Leonie Stade is a freelance writer, director and producer. She develops and directs both fiction and documentary projects that explore social and political themes from a personal perspective. Born in 1988 in Lindau, Germany, she worked internationally as a fashion model before studying both Directing and Producing at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF), completing both degree programs with diploma. Her short documentary "Two Square Meters of Life" , about the so‒called Cage People in Hong Kong, was nominated for the CNN Journalist Award in 2013. Her second feature‒length film "Mollath – Und plötzlich bist du verrückt" (Director Leonie Stade & Annika Blendl) premiered at Filmfest München, was released in theatres across Germany, broadcast on national television, and widely praised for its social relevance and strong visual storytelling. Her hybrid feature film "All I Never Wanted" (Director Leonie Stade & Annika Blendl) was screened at numerous international festivals including Toronto and Palm Springs, received several awards, and was met with broad critical acclaim. The ZDF event film “Diana's Last Night” (directed by Leonie Stade and Annika Blendl) followed in summer 2022 to mark the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Filming took place in Munich, Paris and London. Leonie Stade is a regular lecturer in the field of moving image at the Munich University of Applied Sciences and in the art department at the HFF Munich.