{{Short description|German director and filmmaker of nature documentaries}}

'''David Cebulla''' ({{IPA|de|ˈdaːvɪt tseːbʊla|}} born in 1991 in Jena) is a German filmmaker and director of nature documentaries.

== Life ==

=== Early life === David Cebulla studied biology and ecology<ref>{{Cite web |title=Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek |url=https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&cqlMode=true&query=nid=1288901380 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=portal.dnb.de}}</ref> at the University of Jena and conducted dendrochronological research on the climate adaptedness of individual tree species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jetschke |first=Gottfried |last2=Cebulla |first2=David |last3=Frischbier |first3=Nico |last4=Krichler |first4=Thomas |title=Nachgebohrt: Jahrringanalysen zur Klimaangepasstheit von Weißtanne und Fichte |journal=Das Blatt |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=24–25}}</ref> From 2015 onwards, he worked on sets of various film productions, including for the ZDF, Warner Bros.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Cebulla |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9396279/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> and as assistant director for the series teaser of "Azur".<ref>{{Citation |title=Reyst Fantasy Teaser |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teCnFzG_bAU |access-date=2023-05-18 |language=en}}</ref> From 2016 to April 2018, he was social media and artist manager for the wildlife and nature filmmaker Andreas Kieling.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=March 2023 |title=Naturfilmer und Ökologe David Cebulla |pages=34–37 |work=Wildbrücke}}</ref> Since 2019, Cebulla has been a full-time filmmaker.

=== Work as nature filmmaker (2019–present) === Cebulla produces mainly documentaries about nature and wildlife. His films are released on video-on-demand, including Prime Video, Vimeo on Demand, and Pantaray TV, as well as on DVD. He shows his films to audiences and holds presentations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burghardt |first=Armin |date=2023-02-08 |title=In Rastenberg ruft die Mopsfledermaus |work=Thüringer Allgemeine |url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/regionen/soemmerda/in-rastenberg-ruft-die-mopsfledermaus-id237583899.html |access-date=2023-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Auf der Spur der Wildkatze {{!}} Freie Presse - Stollberg |url=https://www.freiepresse.de/erzgebirge/stollberg/auf-der-spur-der-wildkatze-artikel11789463 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.freiepresse.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-08 |title=Orchideen im Saaletal im Fokus |work=Ostthüringer Zeitung}}</ref> In film production, Cebulla uses ecological methods to record wildlife and appears as a protagonist himself.<ref name=":0" /> His own productions are known for featuring only wildlife, but no animals from game enclosures.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Könau |first=Janek |date=2022-07-04 |title=Der Hamsterfilmer |pages=9 |work=BILD Thüringen}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Allgemeine |first=Thüringer |date=2019-11-05 |title=Schön und gefährdet: Den Wildkatzen bei Jena auf der Spur |url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/regionen/jena/schoen-und-gefaehrdet-den-wildkatzen-bei-jena-auf-der-spur-id227562183.html |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.thueringer-allgemeine.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>

In 2016, he made the short film "Hidden Beauty – The Orchids of the Saale Valley," in which he searched for some of Germany's rarest orchid species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Cebulla Fotografie {{!}} Bildstrecke |url=https://wandermagazin.de/slider/19/david-cebulla-fotografie |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=wandermagazin.de}}</ref> In 2020's "The Return of the Wildcat", Cebulla went in search of the European wildcat, documenting genetic evidence as well as rare footage of individuals living in the wild.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Purr and Roar |date=2020-04-14 |title=Sofa Premiere: The Return of the Wildcat |url=https://purrandroar.com/2020/04/14/sofa-premiere-the-return-of-the-wildcat/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, he released the film "Wild Forests," for which he spent a year observing life in forests without any forestry activity and documenting wildlife in its natural habitat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Online-Filmpremiere: Wälder ohne forstliche Nutzung in Thüringen |url=https://www.jenatv.de/mediathek/69505/Online_Filmpremiere_Waelder_ohne_forstliche_Nutzung_in_Thueringen.html |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Jena TV - Sehen, was bewegt. |language=de}}</ref>

By his own account, he is currently working on the to date most extensive film project about the Common hamster.<ref name=":2" /> For "The Last Common Hamsters" he filmed wild common hamsters in Germany, rare black common hamsters,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aschenbrenner_ |first=_Der {{!}} |date=2022-10-16 |title=Landwirt und Filmemacher kooperieren für den Feldhamsterschutz |url=https://www.oscar-am-freitag.de/beitraege-gotha/landwirt-und-filmemacher-kooperieren-fuer-den-feldhamsterschutz/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=OscarAmFreitag |language=de-DE}}</ref> cemetery hamsters in Vienna, hamster breeding for reintroduction in France, small-scale farming in Poland, hamster hunting in Hungary, and common hamsters in the steppes of Kazakhstan.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />

== Filmography (selection) ==

* ''Hidden Beauty – The Orchids of the Saale Valley'' (2017) – director and producer * ''The Return of the Wildcat'' (2020) – director and producer * ''Wild Forests'' (2022) – director and producer * ''The Last Common Hamsters'' (2025) – director and producer * ''The Secret Life of Fox Cubs'' (2026) – director and producer

== Awards (selection) == '''General'''

* 2018: Medal "People 2017" for special cultural achievements in Thuringia<ref>{{Cite web |last=OTZ |date=2018-07-20 |title=Filmemacher aus Jena erfolgreich |url=https://www.tlz.de/leben/vermischtes/filmemacher-aus-jena-erfolgreich-id224402009.html |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.tlz.de |language=de-DE}}</ref> * 2019: Walter Dexel Scholarship from the City of Jena<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-11-28 |title=Walter-Dexel-Stipendium: Der Filmemacher David Cebulla nahm den Preis entgegen |work=Focus |url=https://www.focus.de/regional/jena/jena-walter-dexel-stipendium-der-filmemacher-david-cebulla-nahm-den-preis-entgegen_id_11403590.html?rnd=fa7f13798da323862044ed6de3db14fc |access-date=2023-05-18}}</ref>

'''Hidden Beauty – The Orchids of the Saale Valley'''

* 2018: International Film Competition Nature and Adventure Dortmund – nature film: winner<ref name=":1">{{Citation |title=Verborgene Schönheit - Die Orchideen des Saaletals {{!}} Offizieller Trailer {{!}} Naturfilm Doku {{!}} Jena |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQAZN-GYTk |access-date=2023-05-18 |language=en}}</ref> * 2019: Virgin Spring Cinefest – Film on nature / environment / wildlife: winner (gold)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monthly Selection : JUNE 2019 – VS CInefest |url=https://vscinefest.com/monthly-selection-june-2019/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |language=en-US }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * 2019: International Open Film Festival (IOFF) – Film on nature / environment / wildlife: best award<ref name=":1" />

'''The Return of the Wildcat'''

* 2020: Virgin Spring Cinefest – Film on nature / environment / wildlife: winner (gold)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monthly Selection : APRIL 2020 – VS CInefest |url=https://vscinefest.com/monthly-selection-april-2020/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421185312/https://vscinefest.com/monthly-selection-april-2020/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> * 2020: Nature Without Borders International Film Festival – Wildlife/ nature documentaries: excellence<ref>{{Cite web |title=NWBIFF Fall 2020 Winners |url=https://www.nwbiff.com/NWBIFF_Winners_Fall_2020.html |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.nwbiff.com}}</ref> * 2022: Tulum World Environment Film Festival – Jury's Award Feature Films: Ocean and Wildlife Conservation: winner

'''Wild Forests'''

* 2023: Virgin Spring Cinefest – Film on nature / environment / wildlife: winner<ref>{{Cite web |title=Presse - Naturfilmer David Cebulla |url=https://www.davidcebulla.de/presse/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=David Cebulla |language=de-DE}}</ref>

== References == <references />

== External links == * [https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&cqlMode=true&query=nid=1288901380 Literature of and about David Cebulla] in the German National Library * {{IMDb name|9396279}} * [https://www.davidcebulla.de/en David Cebulla's Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cebulla, David}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:German documentary film directors Category:People from Jena Category:University of Jena alumni