisenma Borchu · SCHAUSPIEL
MÜNCHNER KAMMERSPIELE

2020 video for 10 VATERUNSER by Christiane Huber · INSZENIERUNG: Christiane Huber · SCHAUSPIEL MÜNCHNER KAMMERSPIELE

2022 video for DER TURM von Hugo von Hofmannsthal · INSZENIERUNG:Nora Schlocker · Residenztheater München

2023 video DER ENTREPRENEUR by Kevin Rittberger · INSZENIERUNG:Nora Schlocker · Residenztheater München

Berlinale Panorama 2020

Written and directed by:
Uisenma Borchu

Production:
Budunka Films: S Zellner and U Borchu Film
Producers: Sven Zellner, Anna Katharina Brehm
Co-Production: Old Inn Films

World Sales:
Nine Film

Cinema Distribution Germany:
Alpenrepublik Filmverleih

Supported by
FilmFernsehFonds Bayern
BKM - Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien
Kuratorium junger deutscher Film
Grenzgänger Rechercheförderung - Robert Bosch Stiftung - Literarisches Colloquium Berlin

In cooperation with:
Bayerischer Rundfunk

leading actors
Uisenma Borchu WESSI
Franz Rogowski FRANZ
Gunsmaa Tsogzol OSSI
Terbish Demberel TERBISH
Borchu Bawaa BORO
Bayarsaikhan Renchinjugder INTRUDER

length: 91 min
sound mix : 5.1
color : color
aspect ratio: 1:1.85 1998 x 1080 DCI Flat

copyright 2020 Sven Zellner und Uisenma Borchu Film GbR

»Don‘t look at me that way« · »Schau mich nicht so an« · directed by Uisenma Borchu · 88 min · Uisenma Borchu · Catrina Stemmer · Josef Bierbichler