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Stephen Manuel was born in 1971 in Dublin, Ireland, but grew up in the Black Forest region of southern Germany. He learned German in kindergarten and spoke English at home with his parents, which often left his friends unsure of what he was saying.
His father frequently took him to the local cinema, as there was no TV at home for a long time. This sparked his passion for film, with favorites including Superman, James Bond, and the Smurfs. Soon, he became curious about filmmaking and began creating short films using the school’s equipment, and at 16, his own video camera.
By 17, he had made several short films and entered one in an amateur film festival, winning first place and igniting his passion for filmmaking. After finishing school, he spent two years working as an intern and then as a production assistant at the only local film production company, while continuing to shoot short films on the side.
Having won multiple short film awards, he began studying directing in 1994 at the renowned Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Immediately after graduating, one of his shorts caught the attention of Germany’s top late-night talk show host Harald Schmidt, who hired him as segment director on the "Harald Schmidt Show." After directing around 100 comedic and parody sketches, he started receiving offers to direct commercials and prime-time action series such as "Der Clown" and "Alarm Für Cobra 11."
In 2001, he directed his first TV movie, "Schwartz & MacMurphy - Die Großstadtsheriffs," an action film for RTL Germany. He then worked on his first international project, directing several episodes of the Canadian sci-fi series "Lexx - The Dark Zone."
In 2002, he directed the slapstick feature film "Der Letzte Lude" for German cinemas.
In 2003, he helmed a Christmas special TV movie for major German network ARD titled "Amundsen The Penguin," a children’s action film featuring a young girl and a penguin.
In 2004, he directed seven episodes of the German comedy series "Axel Will’s Wissen," which received nominations for best comedy series and best actress at the 2005 German Comedy Prize in Cologne.
He followed in 2006 with the comedy series "Spoons" for Pro 7, and then directed five English-language movies for the international TV and DVD market, all released within a few years:
In 2007, "Perfect Hideout," starring Billy Zane, and "Fatal Rescue," featuring Steve Guttenberg.
In 2008, "Lucky Fritz," starring Corey Feldman, and "Shoot The Duke," with Stephen Baldwin.
In 2009, "Iron Doors," starring Axel Wedekind.
Throughout his career, he has also regularly directed commercials, earning several Effie Awards and an ADC Germany award.
