Stefan Schaefer

A founder of the New York production company Cicala Filmworks, Schaefer's films have premiered and won awards at festivals such as Berlin, the Hamptons, and South by Southwest, and been successfully released theatrically, via cable outfits such as HBO and the Sundance Channel, and on DVD.

In the past six years he has written, directed and/or produced eight feature films, among them MY LAST DAY WITHOUT YOU (2011), FIRST LADY (2011), the Maui-set comedy GET A JOB (2010), THE HUNGRY GHOST (2009), Olaf Johannesson's THE AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT QUEEN RAQUELA (2008), ARRANGED (2007) and CONFESS (2005). On these and other projects, he worked with Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, Ali Larter, Emmy winner Michael Imperioli, Zoe Lister-Jones, William Sadler, Nicole Beharie, Ken Duken, and many more.

In addition to his work at Cicala Filmworks, in 2009 Schaefer founded Silver Shepherd Films with writing and producing partner Christoph Silber (NORTH FACE, GOODBYE LENIN). Silver Shepherd focuses on international co-productions, with their first project being the forthcoming MY LAST DAY WITHOUT YOU.

Recent awards include: Grand Prize for Best Film at the Skip City International Film Festival in Japan (2008), the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival (2008), Best Producer Award at the Brooklyn International Film Festival (2007), Best Film/Audience Awards at the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Washington Jewish Film Festival (2007), Best Screenwriter at the Hamptons Film Festival (2005), Grand Prize in Digital Filmmaking from Panasonic and Apple (2004), and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Screenwriting (2003).

Schaefer and his family split their time between Park Slope, Brooklyn and Haiku, Maui.