Karl Brandstater
- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Karl Brandstater is a first-generation Australian of Austrian, Russian and Portuguese descent. He began his career in film and television as a camera operator and director of photography on foreign-language documentaries across Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia. He soon found his voice as a director, building a career spanning more than 35 years in commercial filmmaking, music videos, and, most notably, nonfiction storytelling. His work gravitates to anthropological themes, exploring the human condition across diverse social and cultural landscapes.
In 2024, Karl's eight-part documentary series Food Sail Love aired on SBS Australia. He remains actively engaged in community-based storytelling, collaborating with Australian First Nations people, The Cancer Institute, BreastScreen, the Department of Communities and Justice, the Department of Environment and Climate Control, and the disability sector.
In 2014, he completed Barinia - Food and People of the Mediterranean, a 16-part international documentary series delivered in HDR 4K, chronicling a seaborne odyssey aboard the vintage yacht Barinia. The series explores cultural traditions and the challenges of hyper-tourism throughout the southern Mediterranean, featuring coastal communities in Italy, the Aegean Islands, southern Turkey, Sicily, Amalfi, Liguria, and the French Riviera. It premiered on Italy's Digicast RCS - Sky Italia, later reaching audiences in Brazil through Globosat Programadora and across Europe via Filmbox SPI International, Spiegel TV Deutschland, and Turkey's TRT. The series was also broadcast in Spain, China, Asia, Canada, and the United States.
Earlier in his career, Karl directed foreign-language documentaries in Eastern Europe and the Russian Far East, including "Vladimir, The Bear Hunter", "Lake Baikal, Splendour of Siberia", and "Vladivostok, The Opening of a Closed City."
Karl remains a passionate community based storyteller that works locally and globally. His craft is known for integrating cinema verity techniques.
In 2024, Karl's eight-part documentary series Food Sail Love aired on SBS Australia. He remains actively engaged in community-based storytelling, collaborating with Australian First Nations people, The Cancer Institute, BreastScreen, the Department of Communities and Justice, the Department of Environment and Climate Control, and the disability sector.
In 2014, he completed Barinia - Food and People of the Mediterranean, a 16-part international documentary series delivered in HDR 4K, chronicling a seaborne odyssey aboard the vintage yacht Barinia. The series explores cultural traditions and the challenges of hyper-tourism throughout the southern Mediterranean, featuring coastal communities in Italy, the Aegean Islands, southern Turkey, Sicily, Amalfi, Liguria, and the French Riviera. It premiered on Italy's Digicast RCS - Sky Italia, later reaching audiences in Brazil through Globosat Programadora and across Europe via Filmbox SPI International, Spiegel TV Deutschland, and Turkey's TRT. The series was also broadcast in Spain, China, Asia, Canada, and the United States.
Earlier in his career, Karl directed foreign-language documentaries in Eastern Europe and the Russian Far East, including "Vladimir, The Bear Hunter", "Lake Baikal, Splendour of Siberia", and "Vladivostok, The Opening of a Closed City."
Karl remains a passionate community based storyteller that works locally and globally. His craft is known for integrating cinema verity techniques.
