Biography
Margaret von Schiller was born in December 1956 in South Germany. After finishing college, her family emmigrated to Spain while she completed an apprenticeship in cabinet making back in Munich. Following this, she spent several years in France, the UK and Spain, intensifying her skills in restoring antique furniture.
Returning to Germany in 1983 she opened her own workshop, but also created short programs in radio broadcasting, storytelling her travels, thereby exploring a whole new talent.
Soon thereafter she began with theatre festival co-ordination and also served as assistant director on International film productions which drew her interest increasingly towards producing and directing culture-related TV films. She travelled the South American Continent and later developed a special passion for the South Pacific, due to her family links with the island of Tahiti.
In 1990 the director of the Panorama section within the Berlin Film Festival, Manfred Salzgeber, invited her to join his then small team with Wieland Speck, where she remained for sixteen very fruitful years. Several months per year were dedicated to helping grow the reputation of the Panorama section and included deputy responsibilities. In 2006 she left the Berlinale.
She then dedicated herself to Mingusfilm Media Production & Postproduction (also TV &Educational &Industrial) together with her longtime partner Florian Koehler (editor and photographer). But they split in 2009.
Margaret von Schiller keeps offering her long time skills in the film industry, after 25 years of working in the Industry and frequently and internationally serves as selection board member and jury member and panel guest in Festivals and film markets.
In 2010 and 2011 she was appointed Industry Co-ordinator at the Sevilla Film Festival (festivalcinesevilla.eu).
In 2011 she was responsible for programming for the Cuenca Film Festival in Spain, a small festival dedicated to films made by female directors (www.mujeresendireccion.es). Unfortunately the festival could not take place in 2012 for the lack of finances.
LATELY Margaret is spending a lot of her time in Almeria, Spain writing on a project about Tahiti/Polynesia in the mid-nineteenth century.
She practices Taiji in the Yang form of 85 sequences with greatest respect for her teacher Honghao Wang and she loves the nature of the desert and the beaches of Almeria.
She recalls her skills and passion as a craftswomen (furniture restorer 1976-1986) and restored several houses in the local Andalusian style.And her property in the oasis of Los Baños de Sierra Alhamilla allows her to host guests, who have the desire to Dream, Relax & Reconnect, serving friends as well as writers and other creatives.
She is currently developing a small business idea with Marisa del Pino for services to foreign property owners in Almeria:
November 2012
Festivals – Programme Coordinator/Programmer/Industry:
- Hammoniale, Festival der Frauen, Hamburg, 1995-1999, Coordinator
- Panorama der Berlinale, 1989-2006, Programme Coordinator/ Deputy Director/ Shortfilm selecion for Panorama, member of preselection group doc&fiction
- Industry Coordinator Sevilla Festival de Cine Europeo, 2010-2011
- Programming Director Mujeres en Direccion Cuenca, Spain, 2011 – a small and wonderfull festival of films made by female directors.
Other film related work:
- Consulting producers and filmmakers for International Sales
- Preselection board German Film Week, Madrid 2012
- Swimming Upstream lifesaving Guidebook for Shortfilmmakers
P:Tribeca New York, contributing author - At Mediaservices, Boston, Line Producer
- Poryes Award Berlin, Moderation/Presenter of the 1st and 2nd feministic porn film award
- Internationales Frauen Film Festival Dortmund Köln, Moderation /Presenter
- Sprache und Präsenz, Kommunikationstraining mit Friederike von Plato, Berlin
- diegesellschafter.de/ Über Macht/Short Notice Preisverleihung für Aktion Mensch, Jury member and award ceremony host
- Teddy Award, Queer Film Award auf der Berlinale (foundation member), presenting the award ceremony in 2005 und 2006 (ARTE)
- Translations for Int. Sales and distribution company Memento International, Paris
- Second International Meeting of Women in Audiovisual Europe, CIMA (Association of Women in Film and Audiovisual Media, Spanien), International Relations
Filmografie
1986-2002
Autorin und Regie:
- Reisefieber NDR Rundfunk Magazinsendung
- Mein Taschengeld 45′ P: N3 Michael Krey /Familie / Serie Kindsein ist kein Kinderspiel ausgezeichnet mit dem Grimmepreis /Serie 1987 Autorin/ Co-Regie Manfred Waffender
- Alles und Nichts 1987 P: N 3 Heinz Glässgen für die Reihe Augenblicke
- Lichtblick 1988 P: N 3 Heinz Glässgen für die Reihe Augenblicke
- Rhythmus einer Großstadt 1988 P: N 3 Heinz Glässgen für die Reihe Augenblicke
Kino und Fernsehen – AD/Line Producer Mingusfilm :
- Drachenfutter R Jan Schütte Casting, Regieassistenz, Script/Continuity
- Höchste Zeit R Manfred Waffender, Satire-Magazin 13×30 – ARD Regieassistenz, Prod. Assitenz
- Reise ohne Auftrag R Friedeman Schulz (Dreh in D/Frankreich /Spanien), Regieassistenz
- Weg durch Zeit R Manfred Waffender, ZDF ARTE Dokumentar, Regieassistenz
- Der Fall Boran mit Jean Pierre Léaud und René Soutendijk, Regieassistenz /Dialogcoach
- Schlafende Hunde R Max Färberböck , ZDF Regieassistenz
- Tödliches Geld mit Michel Piccoli 2 x 90 min., Regieassistenz
- Herzschlag der Kontinente ZDFARTE Themenabend, Regie: M. Waffender, Recherche
- Ohrenzeugen für ZDF/ARTE, Regie Manfred Waffender Recherche/Produktionsleitung
- Silent Heroes P: Comtel/Boston Doku Line producer
- Germany Today P: Comtel/Boston, Lernmittelvideo, Line producer
- Wie geht’s P: VPG/ Boston, Lernmittelvideo, Autor, Line producer