Jan Schmidt-Garre


Jan Schmidt-Garre, German film director and producer.

Biography

Jan Schmidt-Garre studied philosophy at the Hochschule für Philosophie der Jesuiten in Munich from 1982 to 1986. He also studied feature film direction at Munich's Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film from 1984 to 1988. His mother is famous German critic Beate Kayser.
During this time he worked as a trainee and assistant director for, among others, Rudolf Noelte, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, David Esrig, Joachim Herz and Harry Kupfer.
He studied conducting and musical theory with Sergiu Celibidache in Mainz, Munich and Paris.
In 1988 he founded PARS MEDIA, a production company whose films have received international acclaim for its documentary and feature films focusing on music and the arts. PARS MEDIA productions have been awarded numerous prizes worldwide, among them the main prizes at the film festivals in Chicago, Paris, Monte Carlo, Columbus/Ohio, Munich and Prague as well as a nomination for the German Film Award. PARS MEDIA films have been broadcast in over thirty countries, many have been distributed theatrically and appeared on Laser Disc, VHS and DVD.
Schmidt-Garre is staging operas on a regular basis at opera companies in Germany and Switzerland.
Schmidt-Garre, a member of the German Film Academy, lectures on directing and aesthetics at the HFF in Munich and the Athanor Academy of Performing Arts. He is married to art dealer Philomene Magers. They have two children and live in Berlin.

Filmography (selected)

Virtual reality opera film with Jacquelyn Wagner, 2018, 25 Min
Music film, 1999, 90 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Music documentary series, 1996, 390 Min. Prizes at the Columbus International Film Festival and at “Classique en images”, ICMA Award
On DVD with Naxos
Dance film with Saburo Teshigawara, based on a short story by Ilse Aichinger, 2002, 45 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Documentary, 2012, 105 Min
On DVD with PARS Media
Feature film, 1995, 80 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Documentary film, 1992, 100 Min. Nominated for the German Film Award, won the Silver Medal at the Chicago International Film Festival and the Midem Classique Award
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Film Essay, 2010, 60 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Film version of a production with Jacquelyn Wagner, Norbert Ernst and Roman Trekel, 2018, 115 Min. Directed for the stage and for the screen by Jan Schmidt-Garre
On DVD with Euroarts
Film Essay, 2004, 70 Min. Awarded at "Golden Prague"
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Music documentary and concert series, 2006-08, 720
Min
On DVD with Medici Arts
Art documentary, 2010, 60 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Art documentary, 1992, 45 Min
Music Documentary, 2004, 60 Min
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Art documentary, 2005
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Opera road movie, 1998, 90 Min. Prizes at the Munich International Documentary Festival and at “Golden Prague”
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Music Documentary with Sofia Gubaidulina and Anne-Sophie Mutter, 2008, 60
Min. Nominated for Prix Italia
On DVD with Arthaus Musik
Documentary, 2014, 60 Min
On DVD with Belvedere
Art Documentary, 2005, 90 Min.
On DVD with Arthaus Musik

Articles and essays