W3 Professorship "Directing / fictional"

Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF

The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF is a lively centre of art, research, and education. Renowned experts from the worlds of film and academia provide students with intensive and individual support at Germany's only film university. Conducting innovative research with, in, and on film and other audiovisual media, the university is a cosmopolitan and non-discriminatory space for cultural and social debate.

W3 Professorship „Directing / fictional“

The Film University is seeking applications for a grade W3 artistic professorship for the field of directing / fictional, starting from 1 April 2026.

Time Limit
In accordance with § 45 Brandenburgisches Hochschulgesetz (BbgHG – Brandenburg University and College Act) the professorship will be appointed for an unlimited period. For the purpose of testing the pedagogical skills of applicants from professional or artistic practice, the appointment is made for a limited period of three years. This time-limited appointment will be converted into an unlimited position following a positive evaluation.

Responsibilities
The “Directing / fictional” professorship is responsible for overseeing the subject area of directing for various fictional formats within the BA and MA programs.

The responsibilities of the Directing / Fiction professorship include in particular

• Teaching content covering all current feature film formats for cinema, TV, and streaming services, including serial or hybrid formats
• Individual supervision of students and their BA and MA theses (practical and theoretical)
• The conception, organization, and implementation of practice-oriented workshops
• The supervision of interdisciplinary exercises and theses in collaboration with other degree programs
• The management and organization of admission procedures and final examinations
• The regular evaluation and ongoing development of the curricula for the directing degree program,
• and collaboration in developing interdisciplinary study content
• Active participation in academic self-administration and committee work at the Film University, Particular emphasis is placed on actively promoting and supporting the artistic qualification projects of academic staff.

Particular emphasis is placed on actively promoting and supporting the artistic qualification projects of academic staff.

Recruitment requirements
The legal requirements for hiring are derived from § 43, paragraph 1, numbers 1 to 4a BbgHG as follows:

• Completed university studies
• Pedagogical and didactical aptitude, to be demonstrated through relevant teaching experience
• Special aptitude for artistic work in directing
• Furthermore, additional artistic achievements, demonstrated through festival awards or comparable awards

Candidates should provide evidence through relevant projects, or similar:

• Proven directing experience through original film projects (including film festival participation and/or cinema releases and/or broadcasts on TV / streaming services)
• University teaching experience and committees participation
• Experience in the field of promoting young artists
• Excellent written and spoken English / German skills and willingness to teach courses in German / English
• Strong professional networks within the media industry, film funding agencies, and distribution/broadcasting organizations, with willingness to leverage these connections / contacts for the benefit of the film university, teaching, and student supervising
• Knowledge of current developments, trends, and debates on fictional and hybrid formats

Additional desirable, to be evidenced by relevant projects, or similar:

• Reference films that are as current as possible
• Experience with and willingness to engage in research-based teaching and artistic research
• Experience with or willingness to take on a creative role in academic administration (e.g., dean's office, committees, commissions)
• Experience with narrative forms in emerging digital / immersive media and artistic application of AI
• Experience in the field of online teaching
• Experience in media policy through involvement in public committees and/or professional associations
• Experience in acquiring third-party funding
• Commitment to ecological and social sustainability in film production

Teaching responsibilities
Teaching comprises 18 LVS (weekly contact hours per semester) according to the teaching obligation regulation of the state of Brandenburg and in accordance with the study and examination regulations for the directing program. The language of instruction at the university is German; individual courses are offered in English.

Other Notes
The Film University values diversity among its members and is committed to equal opportunity regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social background, religion / belief, disability, age, and sexual orientation and identity. In accordance with § 7(4) BbgHG, women and severely disabled persons are given preferential consideration in the case of equal suitability. Applications from international candidates, with a non-German background and applicants with family care responsibilities are especially welcome.

The Film University aims to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching, and therefore strongly encourages qualified female applicants to apply.

The Film University requires to submit a detailed, written teaching concept that will form the core of the application.

Please indicate in your application if you are only available for a shared professorship.

In addition, we ask the applicants to formulate their ideas on how equality and diversity can be integrated into teaching and research and supported in university life. This should also include how latent and explicit forms of discrimination can be countered. These aspects will be considered in the selection decision.

Furthermore, the Film University is committed to strengthening sustainability in the university context and promotes the examination of ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainability in teaching, art and research. With this in mind, we ask applicants to establish links between their own work and the field of sustainability.

Application documents
Please send in your application containing

• description of your artistic and pedagogical career
• curriculum vitae
• certificates
• teaching concept
• Presentation on equality and diversity in teaching and research
• Presentation on sustainability in relation to teaching and research of the advertised professorship
• proof of activities
• examples of work – through a corresponding link on a streaming platform
• list of publications

until 26. October 2025 exclusively via our online application portal.

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