Directory Profile

PETRA HAFFTER is an award-winning director, producer and screenwriter whose work has been recognized in both the US and Europe, including a “Silver Bear” at the Berlinale, a “Special Jury Prize” at the International Festival of Fantastic Films in Yubari (Japan) presented by Robert Wise, and many more for her outstanding work in both fields: fiction and documentary. In 2024, Petra’s and Karin Howard’s screenplay A SUMMER ON THE MOON was nominated for the LA Independent Women Award.

A working filmmaker for 30+ years, Petra started with producing German and European Co-productions such as RED KISSES, KARNABAL and BANANA PAUL. She has directed movies like The KISS OF THE TIGER and A DEMON IN MY VIEW. She has created documentary mini-series like THE COLORS OF THE DESERTS, ROCKS OF AGES and IN SEARCH OF AMERICA. She shot for History Channel THE EGYPTAN BOOK OF THE DEAD and served for Warner Int. as one of the directors for their action/adventure series ROBIN HOOD. For German TV stations she directed numerous thrillers, mysteries, crime stories, dramas and Coming of Age. Among them some of the longtime running, famous format TATORT. Petra has produced, directed and/or written more than 100 films and shot in more than 20 countries around the world. In addition to screenplays, she also wrote radio shows, articles and contributed to anthologies.

Petra started her teaching career at the DFFB, Berlin and had guest taught in Accra ,Ghana, Mexico City and South Korea. She had implemented and chaired the MFA program for documentaries at NYFA. Petra is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts where she taught directing in 2001/2002 and again since 2015.