top of page
SHOT0811_4.jpg

Resume

Manuela Bastian was born in 1987 in Munich. After her Abitur certificate she studied Art at the “Akademie der Bildenden Künste” in Munich from 2009 to 2011. In 2011 she travelled to India and shot the documentary film “Pink Struggle” about a female self-defence group. From 2012 to 2019, Manuela studied directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. During this time she realised several documentaries and short films. Her documentary "Where to, Miss?" about a female taxi driver in India won several awards such as the “Granit - Hofer Documentary Award” and had it‘s cinema release in January 2017.

In the center of her stories mostly one can find ambivalent, edgy and inspiring women struggling to become themselves against all odds. With a lot of sympathy for her characters Manuela loves to discover the unique core of each story that is relatable for many people. Telling those stories with a  surrealistic touch is her way of creating images thriving to make the viewers mind starting their own journey.

Today, Manuela is working as a freelance director and writer in Berlin and Munich and is currently preparing her feature film debut. She was Participant of the script lab „Drehbuchklausur Kitzbühel“ and the developing Lab for documentaries „DokART".

Filmography  (Selection)

TEAM WITHOUT A NATION

Documentary / Research

Director

SHADOW BY SHADOW

Feature length film in development

Writer & Director

2017 - SERGEANT PEPPER

TV Series Testimonial, 13 Minutes

Director

2015 - WHERE TO, MISS?

Feature lenght documentary, 83 Minutes

Writer & Director

2015 - PAPA AFRICA

Documentary, 46 Minutes

Writer & Director

2011 - PINK STRUGGLE

Documentary, 60 Minutes

Writer, Director, Cinematographer

Awards, Grants, Schoolarships & Script Labs

2022 Script Lab "Drehbuchklausur Kitzbühel"

2021  Participant of "DokART" - Developing program for documentaries

2021 Bavarian Schoolarship for Artists

2019 Screenplay Funding Film- & Medienstiftung NRW, SHADOW BY SHADOW

2019 Research Grant of the Robert Bosch Foundation „Grenzgänger", TEAM WITHOUT A NATION

2017-2019 Scholarship of the Norbert Janssen Foundation


2017 Culture Award Landsberg am Lech
2017 Council of German Filmschools at Berlinale - Pitch Award, SHADOW BY SHADOW 
2017 London Feminist Filmfestival – Best Feature Documentary, WHERE TO, MISS?


2017 Nevada Women ś Filmfestival – Best Feature Documentary, WHERE TO, MISS?


2017 Festival Internacional de Cine de Fusagasuga – Best Feature Documentary, WHERE TO, MISS?


2017 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival - Best Editing, WHERETO,MISS?

2016 BKM Distribution funding,  WHERE TO MISS?

2016 German Human Rights Award, Filmschool Category,  WHERE TO, MISS? 
2016 Filmfestival Kitzbühel - Audience Award, WHERE TO, MISS?


2015 Hof International Film Festival - "Granit" Hof Documentary Award, WHERE TO, MISS?


2014 Council of German Filmschools at Berlinale - Pitch Award, WHERE TO, MISS?

Festivals 

Complete list here

bottom of page