Stefan Koutzev is born 27.05.1993 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. After working as a touring musician with the Band “The Roaring 420s”, he started exploring the German Theater Staatsschauspielhaus Dresden as an Assistant Director. By soon after, enrolling and graduating at the “European Film College” in Denmark, he engaged in film studies at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. Following works as a Script Supervisor in Copenhagen and as a Script Consultant & Researcher for Cinema For Peace & Star Entertainment Berlin, he’s presently studying film at KHM - University for Media Arts in Cologne, works as an Assistant Director for Audio Plays and Radio Features at WDR and is a member of the band Crayon. Beginning 2024, he completed an Erasmus exchange in the film class of Tizza Covi at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Awards

  • 2018 ARFF Paris // International Awards - Semi Finalist

  • 2019 Courageous Cinema Amsterdam - Most Courageous Film

  • 2020 Polish International Film Festival - Best International Short Film

  • 2020 Short to the Point - Best Actor Award for “Swarm”

  • 2020 Short Film Factory - Winner

  • 2021/2022 part of the „Kurz & Sächsisch“ film programs supported by Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

Festivals

  • RIFF Talents 2017 - Reykjavik International Film Festival

  • Demetera International Film Festival 2021

  • Küstendorf Film & Music Festival 2020

  • Long Story Short / International Film Festival

  • 2018 & 2020 The Lift-Off Sessions

  • Sofia Independent Film Festival

  • 2020 New York East Northeast

  • Prague International Indie Film Festival 2021

  • Internationale Filmwoche Regensburg 2021

  • 2020 Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival - BARCIFF

  • 2021 Dresdner Schmalfilmtage Wettbewerb

Collaborations

  • Actor and Music for “What we talk about when we talk about sex” directed by Cathrine Dauphine

  • Short film as a projection for the dance piece “Performing Maleness : Uncoding me” by Charles Washington and the dance
    film project “Spinner Light” coproduced at the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau Dresden

  • Actor in “Aufklärung für Hönow” by Frédéric Jaeger

  • Assistant Director “Retina” (GoShort-International Short Film Festival Nijmegenl) directed by Niels Veenendaal

  • Script Supervisor “Angst” directed by Raissa Sokurowa