Rupert Henning was born in Klagenfurt in 1967 and is an Austrian freelance writer, actor and film and theatre director. He published his first short stories and poems in magazines and anthologies in 1984. Over the coming years, these were followed by a number of different publications, public readings, stipends and literary awards. After studying and training as an actor in Vienna (with George Tabori, among others) he worked as an actor and director at various theatres around Austria. Since 1991 he has worked on several award-winning projects as a playwright and screenwriter for European TV and film productions. He has written more than 25 screenplays that have been made for cinema or television release, as well as 100 episodes for various TV series. He has also written satirical formats and features for various broadcasters. Henning has worked with artists including André Heller, Herman van Veen, Manfred Deix, Gerhard Haderer and Mnozil Brass, as well as his long-time co-writer for film and theatre projects Uli Brée. His works have appeared at numerous festivals around the world, and he is the recipient of national and international awards as a writer and actor, including the "Förderungspreis zur Josef Kainz-Medaille", "Österreichischer Kleinkunstpreis", the "Nestroy" theatre award, the "Salzburger Stier" award for cabaret, the German Film Critics Association award, the Austrian TV Award for Adult Education in the film category in 2009 and 2011, the Romy for Best Screenplay (three times), Best Movie (once) and Best Satire (once). He has also been awarded prizes at the New York TV Festival, the Seoul International Drama Awards and at film festivals in Shanghai, Monte Carlo, Baden-Baden and Montenegro. From 2005-2011 he was a juror and member of the Project Commission of the Austrian Film Institute and was on the board of the Austrian Directors Association from 2008-2011. He also presented and directed the Austrian Film Award ceremonies in 2011, 2012 and 2013.