Volker Schlöndorff (1939) is a German film director and screenwriter. He is a key figure of the New German Cinema movement. He studied film in France and worked with directors such as Louis Malle and Jean-Pierre Melville. Schlöndorff gained international acclaim with “The Tin Drum” (1979), based on Günter Grass‘s novel. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Known for adapting literary works, his notable films include “Homo Faber” (1991), “Un amour de Swann” (1984) and “Death of a Salesman” (1985). He has received awards such as the “Silver Bear” (Berlin) and the Honorary “Lola” (German Film Award) for lifetime achievement. His style is characterized by attention to historical atmosphere, authentic details, and a skillful combination of realism with symbolic and sometimes surrealistic elements. Often at the centre of his work lies a critique of the social mechanisms of power and the media, as well as an exploration of guilt, fear, and personal responsibility. 

Volker Schlöndorff received The Sofia Award in person on March 9, 2006 during the 10th Sofia International Film Festival. He planted the first tree in the symbolic forest of the Sofia Film Fest in March 2023 in Sofia.