Biography
Johannes Praus is a cinematographer for documentary and fiction films, a freelance photographer and a memeber of the german sociaty of cinematographers BVK. He was born in May 1983 in Dresden, the former GDR. Today he lives and works in Dresden and Berlin. Johannes is Anuuk's dad.
[...] In search for the traces of life, the everlasting surge, that mark us, we stride over huge mountains and through deep valleys. Only to make that visible justifies my existence. [...]
During his studies of cinematography at the Film University Babelsberg ’KONRAD WOLF’, Johannes Praus began receiving prizes and nominations for his work. Among other accolades, he was awarded the Kodak Cinematography Award, while three of his films were selected for the CamerImage Film Festival Bydgoszcz.
He received a diploma with honours in 2013 with his theoretical thesis ’NO RELATIONSHIP IS IMPOSSIBLE’ (‘KEINE BEZIEHUNG IST UNMÖGLICH‘). His graduating film ’BEYOND WRIEZEN’ (‘NACH WRIEZEN’) won the German Grimme-Prize in 2015. From April 2013 to March 2015 he studied as a part of the postgraduate “Meisterschüler” program with Prof. Peter Badel at the Film University Babelsberg.
His feature fiction debut ‘ANYWHERE ELSE’ (‘ANDERSWO’) won the Dialogue en Perspective prize at the 67.Berlinale and the Independent Camera Award at the Int’l Film Festival Karlovy Vary. Further, his documentary work has received numerous accolades, not least ‘TRANSIT HAVANA’ was nominated to the competition at the DOK.fest Munich and the Int’l Film Festival Karlovy Vary and ‘YOU WERE MY LIFE’ (‘DU WARST MEIN LEBEN’) won the Grimme-Prize in 2018 and was nominated for IMAGO – Int’l Award for Cinematography in 2019.
In 2020 he was nominated for the German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) with his work on ‘DRUCK’. A second time in a row he was noiminated for the German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) in 2021, this time with his work on 'HÜTER DER ERDE - HIRTEN IN KIRGISTANS HIMMELSGEBIRGE'.
Beside his cinematic work, Johannes is a freelance Photographer, presenting at a number of solo and group exhibits. In 2018 he published his first photo book ‘SHOULDERED INSTANTS OF A REALITY’ (‘MITGEBRACHTE AUGENBLICKE EINER WIRKLICHKEIT’), followed in 2023 by the second photo book ‘BEINGSFORGOTTEN’ (‘AMVERGESSENE’).
Since 2019 he has also been a freelance lecturer.
Filmography
Cinema - DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE FAMILY APPROACH (2024, director: Daniel Abma)
Herders - guardians of the earth (2023, director: Mark Michel)
WO WORTE NICHT HINREICHEN (2016, director: Josefine Links)
TRANSIT HAVANA (2016, director: Daniel Abma)
BEYOND WRIEZEN (2012, director: Daniel Abma)
AG GEIGE - EIN AMATEURFILM (2012, director: Carsten Gebhard)
ROADCREW (2011, director: Olaf Held)
LISTEN TO THE WORLD (Production, director: Yelizaveta Smit)
CINEMA - FEATURE FICTION
ANWHERE ELSE (2014, Director: Ester Amrami)
TV - FEATURE FICTION
WIR, Season 1, Episodes 9-12 (2021, director: Chris Miera)
DRUCK, Season 7, Episodes 67-70 (2021, director: Chris Miera)
DRUCK, Season 3, Episodes 28-30 (2019, director: Chris Miera)
TV - DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE RECYCLING MYTH (2022, director: Tom Costello & Benedict Wermter)
THE CORNER (2022, director: Christa Pfafferott)
guardians of the earth, Episodes 3-5 (2021, director: Mark Michel)
YOU WERE MY LIFE (2017, director: Rosa Hannah Ziegler)
GESCHICHTE MITTELDEUTSCHLANDS, Episodes 94-97 (2017, director: severel)
DEUTSCHLAND SCHLAGERLAND (2017, director: Arne Birkenstock)
THE LAST REMIX (2015, director: Olaf Held)
FORWARD MOTION (2014, director: Daniel Abma)
TOTEN HOSEN – DIE WOHNZIMMER-JUBILÄUMSTOUR (2012, director: Olaf Held)
SHORT
This long breath, concerning Beate´s shop (2023, DIRECTOR: OLAF HELD)
Simply Devil (2018, DIRECTOR: J. Kürschner & F. Müller)
As Simple as That (2012, DIRECTOR: Karl Hagen-Stötzer)
B-Day (2012, DIRECTOR: Olaf Held)
Herzberg (2012, DIRECTOR: David C. Bunners)
SWAN (2012, DIRECTOR: Henrike Naumann)
Submerged (2011, DIRECTOR: Johannes Leistner)
Roulette Prohlisienne (2011, DIRECTOR: Bernd Kilian)
Der Abschied (2010, DIRECTOR: Bernd Kilian)
AUS DEM MEER (2010, director: Felix Harmuth)
ARMENISCHE FRAGMENTE (2009, director: Holger Wendland)
Ein Toilettenwestern (2008, DIRECTOR: Heiner Heinke, Johannes Praus)
S (POSTPRODUCTION, DIRECTOR: Max Chrambach)
MUSICVIDEO
LIN, Faravaz, Sookee, Hanie – Jin* Jiyan Azadi (2024, Director: Kerstin Polte)
Tristan Brusch – ICH LASS DICH NIE LOS (2018, DIRECTOR: Lewis Llyod)
Tristan Brusch – Hier kommt euer bester Freund (2018, DIRECTOR: Tristan Brusch)
COMMERCIAL
WELLA - FRISEURE BEWEGEN III (2015, director: Ole Wiedemann)
BERLINER MODESALON (2015, director: Ole Wiedemann)
WELLA - FRISEURE BEWEGEN II (2015, director: Ole Wiedemann)
INSTALLATION
What do people do all day, Episode 4 (2022, DIRECTOR: Simon Dybbroe Møller)
What do people do all day, Episodes 1-3 (2020, DIRECTOR: Simon Dybbroe Møller)
Freedom of Movement (2017, DIRECTOR: N. Fischer & M. El Sani)
Awards & Nominations (Selection)
Cinematography Awards & Nominations
2021: German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) – Documentary (nominated) – Hüter der Erde
2020: German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) – TVFilm/Series (nominated) – Druck
2019: IMAGO Int'l Award for Cinematography – Doc Germany (nominated - longlist) – Du warst mein Leben
2014: Camerimage - European Panorama (selected) – Anderswo
2012: Camerimage – Students Etudes Panorama (selected) – B-Day
2011: Camerimage – Students Etudes Competition - Golden Tadpole (nominated) - Opfer
2011: Kodak Film School Cinematography Competition – EAMER (won) - Opfer
2010: Golden Eye – Int. Filmfestival of Cameramen (nominated) – Aus dem Meer, Ein Toilettenwestern
Film awards & nominations
2024: DOK LEIPZIG – National Competition - Golden Pigeon (selected) – A family approach
2022: Grimme-Prize (nominated) – WIR
2020: German Television Award (Deutscher Fernsehpreis) – Best Series (nominated) – Druck
2018: Grimme-Prize (won) – Du warst mein Leben
2016: Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Festival – Doc.Comp. (nominated) – Transit Havana
2016: DOK.fest München – Int.Comp. (nominated) - Transit Havana
2015: Grimme-Prize (won) – nach Wriezen
2014: Karlovy Vary Int'l Film Fest – Independent Camera Award (won) – Anderswo
2014: 64.Berlinale – Dialogue en Perspective (won) – Anderswo
2013: Murnau-Kurzfilmpreis (won) – B-Day
2012: Int'l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam – Students Competition (nominated) – nach Wriezen
2012: DOK Leipzig – National Competition - Golden Pigeon (selected) – nach Wriezen
Scholarships
2021: VG Bild-Kunst (VG Bild-Kunst) – Körpersprache im Bild
2020: Arts Council of the federal state of saxony (Kulturstiftung des Frst. Sachsen) – Helga & Helga
2013: DAAD/German academic exchange program (DAAD/Deutscher Akad. Austauschdienst) – Transit Havana
Photography Exhibits
solo exhibits
2023: AMVERGESSENE, Galerie Alte Feuerwache Loschwitz, Dresden
2022: Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit, Lesezeichen, Dresden
2019: Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit, Magic Mountain, Berlin
2018: Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit, Karl-Liebknecht-Haus, Berlin
2018: Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit, Galerie Made in Wedding, Berlin
2018: Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit, Galerie Alte Feuerwache Loschwitz, Dresden
2013: mining and smelting the or, Zimmertheater, Rottweil
2011: Mensch-India, Ladencafé Aha, Dresden
2011: Mensch-India, Internationales Begegnungszentrum, Dresden
group exhibitions
2012: Realität der Arbeit, Photokina, Köln
2011: mining and smelting the or, int. zeitgenössische Kunstausstellung, Nürnberg
2010: Mariusz von der Achterbahn, int. zeitgenössische Kunstausstellung, Krakau
2008: Kulturerbe: Bewahren!Pflegen!, Dreikönigskirche, Dresden (co. Evelyn Richter)
2008: Kulturerbe: Bewahren!Pflegen!, Weinbergkirche Pillnitz, Dresden (co. Evelyn Richter)
Publications
photobooks
2023: AMVERGESSENE
1st.Edition 333 + 17(specialedition), Hardcover, Triplex
64 pages, 34 Black&White Photos
2018: MITGEBRACHTE AUGENBLICKE EINER WIRKLICHKEIT
1st.Edition 275 + 25(specialedition), Hardcover, Duotone
88 pages, 54 Black&White Photos
Awards Film (all)
2024: DOK Leipzig - ver.di-Preis für Solidarität, Menschlichkeit & Fairness (won) – A FAMILY APPROACH
2024: DOK Leipzig - Gedanken-Aufschluss Preis (won) – A FAMILY APPROACH
2024: DOK Leipzig - film.land.sachsen-Preis für Filmkultur im ländlichen Raum (won) – A FAMILY APPROACH
2024: Horst-Stern-Preis - Bester Naturfilm – Herders - guardians of the earth
2023: Kurzsüchtig – Fiktion (won) – This long breath, concerning Beate´s shop
2023: DEUTSCHER NATURFILMPREIS – NOMINATED – Herders - guardians of the earth
2023: NATUR VISION FILMFESTIVAL – Dt. Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsfilmpreis (won) – THE RECYCLING MYTH
2022: Grimme-Prize - Feature (nominated) – WIR
2022: Ekofilm Brno - Central European Films (won) – THE RECYCLING MYTH
2022: Otto Brenner Preis - 3rd – THE RECYCLING MYTH
2021: German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) - Documentary (nominated) – guardians of the earth
2020: German Camera Award (Deutscher Kamerapreis) - TVFilm/Series (nominated) – Druck
2020: German Television Award (Deutscher Fernsehpreis)- Best Series (nominated) – Druck
2019: IMAGO Int'l Award for Cinematography – Doc Germany (nomination - longlist) – YOU WERE MY LIFE
2019: Rotterdam Film Festival - Tiger Short Film Award (won) – Freedom of Movement
2018: Grimme-Preis (won) – OU WERE MY LIFE
2017: Kurier Romy Akademieaward – Best TV-Doku (won) – Deutschland Schlagerland
2017: Human Rights Film Festival Valencia – Special Mention (won) – Transit Havana
2016: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Doc.Comp. (nomination) – Transit Havana
2016: DOK.fest München – International Competition (nomination) - Transit Havana
2016: GWA EFFI Award (won bronze) – Friseure Bewegen III
2016: Image + Nation, Montreal LGBTQ Filmfestival – Prix du Public (won) – Transit Havana
2016: Verzion Int. Human Rights Documentary Film Festival – Best Human Rights Film (won) – Transit Havana
2016: Cinédoc Tbilisi – Audience Award (won) – Transit Havana
2016: Filmkunsttage Sachsen-Anhalt – Main Award Feature Films (won) - Transit Havana
2016: MIX Copenhagen LGBTQ Film Festival – Lili Award for Best Documentary (won) - Transit Havana
2016: Roze Filmdagen – Jury Award Best Documentary (won)- Transit Havana
2015: Grimme-Preis (won) – BEYOND Wriezen
2015: Short Film Festival Münster – Der große Preis der Filmwerkstatt (won) – FORWARD MOTION
2015: Prix Geneve – Most Innovative TV Fiction (nomination) - ANYWHERE ELSE
2015: Warsaw Jewish Film Festival – Camera of David Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2015: Moscow Jewish Film Festival – Jews Today Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2015: Internationales Filmwochenende Würzburg – Audience Award Feature Film (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2015: Riverrun Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: 64. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin – Dialogue en Perspective (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Karlovy Vary International Film Fest – Independent Camera Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Camerimage - European Panorama (selected) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Augenblick Festival Alsace – The young Jury Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Univerciné Allemand – Audience Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Molodist Film Festival – The Grand Prix – Best Competition Film (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Molodist Film Festival – Special Mention – Economical Jury Audience Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: First Steps Award – Feature Film (nomination) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Studio Hamburg Nachwuchspreis – Best Director (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Fünf Seen Film Festival – Comeptition (nomination) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Favourites Film Festival Bremen – Best Movie (won) – BEYOND Wriezen
2014: Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – FIPRESCI Award (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Sehsüchte Film Festival – Best Feature-Lenght (won) – ANYWHERE ELSE
2014: Jüdisches Film Festival Berlin & Potsdam – Audience Award (won) - ANYWHERE ELSE
2013: Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Foundation – Murnau Short Award (won) - B-DAY
2013: Kasseler Dokumentarfilm- und Videofest – Special Mention (won) – BEYOND Wriezen
2013: Pravo Ljudski Film Festival Sarajevo – Extra Muros Award (won) - BEYOND Wriezen
2013: Cinédoc Tbilisi – International Competition (nomination) - BEYOND Wriezen
2013: Minsk International Film Festival Listapad -Best 1st-2nd Documentary (won) - BEYOND Wriezen
2013: Sehsüchte Filmfestival – Best Feature-Lenght Documentary (won) - BEYOND Wriezen
2013: Sehsüchte Filmfestival – Special mention (won) – As Simple as That
2013: Achtung Berlin Film Festival – Special Mention Ecumenical Jury (won) – BEYOND Wriezen
2013: International Short Film Festival Dresden – Audience Award (won) – Swan
2013: Docudays International Human Rights Doc. FF Kiev – Audience Award (won) – BEYOND Wriezen
2012: Int. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam – Best Student Documentary (nomination) – BEYOND Wriezen
2012: DOK Leipzig – German Competition (selected) – BEYOND Wriezen
2012: Camerimage – Students Etudes Panorama (selected) – B-Day
2012: FIRST Steps Award – Short Feature (nomination) – As Simple as That
2011: Camerimage – Students Etudes Competition - Golden Tadpole (nomination) – Submerged
2011: Kodak Film School Cinematography Competition – EAMER (won) – Submerged
2011: 45. Internationale Hofer Filmtage – Competition (nomination) – Roadcrew
2011: Les Ecrans Documentaires – Sélection Films École et Formation (nomination) – Aus dem Meer
2010: Max Ophüls Filmpreis – Documentary Competition (nomination) - Stadlfreunde
2010: Golden Eye – Int. Filmfestival of Cameramen (nomination) – Aus dem Meer, Ein Toilettenwestern
2008: 5. Neisse Film Festival – Shortaward (won) – Ein Toilettenwestern
Quotations
Wenke Bruchmüller - Berliner Filmfestivals über IM PRINZIP FAMILIE
Timo Landsiedel - Film & TV Kamera - Frugal gefilmt
Feuilleton - Gespräch mit Oliver Reinhard Sächsische Zeitung
BVK Jury - Nominierung IMAGO Int'l Award Cinematography über 'Ab18! - Du warst mein Leben'
Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung RLS über 'Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit'
Feuilleton Sächsische Zeitung über 'Mitgebrachte Augenblicke einer Wirklichkeit'
Jury - Grimmepreis statement über 'Ab18! - Du warst mein Leben'
Dilan Yilmaz Filmrezension über 'Anderswo'
Oliver Reinhard Sächsische Zeitung über 'Transit Havana'
Fritz Wolf Wolf sieht fern über 'Transit Havana'
CW Queer über 'Transit Havana'
Feinfühlig erzählt, wunderbar fotografiert und als Kinoerlebnis montiert
Jury: Filmkunsttage Sachsen-Anhalt über 'Transit Havana'
Jury: MIX Copenhagen über 'Transit Havana'
TRANSIT HAVANA is a well-crafted and beautifully shot documentary. It deserves to be widely seen
Kirsten Kieninger Kino-Zeit über 'Transit Havana'
kinotaugliche Bilder und erzählerisches Gespür
Gregory Ellwood - The Playlist Review über 'Transit Havana'
Steen Müller - filmkommentaren.dk über 'Transit Havana'
a well told character driven, emotional and informational, visually excellent documentary
Thomas Gehringer - tittelbach.tv Artikel über 'Anderswo'
Daphne van Schaijk - Vers Film&TV Artikel über 'Transit Havana'
Monica Meijer - cinemagazine Artikel über 'Transit Havana'
Jury: Grimme Preis über 'nach Wriezen'
Christoph Gröner - FILM & TV KAMERAMANN Interview Johannes Praus
Catherine Newmark - Tip Berlin über 'Anderswo'
Die wunderbar präzise Kamera fängt die interkulturelle Befremdung in herrlichen kleinen Details ein
Jury of FBW über 'Anderswo'
George Robinson - Special To The Jewish Week über 'Anderswo'
Jay Weissberg - Variety über 'Anderswo'
Jury: Perspektive Deutsches Kino - Berlinale über 'Anderswo'
Jury: Sehsüchte über 'nach Wriezen'
Karl Heil - Film & TV Kameramann über 'nach Wriezen'