Sandeep Kumar

Austrian filmmaker of Indian origin Sandeep Kumar lives in Vienna and focuses not only on fictional feature films but also on documentaries which depict exciting life stories. Kumar created the genre 'Austro-Bollywood', a wild crossover between Bollywood and Austria. In 2010 he released the first Austro-Bollywood film 'Kesariya Balam (Love Without Borders)' which received many awards including 'Best Director' and 'Best Film'. 'Servus Ishq' (2014), his second film within that genre, had a nationwide release and was produced by Oscar winning producer Josef Aichholzer. In both movies Kumar was also the lead actor. Since then he writes and makes feature films and documentaries in different genres. Kumar discovered his passion for films through the theatre in India where he shared the stage with Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan at school. During his studies in Germany and USA Kumar shot numerous short films. He attended numerous acting and film workshops and was guest listener in Michael Haneke's class at the Film Academy in Vienna. Kumar is member of the Austrian Film Academy and the Association of Austrian Directors.