About 

Born February 28, 1971, in the German town Leonberg, Vanessa enrolled at The Munich Film School in 1993 – graduating in 1999 with a Film & TV degree. During that period, Vanessa already directed several short films and music videos and directed skits for the comedy series “The Weekly Show”. 

After “Honolulu” (1999), a collaboration with 5 fellow students, Vanessa caused a stir with her first feature; the adolescent love triangle story “Forget America” (2000), that won the First Steps Award among several other prizes. Her next feature shortly followed with “Engel + Joe” (2001), based on a true story, written by the acclaimed German journalist Kai Hermann. 

After a successful stage adaptation of novel “Film B”, and a TV stint, Vanessa’s third feature “Happy as One” (2006) premiered at Berlinale and was nominated for Best Film at the German Film Awards. In 2007, Vanessa’s “Messy Christmas”, a star-studded ensemble comedy and a remake of the Swedish success “In Bed with Santa”, was then released.

Vanessa went on to direct the TV-movie screen adaptation of the novel “Ladylike”, a comedy about two aging women who support themselves by becoming con artists, and the TV series “Midlife Crisis” winning the prestigious Grimme Award for the latter. Her next directorial and co-written feature “ Lies and Other Truths” (2014), a semi-improvised concept with a star-studded ensemble, was released by Wild Bunch.

After directing the acclaimed TV entry “Tatort: Amour Fou” (2017), Vanessa helmed the screen adaptation of the bestselling novel “Love Virtually”, co-produced and successfully released by Sony Pictures as “The Space Between the Lines” (2019). Her most recent feature, "Faraway," produced by Netflix, topped charts in 46 countries in March 2023.  Vanessa was hired to direct multiple episodes of the Paramount+ series "Anywhere" in Thailand, a production by Gaumont, slated for release in 2025. 

Vanessa's extensive travels and exposure to diverse cultures have greatly enriched her creative vision, enabling her to craft emotionally resonant characters and captivating narratives that appeal to a global audience.

Vanessa has always been motivated by a deep curiosity about human nature, driven to explore the essence of identity and the potential for personal transformation. This fascination with the human experience infuses her work across genres, whether she is directing or writing Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, or Thriller narratives.