Philip Scheffner

Philip Scheffner (born 1966 in Homburg/Saar) is Professor of Documentary Practices/Documentary Film at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM) since his 2021 appointment. He has been an active visual artist and filmmaker in Berlin since 1986, co-founding the artist collective Botschaft e.V. (1990-1995) and producer group dogfilm (1991-1999). In 2001, he established the production platform pong with Merle Kröger, where he focuses on editing and story development.

Scheffner's research explores the intersection of documentary film, essay, and video art through experimental sound design and boundary-pushing narrative structures. His work critically examines migration, social invisibility, and historical memory, challenging conventional documentary forms by incorporating archival materials and reworking cinematic content into immersive installation contexts. He investigates how marginalized communities navigate political systems while emphasizing the aesthetic and political dimensions of storytelling.

His filmography reveals consistent engagement with migration crises and social justice through formal innovation. Works like Havarie and Europe employ single-take sequences and radio traffic as narrative devices, transforming real-world events into cinematic meditations on European identity. The recurring focus on Mediterranean migration and urban isolation demonstrates his commitment to documenting contemporary socio-political ruptures while blurring documentary/fiction boundaries.

His major awards include:

• German Film Critics' Award 2017 (Best Experimental Film) for Havarie
• ARTE Documentary Film Award, Duisburg Film Week 2016
• Main Prize Documentary Film, GoEast Film Festival 2012 for Revision
• German Documentary Film Award 2011 for The Day of the Sparrow
• Best Documentary 2007, Mar del Plata Film Festival for The Halfmoon Files

Scheffner's projects receive substantial funding from European cultural bodies including Robert Bosch Stiftung, Federal Film Board (FFA), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), and Eurimages. His collaborations with ZDF, ARTE, and RBB demonstrate institutional recognition of his politically engaged approach. As an educator at KHM, he mentors emerging filmmakers in documentary practices while maintaining his creative output.

He operates within the pong production platform and has developed significant installations like Havarie (2017) with Merle Kröger. His works have been exhibited at Heidelberger Kunstverein, Tieranatomisches Theater (Humboldt University Berlin), Goethe Institute branches internationally, and featured in themed evenings for ARTE television.