Philip Scheffner (*1966 in Homburg/Saar) lives and works as an artist and filmmaker in Berlin since 1986. His first exhibitions in Berlin took place in 1987. From 1990-95 he was a co-founder and member of Botschaft e. V., a group of 10-15 artists*, filmmakers*, musicians* and net activists* who held screenings and exhibitions, organized concerts and worked artistically in the Kunstraum Friseur in Berlin-Mitte.
He participated in international events and exhibitions and was a member of the producer group "dogfilm" with Bettina Ellerkamp, Jörg Heitmann, Merle Kröger and Ed van Megen from 1991-99.
Philip Scheffner specializes in developing and producing works between the genres of documentary, essay and video art. He has worked with ZDF/ Das Kleine Fernsehspiel, 3Sat, RBB and ARTE, for whom he co-created two themed evenings. In 2001 he founded the production platform pong in Berlin together with Merle Kröger. His cinematic works since 2007 have been shown in cinema, TV and in numerous screenings in various contexts.
On October 1, 2021, Philip Scheffner was appointed professor for Documentary Practices/ Documentary Film in the subject group Film and Television at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne.
Films since 2007 (selection):
EUROPE, 2021
in post-production
HAVARIE, 2016, 93 min.
Premiere: Berlinale Forum, 2016
German Film Critics' Award 2017 in the category "Best Experimental Film".
ARTE Documentary Film Award, Duisburg Film Week 2016.
Best Int. Feature Film, L'Alternativa Barcelona 2016
Best Editing in an International Feature", RIDM - International Doc. Festival Montréal
Special Mention - Prix Georges de Beauregard International, FID Marseille 2016
AND-EK GHES..., 2016, 84 min.
Premiere: Berlinale Forum, 2016
Nomination Preis der deutschen Filmkritik 2017 in the categories "Best Documentary" and "Best Camera"
Nomination Grimme Award 2017
REVISION, 2012, 106 min.
Premiere: Berlinale Forum, 2012
Nomination German Film Critics Award 2013
Preselection for the German Film Award 2013
Bild-Kunst Editing Award 2013
'Award of Excellence' 2013, Yamagata Film Festival
Fritz Gerlich Film Award 2012, Film Fest Munich
Main prize documentary film 2012, GoEast Film Festival
THE DAY OF THE SPARrow, 2010, 100 min.
Premiere: Berlinale Forum, 2010
German Documentary Film Award (Prize of the City of Ludwigsburg) 2011
Klaus Wildenhahn Award 2010 , Dokfilmwoche Hamburg
THE HALFMOON FILES, 2007, 87 min.
Premiere: Berlinale Forum, 2007
Documentary Film Award of the Goethe Institute 2007 and Promotion Award of the City of Duisburg 2007, Duisburg Film Week
Best Documentary 2007 , International Independent Filmfestival Mar del Plata, Argentina
Prix des Mediathèques 2007, FID Marseille, France
Award for best documentation and research work 2008, Memorimage Film Festival Reus, Spain
Exhibitions:
Philip Scheffner's cinematic works created since 2007 have been shown in accompanying film programs at numerous exhibitions.
The works "Havarie" and "The Halfmoon Files" were also reworked or extended into independent installations for the exhibition space:
HAVARIE, installation in collaboration with Merle Kröger, Biennale for Contemporary Photography, Heidelberger Kunstverein 2017
THE MAKING OF .... GHOSTS, installation in collaboration with Britta Lange
Kunstamt Kreuzberg 2007, Project 88 Mumbai, Goethe Institute Delhi 2011, Tieranatomisches Theater, Humboldt University Berlin 2014, Goethe Institute Prague 2014
Sound works:
The preoccupation with sound plays an important role in the works of Philip Scheffner. Between 2001 and 2007, 3 audio CDs with experimental sound compositions were created and distributed through his own label "pong". In addition, in 2006 a composition was commissioned by the Klangkunst editorial team at Deutschlandradio Kultur.
The compositions were performed at various music festivals, mostly in combination with performances. For example at the Ear We Are Festival in Switzerland as well as at the 'Festival Internacional de Musica Experimental LEM' in Barcelona.