Dennis Gansel (born October 4, 1973) is a German film director, screenwriter, and actor.

Gansel was born in 1973 in Hanover, Germany. He grew up in East Berlin and began making films at the age of 17. Gansel worked at film and television festivals and with people with disabilities. During this time he was preparing to apply to film school. He studied at the Munich Film School HFF, where he spent 5 years. Gansel is best known as the director of the film The Wave and his next project, the vampire film We Are the Night, which starred Karoline Herfurth, Nina Hoss, Jennifer Ulrich, Anna Fischer, and Max Riemelt.

In addition to directing, Gansel has also tried his hand at acting. He has had several small roles in his own films as well as in others.

Gansel often casts Max Riemelt in his films and frequently works with editor Jochen Retter and composer/musician Heiko Maile. His favorite director is Sydney Pollack.