MERLE GRIMME


IS A GERMAN SCREENWRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER


HER INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT CONFRONTS SOCIAL TABOOS, QUESTIONS SOCIAL STRUCTURES, AND SPARKS ONGOING DISCOURSE IN THE MEDIA AND PUBLIC SPHERE. HER GOAL IS TO ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE BY TACKLING INEQUALITIES, DISCRIMINATION, OPPRESSION AND IMPLICIT BIAS THROUGH STORYTELLING.

WATCH

CLASHING DIFFERENCES

ONLINE


 ZDF (Feature Film + Making of)

ARTE (Mini-Series)


CLASHING DIFFERENCES

FILMEMACHERIN MERLE GRIMME ÜBER DIVERSITÄT IN TV UND KINO


EINE STUNDE FILM – DEUTSCHLANDFUNK NOVA

ARD AUDIOTHEK

SPOTIFY




WINNER OF FIRST STEPS AWARD – BIG AUDIENCE AWARD

CLASHING DIFFERENCES


WINNER OF BEST SCREENPLAY – GERMAN CINEMA NEW TALENT AWARD

CLASHING DIFFERENCES

 AT 40TH MUNICH INT. FILM FESTIVAL


WINNER OF THE AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST FEATURE FILM

CLASHING DIFFERENCES

AFRIKA FILM FESTIVAL KÖLN


WINNER OF THE DON-QUIJOTE PREIS – BEST FEATURE FILM

CLASHING DIFFERENCES

QUEER FILM FESTIVAL WEITERSTADT


JURY-AWARD-WINNER OF THE LEGACY STUDY FILM COMPETITION 


WINNER OF THE STARTER PREIS

ASSOCIATION CONNECTED DIFFERENCES E.V.

STUDIENSTIFTUNG DES DEUTSCHEN VOLKES


WINNER OF STARTSOCIAL SCHOLARSHIP  (WITH CONNECTED DIFFERENCES E.V.)


GERMAN ENAGEMENT PRIZE 2021

 NOMINEE


SPEAKER AT THE Z2X PROGRAM – ZEIT ONLINE

YOUNG VISIONARIES 


FORMER SCHOLARSHIP HOLDER 

STUDIENSTIFTUNG DES DEUTSCHEN VOLKES


FORMER SELECTED STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE OF HFF MUNICH


FORMER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AND RESEARCHER

WOMEN'S REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE

HFF MUNICH, 5 YEARS


MERLE GRIMME


Merle Grimme is a Black German screenwriter, director and producer.

She is a graduate of the University of Television and Film (HFF Munich) and previously graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hildesheim.

As a screenwriter, director and producer, she finished her diploma studies at the HFF Munich with the feature film and the eponymous mini-series 'Clashing Differences'.

Both formats are a co-production between a.little film production, Sperl Film- und Fernsehproduktion and HFF Munich, in collaboration with ZDF - Das kleine Fernsehspiel and ARTE.

The feature film had its shared world premiere at the Int. Filmfest Munich (New German Cinema) and the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco. Clashing Differences was nominated in all categories of the German Cinema New Talent Award (Best Director, Best Production, Best Screenplay, Best Performance). Merle Grimme won the Award for Best Screenplay. With the eponymous mini-series, Merle Grimme won the Big Audience Award of the First Steps Awards 2023.


As a producer, she developed an anti-discriminatory and inclusive production concept especially for this project, which has been tested on various levels and implemented in essential parts. This includes, among other things, the establishment of workshops on critical whiteness, empowerment trainings, discrimination-sensitive counselors on the set and a diverse team as well as cast.


Merle Grimme attended various Writers Labs with industry leaders such as Robin Swicord (Women's Writing Lab; Drama), Taç Romey (Drama Series), Robert Krause and Florian Puchert (Rewrite Lab; Drama). Screenwriter, director and producer Robin Swicord is advising Merle Grimme on one of her upcoming projects.


Merle Grimme's other directorial work includes the documentary 'Regretting Motherhood', which was invited to several national/international film festivals and panel discussions.

Her social spot 'Der deutsche Kinderwunsch?", won the jury prize for the ZEIT Legacy Study, was named ZEIT Online best of 2017, and reached more over 500,000 views online.


Merle Grimme's goal is to promote social justice by addressing inequalities, discrimination, and implicit bias. With her interdisciplinary work and political engagement, she confronts social taboos, questions social structures and initiates current discourses in the media and the public. In 2021, she was awarded the Engagement Prize of the German National Academic Foundation and was also nominated for the German Engagement Prize. 

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