Prof. Jan Martin Scharf

Professors

Portraitfoto von Jan Martin Scharf, Professor für Serial Storytelling an der ifs
© Fotostudio Süd

Prof. Jan Martin Scharf

Professor Serial Storytelling
Professors

Screenwriter, Showrunner und Director, a. o. ALPHAMÄNNCHEN, BARBAREN, WEINBERG (a. o. Grimme-Preis), CLUB DER ROTEN BÄNDER (a. o. Int. Emmy Award, Deutscher Fernsehpreis)

Phone
+49 221 920188-0
E-Mail
Email

Vita

Jan Martin Scharf graduated in film studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne in 2004. He received scholarships from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW to study at the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing in Warsaw and from Nordmedia to attend the Drehbuchwerkstatt Niedersachen, where he was trained as a European script consultant by Philipp Parker. Since then, he has been working as a freelance screenwriter, director, and showrunner (mostly in collaboration with co-writer Arne Nolting). In addition to numerous episodes of »Tatort«, he has developed series such as »Friesland«, »Wild Republic«, »Rampensau«, and »Alphamännchen«. His greatest successes to date include »Weinberg«, »Club der roten Bänder« (both awarded the Grimme Prize), and »Barbaren«.

 

Filmography

Showrunner

2024/25  ALPHAMÄNNCHEN

Series, 8 x 30 Min., Creator / Director / Showrunner with Co-Author Arne Nolting

2019  BARBAREN

Series, 6 x 45 Min., Creator / Showrunner with Co-Author Arne Nolting

2018  RAMPENSAU

Series, 10 x 45 Min., Creator / Showrunner with Co-Author Arne Nolting

a. o. Finalist Best Scripted Series C21 Media

2015  WEINBERG

Series, 6 x 45 Min., Creator / Showrunner / Director with Co-Author Arne Nolting

Grimme-Preis, Spezialpreis Drehbuch and Konzept Beste Serie; Nomination Deutscher Fernsehpreis, Beste Serie

Screenplay (Selection)

2025  TATORT – ALLES ANDERS (AT)
2024  TATORT – PYRAMIDE
2022  TATORT – SPUR DES BLUTES
2019  TATORT – TIEFER STURZ
2018  TATORT – ALLES WAS SIESAGEN

TV Movie (Co-Author Arne Nolting)

2021  WILD REPUBLIC

Series, 8 x 45 Min., Creator with Co-Author Arne Nolting

2019  DIE BESTATTERIN – DER TOD ZAHLT ALLE SCHULDEN

TV Movie (Co-Creator and Co-Author Arne Nolting)

2019  Club der roten Bänder – Wie alles begann

Motion Picture (Co-Author Arne Nolting)
 

2015-2017  CLUB DER ROTEN BÄNDER

Series, 28 x 45 Min., Creator / Headwriter with Co-Author Arne Nolting; Season 3, also Director

a. o. Int. Emmy Award Season 2; Nomination Rose d’Or Staffel 2; Deutscher Fernsehpreis Season 1 and 2, Beste Serie; Deutscher Fernsehpreis, Nomination Bestes Drehbuch; Robert-Geisendörfer-Preis; Grimme-Preis Season 1

2016  WILSBERG – IN TREU UND GLAUBEN
2015  WILSBERG – BITTERE PILLEN
2014  WILSBERG – NACKT IM NETZ
2013  WILSBERG – TREUETEST
2011  WILSBERG – FRISCHFLEISCH

TV Movie (Co-Author Arne Nolting)

2015  FRIESLAND – FAMILIENGEHEIMNISSE
2014  FRIESLAND – MÖRDERISCHE GEZEITEN

TV Movie (Co-Creator and Co-Author Arne Nolting)

Director (Selection)

2020  TATORT – DER REIZ DES BÖSEN

TV Movie (also Screenwriter; Co-Author Arne Nolting)

2019  VÄTER ALLEIN ZU HAUS – GERD
2019  VÄTER ALLEIN ZU HAUS – MARK

TV Movie (also Screenwriter; Co-Author Arne Nolting)

2016  NACKT. DAS NETZ VERGISST NIE

TV Movie

a. o. Nomination 3sat-Zuschauerpreis, Fernsehfilm-Festival Baden-Baden

2013  DESSAU DANCERS 

Motion Picture

Premio Enfants terribles, Int. Filmfest Gijon, Spanien (Publikumspreis), Nomination Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino, Filmfest München

2004 WAHRHEIT ODER PFLICHT

Motion Picture (also Screenwriter; Co-Author und -Director Arne Nolting)

a. o. Bester Film, Studio Hamburg Nachwuchspreis; Best First Feature, Cinequest Film Fest San Jose, USA; Publikumspreise at Festivals Lünen, Emden, Mainz

»Storytelling means deciding. For a character, for a conflict – or perhaps for more than one? For suspense or surprise? For lucid clarity or better just subtle hints? For dramatic structure or for associative journeys through worlds of feelings and thoughts? Are these even contradictions? How do you decide these and many other questions when you want to offer your audience exciting, touching, funny, sad, and, ideally, unforgettable stories? After 25 years of working as a professional film and series storyteller, I feel honored to further deepen my insights on this topic with my colleagues and students at the ifs«.

Jan Martin Scharf

Professor Serial Storytelling

MA SERIAL STORYTELLING