Oliver Schmitz is a renowned South African director, whose film "Life Above All" garnered significant recognition, including a nomination for "Best Foreign Film" at the Academy Awards and praise from esteemed film critic Roger Ebert.
His 1980s gangster drama "Mapantsula" has become a timeless classic, frequently taught in film studies at numerous universities worldwide.
Born and raised in Cape Town, Schmitz hails from a background rich in fine art and music. Between 1981 and 1983, he co-founded and managed a cult nightclub, Scratch, which successfully defied Apartheid segregation laws and fostered a generation of creative and militant young individuals.
Throughout his career, Schmitz has directed five feature films for the cinema, with four of them screened in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Parisian omnibus film "Paris, je t'aime" (Place des fetes). His film "Shepherds and Butchers", starring Steve Coogan and Andrea Riseborough, premiered at the Berlinale 2016, where it won an audience award and the Best Directing award at the South African Film and Television Awards.
Currently residing in Berlin with his wife and daughter, Schmitz is also an accomplished television director, with a notable credits list that includes the award-winning comedy series "Türkisch für Anfänger" and "Doctor's Diary", which respectively won the Best Series award at the German Television Awards, the German Comedy Awards, and a prestigious Grimme Prize.
