Frédéric Hambalek was born on February 17, 1986, in Karlsruhe. From 2007 to 2014, he studied Film Studies and American Studies at the University of Mainz, gaining his first practical experience in filmmaking during this time. In 2013, he began directing short films, starting with his debut "Zu dritt" ("The Three of Us," 2013), a love triangle story that was screened at the Frankfurt Film Festival Lichter. His eight-minute mountaineering thriller "Bergfieber" ("Mountain Fever," 2016) was shown at the Landshut Short Film Festival, while his five-minute mystery experiment "Im Wald" ("In the Woods," 2017) was presented at the Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol, England.

Hambalek made his feature film debut with "Modell Olimpia" ("Model Olimpia," 2020), which follows a mother’s desperate attempt to free her adult son from his obsessive violent fantasies—an effort that soon spirals out of control. The film premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia) and was featured at several other festivals.

As a screenwriter, Hambalek has worked on multiple television productions, including the crime drama "Der Polizist und das Mädchen" ("One Man's Happiness," 2018, directed by Rainer Kaufmann), the thriller "Jackpot" (2020, directed by Emily Atef), and the mother-daughter drama "Der neue Freund" ("The Boyfriend," 2023, directed by Dustin Loose).

His second feature film, "Was Marielle weiß" ("What Marielle Knows"), earned him a spot in the competition at the 2025 Berlinale. The film tells the story of a teenager, played by Laeni Geiseler, who suddenly develops telepathic abilities, allowing her to see and hear everything her parents do.