Biography


Romana Carén is an award-winning filmmaker, actress and vocal coach from Vienna, Austria. 
Romana has been working in theatre, film and TV since the age of eight. After graduating from Camillo Sitte Higher Technical College in Structural Engineering she studied Law and Astronomy at University Vienna.

Romana was trained as an actress at Actors Studio Pallas in Vienna and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. 
Her theatre credits include the prestigious  Burgtheater, Theater in der Drachengasse, MuTH, Das OFF-Theater in Vienna as well as the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre in London. She played the title role in Roland Schimmelpfennig´s Alice im Wonderland in Vienna, Erna in The Enchantment, Stephanie in the German premier of Alt genug (The Age of Consent), the mayor´s wife in Mädchen in Uniform (Girls in Uniform), Anastasia in Glückskämpfer (Fighters for Happiness), Emilia in Wintervögel (Winter birds),  Eva, Elena, Maria and  C in Sein oder nicht seine (To be or not to be), Maria in Viva La Diva and Valerie in Planet der Erdmännchen (Planet of the meerkats).
Her film and TV credits include Universum History: Margarethe Ottillinger - die Frau, die zuviel wusste, Heartbeat, Where the Wild Rosés Grow, Baa Baa Black Sheep, SOKO Donau, Carlos, The Pillars of the Earth and Jud Süß.

Romana trained singing with Dean Kaelin, Rocio Guitard, Greg Enriquez, Dave Stroud und Seth Riggs. In 2003 Romana was Austria´s first certified Speech Level Singing Instructor. However,  in order to expand her method based on insights she learned from other functional singing methods and to focus on other projects she has laid down her SLS-membership.
Besides teaching numerous students in her own studio, Romana has tought at the prestigious  Acting Academy Elfriede Ott and the Drama College. She is regularly invited to hold workshops at international institutions.

As a filmmaker her main focus is on writing and directing short and feature films, TV and web series.
Romana studied film (writing & directing) at the London Film Academy, and graduated with a Master of Arts from University of Staffordshire (Raindance Postgraduate Degree in Film). ​Since 2021 Romana has been working on her PhD undertaking the practice-led research doctoral training program at DeMontford University, Leicester, UK.
Romana has been collaborating with production companies such as Bad Motel Movies , Das Rund, R& Film, Stark Films, Cachinnatus Pictures  and  Independent Works.

Her short films Make A Wish (2010), Where the Wild Roses Grow (2011) and Heartbeat (2012) were all shown at the Cannes Film Festival (2011-2013). Further, Heartbeat (2013) was in the program of the Raindance Film Festivals 2014.
Her film No Mother (2021) has been successfully making the rounds in the international film festival circus garnering her with Best Picture/Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actress awards.
​One of her next directorial efforts,  the experimental film Nüt Nothing Nichts Kahich Nahi Nanimonai (2022) is a collaboration with renowned Swiss director Hanspeter Horner, followed by another film that is about to be completed, It Could Have Been Me (2022).
Since 2016 Romana has been a  module leader, academic advisor and mentor for Raindance´s Postgraduate Degree in Filmmaking  (DeMontford University, UK).

Romana is married and mother of two wonderful sons.

For more detailed information see Romana's CV on this website and visit Imdb.com or Castforward