Hanno Höfer


Hanno Höfer is a Romanian movie director, producer, and musician.

Early life and education

Höfer was born in Timișoara and is of German-Romanian descent. When he was about one year old, he moved to Bucharest due to his parents' work, but when their home was damaged in the 1977 earthquake, he returned to the Banat region where he stayed for 4 years at his grandparents' home. Then he went back to Bucharest to attend the German Lyceum. After graduation, he failed the university entrance examination to study foreign languages in Bucharest, so he worked for a while as a translator in Bucharest and then as an actor at the German Theater in Timișoara. In 1988, he emigrated with his family to Germany.
Between 1990 and 1992 he studied South-Eastern European History and Ethnology in Berlin, then he had a scholarship at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj, and later, between 1994 and 1998, he studied Movies and Directing at the Academy for Theatre and Film in Bucharest. Here he met Cristian Mungiu, with whom later he established the production company "Mobra Films".

Career

He directed a few short movies amongst which Telefon în Străinătate, Dincolo and Ajutoare umanitare. Those brought him 3 prizes, at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools, at the Bucharest's CineMAiubit Festival and the grand prize of the Cottbus Film Festival of East European Cinema.
Currently he works together with Cristian Mungiu on the cinematographic trilogy Amintiri din epoca de aur.

Music projects

In his musical career Höfer is a member of Nightlosers, a Romanian rhythm and blues band, where he plays guitar, harmonica, washboard and vocals. He also plays in the Orient Express band of the jazz player Harry Tavitian.

Prizes won

  • Grand Prize of the CineMAiubit - International Student Film Festival in Bucharest for the Telefon în Străinătate movie
  • CILECT Director's Award at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools for the Telefon în Străinătate movie
  • Grand Prize of the Cottbus Film Festival of East European Cinema for the Ajutoare umanitare movie

Filmography

Director

  • Telefon în strainatate
  • Dincolo
  • Ajutoare umanitare
  • Amintiri din epoca de aur

Writer

  • Telefon în strainatate
  • Dincolo

Producer

  • Lost and Found episode "Turkey Girl"

Actor

  • Zapping

Music composer

  • Dincolo
  • Nici o întâmplare
  • Amintiri din epoca de aur