Axel Koenzen is a filmmaker, photographer and story editor based in Berlin. He studied photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York and film directing at the German Film and Television Academy (DFFB) in Berlin. Having worked for companies such as Ridley Scott & Associates and Columbia Tristar in Los Angeles, Axel Koenzen has a wide range of professional experience in the fields of film production, in-depth research and content development. His short films Wax and Wane (1999) and Firn (2006) were selected for the Cinéfondation section of the International Film Festival in Cannes. His first feature film Deadweight (2016) premiered in the Forum section of the 66th International Film Festival Berlin and explores the hard working conditions in the international shipping industry. Being trained as an image maker and storyteller, he offers skills in various formats including documentary and fiction film, photojournalism as well as hybrid storytelling.