
© Sebastian Rau
My job is to observe. I want my images to touch people and make them part of the film. I want to create images that gets so close to our protagonists that everything beneath the surface becomes tangible. To achieve this, I am working hard to ensure that there is a great deal of trust between the camera, the people in front of it and myself.
Born 1986 in Potsdam, Germany (former GDR) and based in Berlin. My journey started with a professional training as an audio visual designer at the renowned Babelsberg Studios. Until 2023, I studied at the Film University Konrad Wolf in Babelsberg, where I graduated with a master’s and a bachelor's degree in cinematography. The cinema documentary “Invisible Demons” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. In 2024, the feature film "Good News" celebrates its premiere at the Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis and wins the "Award for the socially relevant film". I was also nominated in 2024 for First Steps Camera Award "Michael Ballhaus Preis". The documentary short film “La Bestia” premiered at the IDFA in Amsterdam 2019 and at the DOK.FEST in Munich. It has been screened at 16 festivals and won 11 awards in Germany and Europe. In 2016, the documentary short film “Pallasseum” was selected at the 66th Berlinale Film Festival and has been screened at 28 international film festivals. My background in documentaries is being joined increasingly by fictional films, blending the borders between the two mediums creating hybrid fictional cinema.
camera awards
2024 First Steps Award - Michael Ballhaus Preis - Good News (nom.)
film awards
2024 Deutscher Menschenrechtsfilmpreis - I Saw The Sign (nom.)
2024 Fünf Seen Festival - Perspektive Spielfilm - Good News
2024 Achtung Berlin - Best Directing - Good News
2024 Achtung Berlin - Best Actor - Good News
2024 Max Opühls Price - Award for the socially relevant film - Good News
2023 prix de l'informations scientifique - fff - arte roots
2023 German-French Journalism Award - arte roots
2020 Best Documentary Short - Budapest Indi Film Fest - La Bestia
2019 Winner Student Dox - 10th Make Dox- La Bestia
2019 Best Documentary Student - OSLO Film Festival- La Bestia
2019 Audience Award - Wendland Shorts Short Film Festival- La Bestia
2019 Shorts Offeburg - Freedom Award- La Bestia
2019 Socially relevant film - Bundesfestival junger Film- La Bestia
2019 Audience Award - Bundesfestival junger Film- La Bestia
2019 Shorts Offeburg - Readers' Jury- La Bestia
2019 ERASMUS+ FIPADOC- La Bestia
2019 Shorts Offenburg - Audience Award- La Bestia
2019 PRIX ERASMUS+ FIPADOC 2019- La Bestia
2017 German Television Award 2017 - Best Infotainment - ZDF Make Love
education
Master of fine Arts - Cinematography - Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf
Bachelor of fine Arts - Cinematography - Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf
Audio-Visual Media Designer - IHK Potsdam
equipment
Sony Venice, Carl Zeiss CP.3 Set
Canon C300 MK II, Canon R5 (B & Stills Cam) Canon L Primes Set, Canon L Zoom Set
Sachtler Tripod, DJI Ronin Gimbal (up to 7.25kg), DJI Mavic Drone, Aputure LS 300 X & LS 600 D, 5 & 3 ft dome
VW T5 production vehicle for 5 passengers and gear rack



















