* 1955 in Berlin, GDR/Germany

Thomas Heise trained as a printer before he started to work as an assistant director at the DEFA Studio for Feature Films in Potsdam-Babelsberg in 1975. Parallel to his work at the studio he completed his secondary education, so that he could study at the Academy of Film & Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg 1978-1983. His first film, the documentary WHY A FILM ABOUT THESE PEOPLE (WOZU DENN ÜBER DIESE LEUTE EINEN FILM) - produced entirely with materials bought on the black market - was banned from public screening. Heise broke off his studies. 

Since 1983 he has worked as a free-lance writer and director in the areas of theatre, audio drama and documentary. Until the end of the GDR all his documentary efforts were however either blocked, destroyed or confiscated. Heise found an artistic home at the theatre, where he cooperated closely with author and director Heiner Müller. Between 1987 and 1990 Heise acquired his MA at the Berlin Academy of Fine Art. He was a member of the Berlin Ensemble until 1997, where he acted as contributing director for a number of productions. He was teaching as a Professor for Film and Media Art at Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design 2007-2013.

Since 2013 he is working as a Professor for Art and Film at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Austria. 

Since 2018 he is the director of the Film and Media Arts section at the Academy of Arts Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany.