Elisabeth Staak is a German filmmaker, Fulbright alumna, project director, and writer who holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics, Literary Studies and Film Studies. From 2016 to 2019 she was based in Kansas City, MO and Annandale-on-Hudson, NY where she collaborated as screenwriter, producer, director, cinematographer and editor on various film and theater productions. Since 2019, she has been based in Berlin as project director through which she gained experience in casting, directing and editorial work on many acclaimed television shows and films. From 2018 until now she has been a volunteer for the Goethe Institute’s German for Hire program for which she has been visiting many educational institutions in the United States as an ambassador for German language and culture. In May 2020, she founded the first international film festival in Germany on mental health.