Sung-Hyung Cho

Professor Sung-Hyung Cho has served as Professor of Artistic Film/Moving Image at Saar College of Fine Arts (HBKsaar) since winter semester 2011/12, succeeding Prof. Tamás Waliczky. Born in Busan, South Korea in 1966, she studied communication science in Seoul before pursuing art history, media studies, and philosophy in Marburg, where she earned her master's degree. She further studied electronic image at the Offenbach University of Art and Design (1999/2000) and has extensive professional experience in film editing and production.

Professor Cho founded the Filmatelier at HBKsaar in 2011, which has grown from six to approximately thirty students. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes maximum creative freedom, rejecting traditional film school compartmentalization in favor of interdisciplinary, genre-crossing work. The program features three foundational courses (Am Anfang war das Bild, Dramaturgy, and Self-Portrait) while allowing students to shape their own learning paths through co-created workshops and projects.

Professor Cho's research and creative interests span documentary filmmaking, abstract film, comedy in film, intimacy in filmmaking, and AI as a creative partner. Her students' work addresses contemporary themes including environmental issues ([T]OXYGEN), post-industrial identity (When the Coal Disappeared), gender equality (Die Kundin), and human-AI relationships (E-Lena web series).

Her notable achievements include:

• Max Ophüls Prize for documentary 'Full Metal Village' (first documentary to win this award)
• Hessian Film Prize
• Schleswig-Holstein Film Prize
• Gilde Film Art Prize
• DEFA Foundation Prize for the Promotion of Young Artists

Professor Cho has built a vibrant creative community through her Filmatelier, which features regular workshops with industry professionals and a guest professorship program featuring prominent filmmakers like Axel Ranisch, Jakob Lass, and Charly Hübner. The program provides students with access to high-quality film equipment through the HBKsaar media pool and opportunities to showcase work at events like the Bundesfestival Junger Film.