Fabian Stumm (born in 1981) is a German actor and director who studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City.[1][2]
He played a leading role in the 2013 mystery thriller Bela Kiss: Prologue by Lucien Förstner, and appeared in the award-winning Second World War drama Lore by Australian director Cate Shortland. His other credits include Posthumous with Brit Marling and Jack Huston; 56, which was nominated for the prestigious Max Ophüls Award; and the David Foster Wallace adaptation Neon Aura.[3]
In 2009 he joined artist Keren Cytter's performance company D.I.E NOW on their international tour. His next collaboration with Cytter, the two-hander Show Real Drama, met with great success, the Houston Chronicle calling it "intriguing (...) Susie Meyer and Fabian Stumm bring humor, angst, and yes – real drama."[4] The production was invited all around the world from London, Rome and New York City to Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul.[5][6][4]
Stumm wrote and directed his medium-length film debut, Daniel, which was released in 2021. The film was awarded the prize of "Best Medium-Length Film" at the Achtung Berlin Filmfestival in 2022.[7]
His feature directorial debut, Bones and Names (Knochen und Namen), premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival,[8] where it was awarded the Heiner Carow Prize.[2]
His second feature film, Sad Jokes, premiered at the 2024 Filmfest München,[9] where Stumm won the award for Best Director in the German Cinema New Talent program.[10]