Sebastian Strasser

Sebastian Strasser is a German director for advertising and films, born in Transylvania. With over 250 international awards, including 22 Lions in Cannes, multiple Gold at the London IAA, New York Film Festival, D&AD, Eurobest European Advertising Festival, One Show, Clio Awards, Montreux, he is considered one of the most influential creatives of his generation. The Gunn Report has repeatedly listed him among the most awarded directors in the world, and his spot "Kids on Steps" for Volkswagen was elected among the 20 best commercials of the 21st century by the Gunn Report in 2015. His first short film, Happy End, premiered at Berlinale Filmfestival in 2005. In 2015, he founded the production company Anorak, followed by the innovative Studio Lipstick in 2023.

Life Sebastian Strasser's parents and grandparents were theatre actors, and he was on stage by the age of six. After graduating from the German Goethe College in Bucharest, he studied film at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne and subsequently worked at ARD, Germany's first public broadcasting channel, as a writer and journalist for the groundbreaking political TV shows "Zak" and "Privatfernsehen" with Friedrich Küppersbusch.

In 2000, Strasser transitioned to directing commercials and quickly rose to become one of the most influential directors worldwide. His works continue to set benchmarks in creative storytelling and technical brilliance.

In 2005 his first short film, Happy End (with Matthias Schweighöfer and Katharina Schüttler), was shown at the Berlinale film festival.

In 2016 Sebastian and his producing partner Christiane Dressler founded ANORAK, a Berlin-based production company, that ranked Nr. 1 in the creative ranking of the best production company in all years since foundation.

In 2016 Sebastian moved with his family to Los Angeles, where he is represented by Reset Content; his agents for film and television are at UTA: United Talent Agency.

In fall 2018, his dystopian series Darklands was picked up by Warner Brothers and is currently in development (writers room). The eight-episode drama television series, for which Sebastian signs as creator, writer, director and showrunner, is being co-written by Bernd Lange and produced by Ratpack Films.

In 2019 he wrote and directed Apparat: 15 min. short film, starring Ulrich Thomsen and Ayelet Zurer, with cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto. The film is produced by Radical Media and The Mill.

Through his AI studio, Lipstick, he produced a global campaign for Vodofone in 2024 that attracted widespread attention and debate within and beyond the advertising industry.

Works

Selected awards

Gold - Cinematography

Gold - Editing

Gold - Cinema advertising

Silver - Online Films

x3 Silver - Direction, Camera, Casting

Silver Lion - Prod. Design

Bronze Lion - Cinematography

Gold - Direction

Gold - cinematography

Gold - Editing

Gold - Scripted short film

Silver - Single Spot

Silver - Point of Sale

Bronze - Online Film

ADC Award - Direction

Grand Prix Eurobest 2012 London International Awards Silver 2012 Hornbach 'Let there be spring' ADC Silver - Film/Craft Direction Silver - Film/Craft Camera Bronze - Film/Craft Editing Bronze - Music & Sound 2011 Hornbach 'Let there be spring' VDW Germany Gold - Best Director Gold - Best Sound Design 2011 Hornbach 'Let there be spring' London International Awards Silver - Use Of Music 2010 Citroen 'Le Chien' D&AD Gold - Best Director 2010 Citroen 'Le Chien' Cannes International Advertising Festival Silver Lion - Film Craft Bronze Lion - Film / Cars 2008 NSPCC 'Click' London International Awards Silver 2007 Volkswagen 'Dribbling Machine' Art Directors Club Gold 2006 Mini Cooper '30 Seconds' Art Directors Club Gold 2006 IKEA 'Freedom' Cannes International Advertising Festival Silver Lion 2006 IKEA 'Freedom' Shark Awards Gold 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' New York Film Festival Grand Prix Gold - World Medal 2005 Volkswagen 'Windup car' New York Film Festival Silver 2005 Volkswagen 'Windup car' Mobius Gold 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' Cannes International Advertising Festival Bronze Lion 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' Golden Award of Montreux Gold 2005 Mercedes-Benz 'Watering can' Cannes International Advertising Festival Bronze Lion 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' Clio Silver 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' One Show Silver 2005 Volkswagen 'Kids on steps' London International Awards Winner 2004 Volkswagen 'Windup car' Eurobest Gold