SEVEN ELEPHANTS

David's powerful debut film COMBAT GIRLS won him three German Film Awards and the Prix Genève-Europe for Best Screenplay. His second film, WETLANDS, an adaptation of Charlotte Roche’s bestselling novel, premiered at Sundance 2014 and was well received by the international press. Over two million people flocked to cinemas to see David’s third film LOOK WHO'S BACK which was nominated for Best Comedy at the European Film Awards. David returned to Sundance in 2019 with his film THE SUNLIT NIGHT, starring Jenny Slate, Gillian Anderson, and Zach Galifianakis. SUN AND CONCRETE his adaptation of the bestselling novel by Felix Lobrecht, premiered at Berlinale Special 2023.

Julia is a critically and commercially acclaimed director and screenwriter from Germany. She has showcased her work at numerous festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival. She won the German Film Award for Best Young Adult Film with her debut feature NOTHING ELSE MATTERS in 2007 and the German Television Award for Best Director with her biopic KATHARINA LUTHER in 2017. Her film AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD premiered at the Venice International Film Festival 2020 and was nominated as Best Film at the German Film Awards 2021. Julia earned her PhD at the Film University Konrad Wolf Babelsberg and currently teaches film directing at the University of Film and Television Munich.

Erik's films have been selected at 300 festivals, including the Berlinale, Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Shanghai, Hamptons, BFI, and more, winning over 100 awards at venues such as Seattle, Newport, RiverRun, Chicago, Emden, and others. His feature film debut, CLEO opened the Generation KPLUS section at Berlinale 2019 and was showcased at festivals worldwide. In 2020, Schmitt was part of the international jury for the Berlinale Generation KPLUS. His second feature film, DAS LEBEN DER WÜNSCHE will be released in German cinemas in 2025.

Fabian is an alumnus of Filmuniversität Babelsberg, Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris, and ACE. He entered the international co-production arena with DETAiLFILM, co-producing numerous award-winning films that played at festivals worldwide and were sold globally. These include PERSONAL SHOPPER – which won Olivier Assayas the Best Director award in Cannes –, L’AVENIR – which won Mia Hansen-Løve a Silver Bear as Best Director in Berlinale competition –, and Léos Carax's ANNETTE, which opened the Cannes 2021 in Official Competition. To further strengthen his reach throughout Europe, he initiated a joint venture with Lars von Trier’s Zentropa Entertainments in 2015 before starting the artist-led production house, Seven Elephants, in 2018. Fabian serves as the president of the Franco-German Film Academy and as a board member of Berlin's film school dffb. He regularly teaches at film schools and is a frequent guest speaker at international panels.

Anna is a German and American producer based in Berlin and Munich. Most recently she produced the German-Greek co-production IN HEAT (director: Leonie Krippendorff) for kineo Filmproduktion and Studio Bauhaus. Prior, Anna produced the novel adaptation WHEN WILL THINGS FINALLY BE AGAIN LIKE THEY NEVER WERE BEFORE for Komplizen Film and Warner Bros. (director: Sonja Heiss). The film premiered at the Berlin Intl. Film Festival in February 2023 and was nominated for the German Film Prize in the Best Feature category. Anna holds a Bachelor Degree from Haverford College, PA. She is an Alumna of the German Film and Television Academy dffb, the Drehbuchwerkstatt Munich and of Berlinale Talents.

John is a German screenwriter whose journey in filmmaking began as a production designer. He later joined forces with acclaimed director Julia von Heinz as a co-author, crafting screenplays that have captivated audiences at prestigious festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival. Their collaboration earned critical acclaim, with their debut feature, Nothing Else Matters (2007), winning the German Film Award for Best Young Adult Film. In 2020, their film And Tomorrow the Entire World premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and went on to receive a nomination for Best Film at the German Film Awards in 2021. Their first international feature, Treasure, was launched in 2024.

Katja obtained a master's degree in Business Communication Management before attending the post-graduate program at Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris. She gained extensive experience in the production department before specializing in financial and accounting aspects. In this role, she executed and supervised project accounting and controlling for various national and international productions. At Seven Elephants, Katja manages finances, day-to-day operations, and oversees physical production.

During her media studies in Halle an der Saale, Kathleen tripped over a microphone, launching her unexpectedly into radio journalism. This quirky beginning led her to cover everything from theater festivals to rabbit shows, sparking a passion for sound and video. Her adventurous spirit propelled her into film, where she thrived as 1st AD on projects like David Wnendt's WETLANDS and LOOK WHO’S BACK, as well as serial formats like DRUCK alongside Pola Beck and the innovative vertical film noir SANTA MARIA by Erik Schmitt. Now at Seven Elephants, she dedicates herself to the practical fulfillment of creative dreams and champions young talent. Her streetcasting for SUN AND CONCRETE earned her the 2023 German Acting Award for Best Ensemble.

Jana discovered her love for film at around 10 years old through her father's old video camera and by making self-made music videos with friends, featuring dance routines to Britney Spears songs, of course. She studied journalism in Bremen and, after earning a Master’s Degree in Producing Film and Television from Royal Holloway University of London, she went on to work as a production manager in the documentary sector, primarily producing films for the German Public Broadcaster ARD. In search of new challenges, she decided to pursue her fascination for cinema and transitioned to feature film production at the beginning of 2021.

Katrin is a German-British creative with a passion for bringing stories to life, both behind the scenes and in front of camera. After studying Communication Science and Theatre Arts, she cut her teeth as a production coordinator in London’s fast-paced unscripted TV industry. During the pandemic, she started making short films and found a lot of joy in the process. Her love for film has lead her to join the Seven Elephants family as team assistant.