Susanne Brandstaetter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Vienna, Austria. She was born in Los Angeles, studied art and French literature in L.A. and in Paris, where she lived and worked for six years as an art agent and English teacher. She then moved to Carinthia, Austria and worked as a steady freelancer for the Austrian Broadcasting Company (ORF) from 1983 to 2002. She created, produced and narrated a weekly children's radio program for the ORF Studio Carinthia for seven years, as well as a multitude of radio and TV shorts from 1983 to 1990. From 1987 on, she began working for the ORF Central Station in Vienna as a steady freelancer, regularly making numerous 45’ television documentaries for which she traveled throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. At the same time, she created, produced and managed large open-air theatrical/musical festivals for ORF for over seven years. Furthermore, she worked on exhibitions, for example, creating and curating the multimedia interactive exhibition „Project Wilderness“ at Halbturn Castle in Burgenland, with exhibits from the national museums: Natural History Museum Vienna, Museum of Art History Vienna, the Austrian Gallery Belvedere and the World Museum of Vienna. In addition, she wrote and published short stories and poetry.
In 2002 Susanne Brandstaetter left ORF and founded her company Susanne Brandstaetter Film Production / Envision Film and became a freelance filmmaker and producer. She attended numerous further education programs, among them: „Eurodoc“ (international training program for producers) in 2002/03, in 2004 the University of Southern California, School of Film and Television and in 2005 the training program „Documentary Campus Masterschool“, as well as screenplay seminars with Syd Field, Robert McKee and Thomas Pluch. In 2006 Brandstaetter moved to Vienna, where she studied PR and Integrated Communication at the Danube University Krems from 2006 to 2008, while continuing her work as a filmmaker and producer.
Susanne Brandstaetter's work has been well received by film critics and often explores the myriad consequences of power in social and political contexts, as in her film CHECKMATE – Strategy of a Revolution, (world premiere at IDFA, in competition), which was awarded a „Romy Academy Award“ and her film on Kosovo RULE OF LAW, her first theatrical documentary, which she co-produced (world premiere at the IFF Locarno 2006; „Vienna Film Award“ Viennale for “Best Austrian Film 2007”). In the following years, she alternately developed, wrote and directed features with other producers, as well as continuing to produce feature-length creative documentaries with her own production company.
Since 2014, Brandstaetter has been teaching documentary filmmaking at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Filmakademie). She’s a member of DAE, the Academy of Austrian Film, dok.at (professional association for documentary film) and die Regisseur*innen Austria, and is also a former chairperson of dok.at and the Director’s Association Austria, as well as a former board member of the Organization of Austrian Filmmakers. In addition, Brandstätter is an alum of ProPro (Producer’s Programme for Women) and the International Screen Institute.
Susanne Brandstaetter lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
In 2002 Susanne Brandstaetter left ORF and founded her company Susanne Brandstaetter Film Production / Envision Film and became a freelance filmmaker and producer. She attended numerous further education programs, among them: „Eurodoc“ (international training program for producers) in 2002/03, in 2004 the University of Southern California, School of Film and Television and in 2005 the training program „Documentary Campus Masterschool“, as well as screenplay seminars with Syd Field, Robert McKee and Thomas Pluch. In 2006 Brandstaetter moved to Vienna, where she studied PR and Integrated Communication at the Danube University Krems from 2006 to 2008, while continuing her work as a filmmaker and producer.
Susanne Brandstaetter's work has been well received by film critics and often explores the myriad consequences of power in social and political contexts, as in her film CHECKMATE – Strategy of a Revolution, (world premiere at IDFA, in competition), which was awarded a „Romy Academy Award“ and her film on Kosovo RULE OF LAW, her first theatrical documentary, which she co-produced (world premiere at the IFF Locarno 2006; „Vienna Film Award“ Viennale for “Best Austrian Film 2007”). In the following years, she alternately developed, wrote and directed features with other producers, as well as continuing to produce feature-length creative documentaries with her own production company.
Since 2014, Brandstaetter has been teaching documentary filmmaking at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Filmakademie). She’s a member of DAE, the Academy of Austrian Film, dok.at (professional association for documentary film) and die Regisseur*innen Austria, and is also a former chairperson of dok.at and the Director’s Association Austria, as well as a former board member of the Organization of Austrian Filmmakers. In addition, Brandstätter is an alum of ProPro (Producer’s Programme for Women) and the International Screen Institute.
Susanne Brandstaetter lives and works in Vienna, Austria.