Willy Hans was born in 1982 in Freiburg im Breisgau. In 2009, he began studying film at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts (HfbK), where his teachers included Angela Schanelec and Wim Wenders. During his studies, Hans co-founded the artist collective Spengemann Eichberg Goldkamp Hans in 2014. By the time he graduated in 2016, he had already made several short films, some of which received awards. His film "Das satanische Dickicht – EINS" ("The Satanic Thicket – ONE," 2014) earned him the Best Director Award at the Poitiers Film Festival. "Das satanische Dickicht – ZWEI" ("The Satanic Thicket – TWO," 2015) and "Das satanische Dickicht – DREI" ("The Satanic Thicket – THREE," 2018) were both nominated for the German Short Film Award. His 20-minute short "Was wahrscheinlich passiert wäre, wäre ich nicht zuhause geblieben" ("What Probably Would Have Happened If I Hadn't Stayed at Home," 2020) premiered at the Venice Film Festival. 

In August 2023, Willy Hans shot his first feature-length film, the coming-of-age story "Der Fleck" ("Skill Issue"). The film premiered at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention from the jury. At the Czech Ostrava Kamera Oko Festival, "Der Fleck" was awarded the Grand Prix for Cinematography (Paul Spengemann). The film was released in German cinemas in July 2025.