Mira Thiel

DIRECTOR / SCREENWRITER

Mira Thiel, born in Munich to a Bulgarian medical doctor and a German professor of oncology and hematology, began her creative journey directing over 50 music-videos for international artists such as Heather Nova, Apocalyptica, and Glashaus. In addition to directing, she honed her craft as a cinematographer and editor, acquiring a hands-on understanding of visual storytelling. A brief detour into advertising left her creatively unsatisfied but sparked her interest in narrative filmmaking so she applied to the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) to study directing. During her studies, she assisted Professor Dieter Berner in the “Camera Acting” course at the University of Film and Television Konrad Wolf (HFF Babelsberg), and worked as his assistant director on MDR Tatort series. Her student films were showcased at numerous prestigious festivals, including Filmfest München, Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, Interfilm Berlin, Kinofest Lünen, Bamberger Kurzfilmtage, and Sehsüchte. In addition to her work in fiction, Thiel has explored documentary filmmaking. Her ARTE production The Berlin Patient, which chronicles the first documented case of an HIV cure was awarded the Media Prize by the German-Austrian AIDS Foundation. She later merged documentary and dramatic forms in the acclaimed ZDF docudrama series Die Deutschen, which garnered widespread national and international acclaim. Her first feature-length docudrama, My Dream of Olympia – The Nazi Games of 1936, earned a Silver Medal at the New York Film Festival. Mira Thiel continues to work as a director and screenwriter across comedy, crime, and historical drama—developing projects for cinema, television, and streaming platforms. Her work has been nominated for several prestigious honors, including the Michael Ballhaus Prize, the Jupiter Award, and the Grimme Prize.

She serves on the board of the German Directors Association (BVR) and is a member of Pro Quote.