Biography

Born 1966 in Crowborough, England, Rolf Gibbs grew up in Indonesia and New Zealand. At eighteen, Gibbs embarked on a successful 10-year career as a fashion photographer while living in Paris, London and Berlin respectively. In 1996 he applied to NYU's Graduate Film Program at TISCH in New York. His first student film Whacked! (5 mins.) became one of the most successful short films of recent years. The film was in competition at SUNDANCE in 1998, and won numerous awards at 40 film festivals in over 20 countries - including a SPECIAL JURY PRIZE from the 1997 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL, and the GRAND PRIZE at DEAUVILLE (France, 1998), among others. To date, Whacked! has been sold to television in 13 countries.

Upon leaving NYU, Gibbs was commissioned by ARTE to direct e-male, a 23-minute short film made in London and broadcast on German and French television.

Rolf Gibbs' third short film, The Last Guy to Let You Down (12mins.), began as a student documentary assignment for film school, but was re-edited over a period of one and a half years. The Last Guy to Let You Down had it's world premiere at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, in January 1999, the second consecutive year that Gibbs has had a film in competition at that festival. "The Last Guy " has won Best Film and Best Documentary Short Awards at numerous festivals worldwide.

Rolf Gibbs' short, "G", is the third consecutive film to premiere at Sundance. The film was awarded an Honorable Mention by the Sundance 2000 jury.

He has been invited to serve as a judge at two festivals: the 1998 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL, BERLIN, and at the 1998 AMSTERDAM SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.

Filmography

Whacked!
(1997, Narrative, B&W, 5 min.)

e-male
(1998, Narrative, Color, 23min.)
Commissioned by ARTE for television

The Last Guy to Let You Down
(1999, Documentary, B&W, 12 min.)

G
(2000, Experimental, Color, 5 min)

Awards/Distinctions

ACADEMY AWARDS, Los Angeles, March 2000

Qualification for OSCAR nomination for Best Documentary Short

SXSW (South by Southwest Film Conference): Austin, Texas, March 1999 - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

OBERHAUSEN International Short Film Festival: Germany, April 1999 - AUDIENCE AWARD

FLORIDA Film Festival: USA,

June 1999 - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

ONE REEL FILM FESTIVAL / BUMBERSHOOT, Seattle,

September 1999 - BEST FILM AWARD, $1000.00

HAMPTONS International Film Festival, New York,

October 1999 - GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD $2500.00

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ASSOCIATION, Los Angeles, October 1999 - NOMINEE FOR 1999 DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

BERLIN 47th International Film Festival, Germany,

February 1997 - PANORAMA SPECIAL JURY AWARD / WORLD PREMIERE

DEAUVILLE: 24th Festival of American Film, France, September 1998 - GRAND PRIZE - BEST SHORT FILM

SEHSUCHTE International Student Film Festival, Germany, May 1997

  AWARD 1.: AUDIENCE AWARD

  AWARD 2.: "FRITZ" BEST FILM AWARD

REELTIME Internet Film Festival (TIME/WARNER)

May 1998 - 1ST PRIZE: DRAMATIC SECTION