Vanessa Jopp, born February 28, 1971, in Leonberg started to study economics before she enrolled at Munich"s Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen in 1993. She graduated in 1999 with a film and TV movie diploma. Jopp then made several short films and music videos and became an employee of the comedy programme "Wochenshow". After "Honolulu" (1999), a collaboration with five fellow students, Jopp caused a stir with the adolescent love triangle story "Vergiss Amerika" ("Forget America", 2000), that won the first Steps award among several other awards. Her next film, "Engel und Joe" ("Engel + Joe", 2001), also won several awards. Furthermore, Jopp directed a film for the Bremen branch of the "Tatort“ crime film series, called "Der schwarze Troll", in 2003.

At the 2006 Berlinale, Jopp"s third film "Komm näher" ("Happy As One") premiered in the Panorama section. The closely observed ensemble movie about a series of hugely dissimilar Berlin-based characters and their search for love received rare reviews but failed to succeed at the box office. In 2007, Jopp finished "Meine schöne Bescherung", a star-studded ensemble comedy and a remake of the Swedish success "In Bed With Santa" (1999).