Kerstin Stutterheim

Prof. em. Creative Industries and Artistic Research, Edinburgh Napier University; Dramaturg, Filmmaker

Germany

About

I am a German-British film and media scholar, emeritus professor, and award-winning filmmaker working across artistic research, filmmaking, and dramaturgy. Member of German Film Academy. I have held senior leadership roles including Principal (Rektor) of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (KHM), Associate Dean Research and Innovation at Edinburgh Napier University, and Founding Director of the Institute for Artistic Research at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. I currently teach Narrative Design and Dramaturgy in the Game Design programme at HTW Berlin. My international teaching and speaking engagements include invitations to institutions in Canada, China, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and Bangladesh. With over 25 years of experience in higher education in Germany and the UK, my work spans film and media studies, photography, games, interdisciplinary artistic research, and environmental humanities — including long-standing collaborations in plant humanities and ecological research in the context of climate change. I am also active as visual artist and author. Alongside my academic career, I have worked extensively as a dramaturg, editor, script coach, and supervisor. I am particularly engaged in dramaturgical consulting for poetic documentary film and regularly lead workshops for filmmakers, editors, commissioners, and students. I have served as reviewer and advisor for major funding bodies and organisations including AHRC, the British Council, DAAD, and DFG, and as series editor with Peter Lang Publishing. My publications focus on dramaturgy across media, including work on narrative structures in contemporary television (e.g. Game of Thrones). As a filmmaker, I have produced independent documentary films that have received multiple international awards. For more information: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5243-616X, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0836488/ Kurzprofil Deutsch Deutsch-britische, vielfach international ausgezeichnete Filmemacherin und emeritierte Professorin für Film- und Medienwissenschaft mit über 25 Jahren Erfahrung in Lehre und Forschung. Besonders ausgewiesen in der dramaturgischen Beratung, insbesondere im Bereich des poetischen Dokumentarfilms. Langjährige Tätigkeit als Dramaturgin, Lektorin, Script Coach und Supervisorin, sowie eigene künstlerische Projekte. Lehrt Narrative Design und Dramaturgie (u.a. im Game Design) und gibt Workshops für professionelle Filmemacherinnen, Editorinnen, Redakteur*innen und Studierende mit Fokus auf Struktur, Erzählweise und künstlerische Entwicklung.

Experience

  • Edinburgh Napier University; (4 yrs 11 mos)
    • Prof. em.; Dramaturg; Filmmaker;
      Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

    • Professor in Creative Practice
      Sep 2021 - Dec 2025 · 4 yrs 4 mos

  • Rektorin derKunsthochschule für Medien at - KHM - Academy of Media Arts Cologne https://www.khm.de/home/
    Apr 2020 - Aug 2021 · 1 yr 5 mos

  • Bournemouth University (4 yrs 8 mos)
    • Professor of Media and Cultural Studies
      Sep 2015 - Apr 2020 · 4 yrs 8 mos

      Professor Director, Center for Film & TV research PhD supervisor Tutor

    • Dramaturg, Author, Professor; Dramaturgy, Film and Cultural Studies
      Sep 2015 - Apr 2020 · 4 yrs 8 mos

    • Dramaturg, Filmemacher, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies
      Sep 2015 - Apr 2020 · 4 yrs 8 mos

  • Visiting Professor at HTW Berlin
    Sep 2014 - Apr 2020 · 5 yrs 8 mos

    Teaching Narrative Design, History of Narration and creative writing for Game Design

  • Co-Regie und Co-Produktion at Stutterheim&Bolbrinker GbR
    Mar 2014 - Mar 2017 · 3 yrs 1 mo

    The Goldberg-Condition. More to see than to be seen. Documentary Die Goldberg-Bedingung. Mehr sehen als man sehen kann. Dokumentarfilm, D 2017, 80 min