Marianne Olsen Ulrichsen

Film director, actor, and writer. Born in 1968. Educated in London and has produced several short films. Originally from Kabelvåg in the Lofoten Islands.

She studied at the National Film and Television School in London, Nordland School of Art and Film, and the Oslo Academy of Theatre. She worked as an assistant director on the feature film *Insomnia* (1995).

Some of her films are aimed at young audiences. Her directorial debut was the short film *Kom* (1995).

Her short film *Som min søster* (2003) won the Best Screenplay Award at the Grimstad Short Film Festival, while *Amasone* (2014) received the Tromsø Palm Award at the Tromsø International Film Festival. It also won the Amanda Award for Best Short Film.

*Amasone* was one of five short films screened in seven cities across Russia under the “Into the Wild” section, sponsored by the *Film fra Nord* program at the Tromsø International Film Festival.

In 2024, she wrote and directed the short film *Pain Threshold*, produced by Mona J. Hoel.

The film was screened at several film festivals in Norway and the Nordic region and won the Young Nordic Award at Nordisk Panorama, an award given by the youngest festival audiences.

Martin Parker (2017, updated in 2024)

Basic Information
– Main Profession: Director
– Date of Birth: 1968
– Active Years: 1995–Present

Filmography
-Director:
Pain Threshold (2024)
Everything Burns (2017)
Amazon (2014)
Meetings Without Love (2002)
Sisters (1999; パイロット版)
Come (1995)

Screenwriter:
Pain Threshold (2024)
Everything Burns (2017)
Amazon (2014)
Like My Sister (2003)
Meetings Without Love (2002)
Come (1995)

Clip:
– Kom (1995)

Assistant Director:
– Loveless Meetings (2002)
– Insomnia (1997)
– Silverin (1992)

Actor:
– Most People Live in China (2001; part of Little Company)
– Insomnia (1997)
– Tracks (1996)

Awards
– Won the Young Nordic Award at Nordisk Panorama 2024 for Pain Threshold.
– Won the Tromsø Palm Award at the Tromsø International Film Festival 2014 for Amasone.
– Won the Amanda Award for Best Short Film in 2014 for Amasone.
– Received the Special Youth Jury Award at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival 2005 for Som min søster.
– Won the Norwegian Playwrights’ Association Manuscript Award at the Grimstad Short Film Festival 2003 for Som min søster.
– Won the Best Debut Award in 2003 for Som min søster and Kom!.
– Won the Best Short Film Award** at Cinema delle Donne in Turin in 1996 for Kom!.

Anita Killi

Animator, Director, Screenwriter, CEO

From 1988 to 1990, she studied illustration and graphic design at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design, then pursued animation and documentary filmmaking at Volda University College. In 1996, she graduated from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts with a degree equivalent to a master’s, specializing in animation (multiplane technique).

She founded and runs her own animation studio, Trollfilm, in Dovre, Norway. She is known for directing and writing several award-winning short films, including The Hedge of Thorns (2001) and Angry Man (2009), the latter being the most awarded film in the world in 2010. In May 2020, she completed a new short film, Mother Didn’t Know, which has been making its way through the festival circuit.

Passionate about bringing difficult themes to the screen for young audiences, she has tackled topics such as children affected by war, depression, and domestic violence. Through animation, she aims to inspire and move audiences. As an idealistic filmmaker, she writes, directs, animates, and produces her films under her own company, Trollfilm. After undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, she is now focusing more on screenwriting and directing.

“I believe that films can and should be more than just entertainment. It is exciting to strive for deeper layers in projects so that we all learn something new. It is reassuring to know that artistic films can also address important issues. Problems should not just be sad or heavy. However, if the audience is moved, it can spark meaningful conversations, create awareness, or lead to new experiences.”

She believes that while many well-crafted animations exist, too often, their content feels trivial. She is particularly excited by grand, lyrical films that progress slowly yet beautifully, allowing the audience space to think. While she has primarily worked on films for children, her works have also deeply impacted adults.

Children are vulnerable and impressionable, so filmmakers have a great responsibility as communicators, messengers, and educators. Unfortunately, high-quality children’s films are often deprioritized compared to the abundance of artistic films made for adults.

Filmography
Mother Didn’t Know (Jeg vil vite mer) – 2020, 11 min, multiplane cutout.

Director & Screenwriter: Anita Killi
Pilot for the Feature Film Christmas Survivors (Jula på Dovre) – 2014, 1 min, multiplane cutout/puppet.

Director & Screenwriter: Anita Killi
Angry Man (Sinna Mann) – 2009, 20 min, multiplane cutout. Based on the book by Gro Dahle.

Director & Screenwriter: Anita Killi
The Hedge of Thorns (Tornehekken) – 2001, 13 min, multiplane cutout. Based on a book by Elzbieta.

Director & Screenwriter: Anita Killi
The King Who Wanted More Than a Crown (Kongen som ville ha mer enn en krone) – 1999, 28 min, animation.

Directors: Anita Killi, Randall Meyers
Screenplay: Lars Saabye Christensen
Far, Far Away (Langt langt borte) – 1997, 4 min, multiplane cutout.

Directors: Natasha Nikitina, Anita Killi
Daughter of the Sun (Lavluashid Aigi) – 1996, 12 min, multiplane cutout. Based on a book by Mari Ailu W. Somby.

Director & Screenwriter: Anita Killi
The Circle (Sirkelen) – 1994, 5 min, painted on paper.

Director & Editor: Laila Løkken
Animator: Anita Killi
The Glass Pearl (Glassperlen) – 1992, 3 min, cutout animation.

Directors & Screenwriters: Anita Killi, Hege Krogvig Bergstrand

Marja Bål Nango

Egil Pedersen

Sigurd Bleken

Sigurd Bleken (1993) is a Danish-Norwegian director hailing from Copenhagen and based in Oslo. He graduated in directing from the Norwegian Film School in 2022. Before that, he studied theology at the University of Copenhagen. His latest short MACHINES (2024) was selected for Zagreb FF.

Meena Rathor

Meena Rathor is an award-winning director with an MFA from Columbia University. After directing commercials in Europe, she moved into fiction. She writes and directs for TV in addition to making short films. Her previous short film, Nora, started its journey in Norway before being screened at festivals worldwide.

Her unique ability to challenge the status quo continues to engage and entertain an audience.

Jakob Márky

Born and raised in the charming city of Gothenburg, Sweden, Jakob is not only a skilled director but also an exceptional writer. His distinctive directorial style marries heartfelt and often humorous storytelling with the meticulously curated Scandi film aesthetic for which he is renowned.

Unsurprisingly Jakob has been named both Sweden’s and Norway’s ‘Best Commercial Director’ at the prestigious Roygalan and Gullbranson ceremonies.

Jakob always has a short film or two on the go and is currently in the throes of crafting his first feature film, a project that has us waiting with bated breath for the cinematic masterpiece that will surely emerge.