Barbara Albert

Barbara Albert. Foto: Nick Albert, NGF
Barbara Albert. Foto: Nick Albert, NGF

Barbara Albert, born in 1970 in Vienna, studied Theatre Studies, German and Publishing before starting a directing and screenwriting course of study at the Vienna Film Academy. She has worked as an assistant director and assistant editor with filmmakers including Richard Linklater and has acted in films such as “Memory of the Unknown” (directed by Natalie Alonso Casale) and “Crash Test Dummies” (directed by Jörg Kalt). Her short films, which achieved international success, were followed by her first full-length feature film “Nordrand” (Northern Skirts), screened at the Venice Film Festival in 1999. Nina Proll won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actress at that festival. In the same year, Barbara Albert founded the production company coop99 together with Martin Gschlacht, Jessica Hausner and Antonin Svoboda. Albert co-wrote “Grbavica” (Golden Bear at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival), “Slumming” (competition film at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival), “Das Fräulein” (Golden Leopard in Locarno in 2006) and “Struggle” (Cannes in 2003). She also wrote the screenplay for the narrative film “Auswege” (Sign of Escape – directed by Nina Kusturica, 2004 Berlin Film Festival in the Perspektiven des jungen Films (Perspectives on New Film) section). As a producer, Barbara Albert worked on films such as “Lovely Rita” (Jessica Hausner), “Darwin’s Nightmare” (Hubert Sauper), “Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei” (The Edukators) (Hans Weingartner) and “Schläfer” (Sleeper) (Benjamin Heisenberg). Alongside this she also worked as a dramatist, visiting professor and lecturer at several universities in Austria and Germany. She received the Österreichischer Kunstpreis für Film (Austrian Art Award for Film) in 2012. From 2009–2011, Barbara Albert was joint president of the Austrian Film Academy with Karl Markovics. Since March 2013, she has been a Professor of Narrative Filmmaking at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF.

Filmography (Selection)

2017
«Licht / Mademoiselle Paradis»
Cinema film
Production: NGF Wien; looks: Filmproduktionen Berlin; role: director; global distribution: Playtime  

2012
«Die Lebenden» (The Dead and the Living)
Cinema film
Production: coop99 (A), Alex Stern (PL), Komplizenfilm (D); role: screenwriter and director; global distribution: Playtime

2006
«Fallen» (Falling)
Cinema film
Production: coop99; role: screenwriter and director; global distribution: Playtime

2003
«Böse Zellen» (Free Radicals)
Cinema film
Production: coop99; role: screenwriter and director; global distribution: Zelluloid Dreams

2002
«Zur Lage» (State of the Nation)
Documentary film, 30-min. episode, together with Ulrich Seidl, Michael Glawogger and Michael Sturminger
Production and distribution: Lotus Film; role: screenwriter and director

1999
«Nordrand» (Northern Skirts)
Cinema film
Production: Lotus Film, Zero Film, Fama Film AG; role: screenwriter and director; distribution: Ventura

1997
«Slidin’ – Alles bunt und wunderbar» (Slidin’ – Bright and Shiny World) (‹Tagada›)
Production: Novotny&Novotny; role: screenwriter and director

«Somewhere Else»
Documentary film
Production: Filmakademie Wien; distribution: sixpackfilm

Screenwriter

2010
«Fire in Cairo»
Cinema film
Supported by ScriptLAB, Drehbuchforum and the Austrian Film Institute, Material Development

2007
«Me» (Ich)
Cinema film

2003
«Auswege» (Sign of Escape)
Cinema film
Director: Nina Kusturica; World premiere: Berlinale 2004, Perspektiven des jungen Films (Perspectives on New Film)