Stefan Kruse is a research-based filmmaker and visual artist with a background in graphic design. He holds an MA in Visual Culture & Identity from the The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Design (KADK). Exploring different ways of seeing, Stefan’s work reflects an ongoing research into technical image production, visibility, surveillance and patterns of control. His films have been presented at film festivals such as Visions Du Réel, Courtisane, 25FPS and Festival Dei Popoli. In January 2024 he published his first artist book ’Stefan Kruse A LACK OF CLARITY' with Buchhandlung Walther König. Stefan is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree at Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln.
Education
2020-2024 Postgraduate at Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln
2015-2017 The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts MA, Visual Culture & Identity
2010-2013 Skolen For Visuel Kommunikation BA
Selected Screenings
A Lack of Clarity
2023/3 GLUED AND SCREWED EDITION 7: TRACK - GAZE - RECORD
2023/1 AFTERIMAGE #1 Video Art Program
2022/10 VALDIVIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - NOISY LIGHTS, DARK SOUNDS
2021/12 Festival internacional Signos da Noite
2021/11 Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival BIEFF
2021/11 Istanbul Experimental Film Festival
2021/11 Arktisen Upeeta Festival
2021/10 Cologne Film Festival
2021/10 Courtisane festival
2021/10 Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris - International Competition
2021/10 New Holland Island International Debut Film Festival - Short Film Competition
2021/10 Festival du nouveau cinéma - FNC - LES NOUVEAUX ALCHIMISTES
2021/10 IFFI - International Film Festival Innsbruck - Retrospective
2021/8 Post Design Festival - O U T P O S T
2021/8 FEKK Ljubljana Short Film Festival - Retrospective
2021/8 La Guarimba Film Festival - International Competition
2021/7 Filmfest Dresden - International Competition
2021/6 Short Waves Film Festival - International Competition
2021/6 Vienna Shorts - Expedition
2021/5 SHORTDAYS
2021/5 Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg - International Competition
2021/4 GoShort Film Festival - European Competition
2021/3 Glasgow Shorts Film Festival - No New Normal
2020/11 Kasseler Dokfest - Golden Key Competition
2020/3 Festival dei Popoli - International Short film Competition
2020/3 Kurzfilmtage Winterthur - International Competition (World Premiere)
The Migrating Image
2022/1 Lithuanian Shorts - When The Stories Meet
2020/7 Taiwan International Human Rights Film Festival
2020/6 Helios Film Festival
2020/4 Dresden Film Fest
2020/4 Beirut Shorts
2020/3 International Film Festival of Uruguay
2020/3 La Fête du Court Métrage
2020/3 Art/Doc Festival Tel Aviv
2019/12 Linea D'Ombra Festival
2019/12 Beijing International Shortfilm Festival
2019/11 Heimspiel Film Festival
2019/11 KFFK Cologne
2019/11 l'Alternativa
2019/11 Alcalá de Henares (ALCINE)
2019/11 BIEFF
2019/11 Moviement Film Festival
2019/8 La Guarimba
2019/7 Tabor Film Festival
2019/6 Kino Otok
2019/6 Rex Bern - KOMPLEXE BILDER 4: DE/KONSTRUKTIONEN
2019/6 VIS Vienna Shorts
2019/5 Poznan Design Festiwal
2019/4 Courtisane
2019/4 Go Short - European Competition
2019/4 Tabakalerea
2019/3 Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
2019/3 J'ai Vu Un Documentaire
2019/2 Clermont-Ferrand Festival
2018/12 Global Migration Film Festival
2018/11 Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
2018/11 Signes Du Nuit
2018/11 Festival Dei Popoli
2018/11 Medfilm Festival
2018/9 25FPS
2018/6 Festival De Cine De Madrid
2018/4 Visions Du Réel (World Premiere)
Selected Exhibitions
2022/4 Images en Transit -VISUALITÉ ET CONTRE-VISUALITÉ, France
2019/8 13,700,000km^3 - Art Space Pythagorion, Greece
2018/8 Africa - Rethinking Architecture & Design, Denmark
Awards
2023/6 Sensitivity in Low Light Conditions Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema - Student Jury Special Mention
2021/12 A Lack of Clarity Festival internacional Signos da Noite - Special Mention Cinema in Transgression
2021/11 A Lack of Clarity Istanbul Experimental Film Festival - Best Experimental Documentary
2021/21 A Lack of Clarity Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris - Best International Film
2021/7 A Lack of Clarity FILMFEST DRESDEN - Golden Horseman Short Fiction Film - International Competition
2021/6 A Lack of Clarity Short Waves Film Festival - I Award International Competition
2019/8 The Migrating image La Guarimba - Best Documentary
2019/3 The Migrating image Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg - Winner International Competition
2018/9 The Migrating image 25FPS - Audience Award
2018/9 The Migrating image Signes Du Nuit - Edward Snowden Award
2018/12 The Migrating image Global Migration Film Festival - 2nd place Short film category
Talks, Curation
2023 Film screening+ talk @Post-Graduate Programme in Curating, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
2022 Film screening+ talk, AFTERIMAGE #1 Video Art Program
2022 Programmer, Urban View Competition, Short Waves Film Festival
2022 Film screening+ talk “Kolloquium“ @Department of Film Studies of the University of Zurich
2022 Jury member, International Competition, Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
2022 Programmer, Urban View, Short Waves Film Festival
2021 Jury member, Documentary Competition, IFFI Innsbruck International Film Festival
2021 Talk w Philip Scheffner & Nilgun Bayraktar’ LES IMAGES EN COMMUNS #2
2021 Jury member, International Competition, FeKK
2021 Talk+Film screening, assembly - chronicles of displacement
2021 Talk+Film screening, Ausstellungsraum Klingental
2019 Talk+Film screening, Heimspiel Film Festival
Texts, Articltes & Review
2023 Talking Shorts
2022 Images Secondes - Post-Cinéma. Pratiques de recherche et de création
2021 After Social Network
2021 Instant Kult - FeKK
2021 de Volkskrant
2021 RadioStudent.si
2021 Il Tempo Impresso
2021 Nye Medier
2020 ICA Daily
2020 Routed Magazine
2020 POV International - Billedåret 2019: 10 overrumplende filmiske oplevelser fra året der gik
2019 Ecran Noir
2019 Film Krant
2020-2024 Postgraduate at Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln
2015-2017 The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts MA, Visual Culture & Identity
2010-2013 Skolen For Visuel Kommunikation BA
Selected Screenings
A Lack of Clarity
2023/3 GLUED AND SCREWED EDITION 7: TRACK - GAZE - RECORD
2023/1 AFTERIMAGE #1 Video Art Program
2022/10 VALDIVIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - NOISY LIGHTS, DARK SOUNDS
2021/12 Festival internacional Signos da Noite
2021/11 Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival BIEFF
2021/11 Istanbul Experimental Film Festival
2021/11 Arktisen Upeeta Festival
2021/10 Cologne Film Festival
2021/10 Courtisane festival
2021/10 Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris - International Competition
2021/10 New Holland Island International Debut Film Festival - Short Film Competition
2021/10 Festival du nouveau cinéma - FNC - LES NOUVEAUX ALCHIMISTES
2021/10 IFFI - International Film Festival Innsbruck - Retrospective
2021/8 Post Design Festival - O U T P O S T
2021/8 FEKK Ljubljana Short Film Festival - Retrospective
2021/8 La Guarimba Film Festival - International Competition
2021/7 Filmfest Dresden - International Competition
2021/6 Short Waves Film Festival - International Competition
2021/6 Vienna Shorts - Expedition
2021/5 SHORTDAYS
2021/5 Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg - International Competition
2021/4 GoShort Film Festival - European Competition
2021/3 Glasgow Shorts Film Festival - No New Normal
2020/11 Kasseler Dokfest - Golden Key Competition
2020/3 Festival dei Popoli - International Short film Competition
2020/3 Kurzfilmtage Winterthur - International Competition (World Premiere)
The Migrating Image
2022/1 Lithuanian Shorts - When The Stories Meet
2020/7 Taiwan International Human Rights Film Festival
2020/6 Helios Film Festival
2020/4 Dresden Film Fest
2020/4 Beirut Shorts
2020/3 International Film Festival of Uruguay
2020/3 La Fête du Court Métrage
2020/3 Art/Doc Festival Tel Aviv
2019/12 Linea D'Ombra Festival
2019/12 Beijing International Shortfilm Festival
2019/11 Heimspiel Film Festival
2019/11 KFFK Cologne
2019/11 l'Alternativa
2019/11 Alcalá de Henares (ALCINE)
2019/11 BIEFF
2019/11 Moviement Film Festival
2019/8 La Guarimba
2019/7 Tabor Film Festival
2019/6 Kino Otok
2019/6 Rex Bern - KOMPLEXE BILDER 4: DE/KONSTRUKTIONEN
2019/6 VIS Vienna Shorts
2019/5 Poznan Design Festiwal
2019/4 Courtisane
2019/4 Go Short - European Competition
2019/4 Tabakalerea
2019/3 Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
2019/3 J'ai Vu Un Documentaire
2019/2 Clermont-Ferrand Festival
2018/12 Global Migration Film Festival
2018/11 Kurzfilmtage Winterthur
2018/11 Signes Du Nuit
2018/11 Festival Dei Popoli
2018/11 Medfilm Festival
2018/9 25FPS
2018/6 Festival De Cine De Madrid
2018/4 Visions Du Réel (World Premiere)
Selected Exhibitions
2022/4 Images en Transit -VISUALITÉ ET CONTRE-VISUALITÉ, France
2019/8 13,700,000km^3 - Art Space Pythagorion, Greece
2018/8 Africa - Rethinking Architecture & Design, Denmark
Awards
2023/6 Sensitivity in Low Light Conditions Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema - Student Jury Special Mention
2021/12 A Lack of Clarity Festival internacional Signos da Noite - Special Mention Cinema in Transgression
2021/11 A Lack of Clarity Istanbul Experimental Film Festival - Best Experimental Documentary
2021/21 A Lack of Clarity Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris - Best International Film
2021/7 A Lack of Clarity FILMFEST DRESDEN - Golden Horseman Short Fiction Film - International Competition
2021/6 A Lack of Clarity Short Waves Film Festival - I Award International Competition
2019/8 The Migrating image La Guarimba - Best Documentary
2019/3 The Migrating image Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg - Winner International Competition
2018/9 The Migrating image 25FPS - Audience Award
2018/9 The Migrating image Signes Du Nuit - Edward Snowden Award
2018/12 The Migrating image Global Migration Film Festival - 2nd place Short film category
Talks, Curation
2023 Film screening+ talk @Post-Graduate Programme in Curating, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
2022 Film screening+ talk, AFTERIMAGE #1 Video Art Program
2022 Programmer, Urban View Competition, Short Waves Film Festival
2022 Film screening+ talk “Kolloquium“ @Department of Film Studies of the University of Zurich
2022 Jury member, International Competition, Kurzfilmwoche Regensburg
2022 Programmer, Urban View, Short Waves Film Festival
2021 Jury member, Documentary Competition, IFFI Innsbruck International Film Festival
2021 Talk w Philip Scheffner & Nilgun Bayraktar’ LES IMAGES EN COMMUNS #2
2021 Jury member, International Competition, FeKK
2021 Talk+Film screening, assembly - chronicles of displacement
2021 Talk+Film screening, Ausstellungsraum Klingental
2019 Talk+Film screening, Heimspiel Film Festival
Texts, Articltes & Review
2023 Talking Shorts
2022 Images Secondes - Post-Cinéma. Pratiques de recherche et de création
2021 After Social Network
2021 Instant Kult - FeKK
2021 de Volkskrant
2021 RadioStudent.si
2021 Il Tempo Impresso
2021 Nye Medier
2020 ICA Daily
2020 Routed Magazine
2020 POV International - Billedåret 2019: 10 overrumplende filmiske oplevelser fra året der gik
2019 Ecran Noir
2019 Film Krant