{{short description|American film director}}
{{Infobox person | name = Anna Foerster | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1971}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/foerster-gives-shakespeare-a-modern-edge-1118049914/|title=Foerster: Gives Shakespeare a modern edge|author=Iain Blair|work=Variety|date=February 13, 2012|accessdate=May 23, 2017}}</ref> | birth_place = Germany | occupation = Cinematographer, television director, film director | years_active = 1994–present }}
'''Anna J. Foerster''' (born 1971) is a German-born American film and television cinematographer and director. She is best known for pioneering the use of the ARRI Alexa camera system.
==Career== As a second unit cinematographer, Foerster worked on the films ''Alien Resurrection'' (1997), ''Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever'' (2002), ''Johnson Family Vacation'' (2004), ''The Day After Tomorrow'' (2004), ''Æon Flux'' (2005) and ''10,000 BC'' (2008), also working as a second unit director on the latter four films.<ref name="HD Magazine">{{cite journal|url=http://www.definitionmagazine.com/journal/2011/8/16/renaissance-woman-anna-j-foerster.html|title=Renaissance Woman: Anna J Foerster|journal=HD Magazine|date=August 16, 2011}}</ref>
She was the cinematographer for the visual effects and/or miniature unit on ''Independence Day'' (1996), ''Godzilla'' (1998), ''Pitch Black'' (2000) and ''Stuart Little 2'' (2002).<ref name="HD Magazine"/>
As a director, she directed five episodes of the television series ''Criminal Minds'', an episode of its spin-off ''Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,'' three episodes of ''Unforgettable'', and four episodes of the Starz series ''Outlander''.<ref name="HD Magazine"/>
In 2008, she was reported to be developing ''Secret Hunter,'' based on the Ranulph Fiennes novel ''The Secret Hunters'' (2002).<ref>Mitchell, Wendy (May 19, 2008). [http://www.screendaily.com/anna-j-foerster-to-direct-secret-hunter/4039031.article "Anna J Foerster to direct Secret Hunter"]. ScreenDaily.</ref>
She served as director of photography on ''Anonymous'' (2011) and ''White House Down'' (2013). On ''Anonymous'', she was one of the first directors to use the ARRI Alexa camera system, using a prototype provided by ARRI.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lehane |first=Scott |date=2013-06-21 |title=Foerster and Emmerich Choose Codex on White House Down - M&E - Media and Entertainment |url=https://mande.net/btl/crafts/post-production/foerster-and-emmerich-choose-codex-on-white-house-down |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=mande.net |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fice |first=Alex |title=Renaissance Woman: Anna J Foerster |url=https://definitionmagazine.com/features/renaissance-woman-anna-j-foerster/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Definition |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Foerster made her feature film directing debut with the action horror film ''Underworld: Blood Wars'' (2016).
In 2016, J. J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot hired Foerster to direct ''Lou'', a thriller about a mother trying to recover her abducted child.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mashable.com/article/jj-abrams-to-produce-lou-anna-foerster-to-direct-for-paramount-bad-robot-exclusive|title=Exclusive: J.J. Abrams hires 'Outlander' director Anna Foerster for thriller 'Lou'|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|date=Nov 29, 2016|work=Mashable}}</ref> ''Lou'' would release in 2022.
==Filmography== '''Film''' {| class="wikitable" |+As Cinematographer !Year !Title !Notes |- |2011 |''Anonymous'' |Winner of Lola for Best Cinematography. |- |2013 |''White House Down'' | |} {| class="wikitable" |+As Director !Year !Title !Notes |- |2016 |''Underworld: Blood Wars'' |feature directorial debut |- |2022 |''Lou'' | |} *
'''Television''' {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Episode(s) |- |rowspan=5|2009-2011 |rowspan=5|''Criminal Minds'' | "Cold Comfort" |- | "The Uncanny Valley" |- | "Reflection of Desire" |- | "With Friends Like These..." |- | "From Childhood's Hour" |- | 2011 | ''Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior'' | "Strays" |- |rowspan=2|2011-2012 |rowspan=2|''Unforgettable'' | "Trajectories" |- | "Heartbreak" |- | 2012 | ''Army Wives'' | "The War at Home" |- |rowspan=4|2014-2015 |rowspan=4|''Outlander'' | "The Wedding" |- | "Both Sides Now" |- | "Wentworth Prison" |- | "To Ransom a Man's Soul" |- | 2015 | ''Madam Secretary'' | "Face the Nation" |- | 2018 | ''Jessica Jones'' | "AKA Start at the Beginning" |- |rowspan=2|2019 |rowspan=2|''Carnival Row'' | "Kingdoms of the Moon" |- | "The Joining of Unlike Things"{{efn|Co-directed with Thor Freudenthal}} |- | 2020 | ''Westworld'' | "Genre" |- | rowspan="3" | 2024 | rowspan="3" | ''Dune: Prophecy'' | "The Hidden Hand" |- |"In Blood, Truth" |- |"The High-Handed Enemy" |- |}
==References== {{notelist}} {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.annafoerster.com/index.html}} * {{IMDb name|0283816}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foerster, Anna}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:American cinematographers Category:Film directors from Los Angeles Category:American television directors Category:German women cinematographers Category:German cinematographers Category:American women cinematographers Category:American women film directors Category:American women television directors Category:German emigrants to the United States Category:American visual effects artists Category:21st-century American women