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Simon & Paul signs director Vanessa Stachel
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The Hamburg-based commercial production company adds one of Germany's most exciting emerging directors to its roster for representation.
Commercial production company Simon & Paul has signed director Vanessa Stachel exclusively for the German market.
Currently ranked No. 1 at the Young Ones 2026 by the One Club for Creativity, Stachel joins the Hamburg-based production company's roster effective immediately. The signing marks the beginning of a collaboration both parties have been working toward for some time.
Stachel studied directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Her work is defined by a distinctive visual language: precise in composition, emotional in impact and uncompromising in perspective. What sets her apart from many emerging directors is her ability to tell a story through a single image, without a word needing to be spoken. For Simon & Paul, her No. 1 ranking at Young Ones 2026 is not what led to the signing. It is simply confirmation of what they already knew.
"Vanessa's work is intelligent, playful and visually extraordinary. That is exactly what makes her such a compelling young director.“ said Tobias Paul, Executive Producer & Managing Director, Simon & Paul.
Later this year, her graduation film The Nymph, a branded short produced for a global NGO as part of her studies at the Filmakademie, is set for release. At the same time, Stachel is already developing her next project, which explores the theme of Female Rage. Both works are likely to bring her even greater attention in the months ahead.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Simon & Paul family. Storytelling and craft are taken seriously here, and I know that with such a strong production company by my side, I can tell stories that are both relevant and compelling.“ adds Stachel.
