Teemu Nikki

An experienced, prolific, self-taught, and award-winning filmmaker, he is the son of a pig farmer from Sysmä, Finland. Nikki’s style is best described as unapologetic political satire with a deep sense of goodwill toward humanity.

His latest work, The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, won the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival. Other notable works include Nimby (2020), Euthanizer (2017), and the TV series Mister8 and Mental (both released in 2021). He is currently working on the feature film Death is a Problem for the Living, which is in post-production.

Filmography
2022 Tuurikki (14 min)
2021 The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (82 min)
2021 Mental 3 (8 episodes)
2021 Mister8 (8 episodes)
2020 Nimby (94 min)
2019 All Inclusive (14 min)
2018 Mental 2 (10 episodes)
2018 The Cleaner (16 min)
2017 Euthanizer (83 min)
2016 Mental (10 episodes)
2016 The Log (7 min)
2015 Lovemilla (96 min)
2015 Fantasy (10 min)
2014 Boobs (17 min)
2014 #lovemilla 3 (20 episodes)
2014 #lovemilla 2 (24 episodes)
2013 #lovemilla 1 (26 episodes)
2012 Simo Times Three (86 min)

Nilas Røpke Driessen

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

nin cup

Marja Bål Nango

Egil Pedersen

Liselotte Wajstedt

Arisa Wakami

A Japanese animation artist. Born in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture. Currently residing in Tokyo. A board member of the Society of Japanese Animation, a member of the International Animated Film Society, a member of the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Japan Society for Animation Studies. He is a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Zokei University and a lecturer at Joshibi University of Art and Design.

He specializes in stop-motion animation, primarily using sand animation, but also creates animations using a variety of materials, including stop-motion footage of babies, and works in a wide range of stop-motion animation formats. His animations have been screened and awarded at film festivals both in Japan and abroad. His 2015 film, “Birth: Weaving Life,” won numerous awards, including the Outstanding Planning Award at the Eibunren Awards, the Grand Prix at the Nishitokyo Citizens’ Film Festival, the Miyagi-Sendai Animation Grand Prix, and the Best Director Award at the Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival 2016. In 2017, his second installment, “Birth: Dancing Life,” was completed and won the Excellence Award at the Eibunren Awards 2017, as well as the i Award and Individual Award. In 2020, the third installment of the Birth series, “Birth: Circling Life,” was completed and won the Grand Prix in the Animation category at the Fukui Film Festival, the Grand Prix at the 2nd Ishigaki Island Shonan International Documentary Film Festival, and the Aichi International Women’s Film Festival 2020 Audience Award in the Animation category.

It was nominated for the Mainichi Film Awards Animation Film Award and the Ofuji Noburo Award, garnering much attention.

He directed the animation portion of “Prison Circle,” a feature-length documentary film directed by Kaori Sakagami, released in January 2020, which won the 2020 Agency for Cultural Affairs Film Awards Cultural Documentary Film Grand Prize. The sand-painting animation, depicting the inmates’ pasts and mental landscapes amid footage shot inside a prison, was highly praised.

Hironori Ide

Representative of Studio DU (http://www.studiodu.com/) and Imacoco Co., Ltd. (Living Here and Now)
Born in Saga Prefecture in 1968.
A graduate of Tama Art University’s Department of Japanese Painting, he is currently a filmmaker. Leveraging his drawing skills, he worked on numerous major films since the 1990s, focusing on matte painting, a special effects genre still rare in Japan at the time. Although he dropped out of the industry, various connections led him back to the film industry with the revival of the Ultraman TV series as a founding staff member.
In 2004, by chance, he founded Studio DU, embarking on the mission of helping to broaden the possibilities of digital imaging across the industry.
A year after its launch, he discovered his life’s work, and currently manages Studio DU and its parent company, Imacoco Co., Ltd., while feeling, thinking, and experiencing the theme of his life’s work: “Life and Circulation.”

Born February 28, 1968 in Hatazu, Imari City, Saga Prefecture.
Graduated from Tama Art University, Department of Painting, majoring in Japanese painting, in 1990.
While a student, he was selected for the Nitten Exhibition for the first time in 1989, and again the following spring.
While still a student, he worked part-time on film production, and his work “The Sea of ​​Wandering” won a Japan Academy Special Award.
This marked his entry into the world of film and video production, a field he had been interested in since childhood. In 1991, he joined the Special Effects Division of IMAGICA Corporation.
As a special effects artist and matte painter, a field almost unheard of in Japan at the time, he participated in a variety of projects, including “War and Youth” (1991: directed by Tadashi Imai, starring Yuki Kudo) and “Sumito Kitan” (1992: directed by Kaneto Shindo, starring Masahiko Tsugawa). He left the company in March 1993.

April 1993: Started working as a freelance matte painter.
After leaving IMAGICA, he continued to work on films and television programs, including “The Idiot” (1999: Directed by Makoto Tezuka, starring Tadanobu Asano), “Spy Sorge” (2003: Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, starring Iain Glen),
and the “Ultraman” and “Godzilla” series.
He has been involved in the creation of many works.

April 2004: Appointed Representative of Studio DU.
While working as a matte painter, he also served as an opinion leader for creators, participating in the development of Panasonic’s professional equipment (especially digital video cameras) and providing technical support for various challenges and on-site requests in video production.
He also directs and produces independently planned productions.

April 2005: Launch of the “Exciting Video School” project. Aimed at junior high school students in Imari City, Saga Prefecture (Ide’s hometown), the project involves students creating videos on their hometown of Imari as a way to promote information dissemination, regional revitalization, and the environment. From then on, this series of video production classes was named “Exciting Video School.”

Six films were screened at the 2008 Akira Kurosawa Film Festival.
This led to positive reviews, with the students’ work being used in a promotional video for Saga Prefecture.
Additionally, the group participated in the “Clouds Above the Hill” project in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, producing a film with local junior high school students.
In 2009, a total of 42 local elementary school students presented a film at the Tokatsu Film Festival, co-hosted by Kashiwa City and Nagareyama City in Chiba Prefecture. The one-day screening at the local cinema was sold out, and the film was recognized as a driving force for regional revitalization.
Their educational outreach continues into 2010.

February 2006: Encounter with Life’s Work
They met Katsuto Akamine, a farmer living in Oita Prefecture. While making a video recording of Akamine’s lectures, they were deeply impressed by his teachings on the “Law of Natural Cycles,” the “Law of Yin and Yang,” and the “Importance of Food.”
She then traveled across Japan, meeting people who pursued and shared the true meaning of agriculture, medicine, and food, and was further inspired by these encounters.
When she gave birth to her first daughter at home in 2007, she had the opportunity to reflect deeply on life.
Since then, she has made it her life’s work to communicate the importance of food and the natural cycle to as many people as possible.

2010: Participated in KWN Project
She participated in a Panasonic Social and Cultural Group project (Kid Witness News) and served as the main instructor for a video production workshop for over 90 elementary and junior high schools nationwide.
She created and implemented a program for children involved in video production for the first time, teaching them how to use video as a future communication tool from the perspectives of human development, product development, and community development.

Currently, she works with her own video production team on video promotions, commercials, event videos, documentaries, and more.
While producing video content for companies, local governments, and various organizations, she is also planning and executing her own content production projects.

Since the earthquake on March 11th, he has been visiting evacuation centres and hard-hit coastal areas in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, where his wife’s parents live, to carry out relief efforts.
He is currently planning and implementing the “Kitto Waraeru 2021 Project” in collaboration with Panasonic.
He is also currently planning the “Future of Food” project, which works seriously with farmers in Fukushima Prefecture to address the issue of radiation and food.

<Major Films>
– Toho’s “The Sea of ​​Transition” (’90: Directed by Takeichi Saito, starring Hisaya Morishige)
– Shochiku’s “War and Youth” (’91: Directed by Tadashi Imai, starring Yuki Kudo)
– Toho’s “Super Girl Reiko” (’91: Directed by Takao Okawara, starring Arisa Mizuki)
– Toho’s “Mandala: The Young Kobo Daishi and Kukai Mandala” (’91: Directed by Teng Wen-jia, starring Toshiyuki Nagashima)
– Toho’s “Strange Tales of Sumida” (’92: Directed by Kaneto Shindo, starring Masahiko Tsugawa)
– Shochiku’s “REX: A Dinosaur Story” (’93: Directed by Haruki Kadokawa, starring Yumi Adachi)
– Toho’s “Water Traveler” Samurai Kids (1993: Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki)
・Shochiku’s Sharaku (1995: Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, starring Hiroyuki Sanada)
・TV series Ultraman Tiga (1996-1997: Starring Hiroshi Nagano)
・TV series Ultraman Dyna (1997-1998: Starring Takeshi Tsuruno)
・Shochiku’s Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light (1998: Directed by Kazuya Konaka)
・Kit Kat commercial (1999)
・Afternoon Tea commercial (1999)
・Shochiku’s The Idiot (1999: Directed by Makoto Tezuka, starring Tadanobu Asano)
・Toho’s Godzilla vs. Megaguirus: G Annihilation Plan (2000: Directed by Masaaki Tezuka) /starring Misato Tanaka)
– Toho’s “Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” (’01: Directed by Shusuke Kaneko / starring Chiharu Niiyama)
– Toho’s “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” (’02: Directed by Masaaki Tezuka / starring Yumiko Shaku)
– Nikkatsu’s “The Sea Was Watching” (’02: Directed by Kei Kumai / starring Misa Shimizu)
– Shochiku’s “Spy Sorge” (’03: Directed by Masahiro Shinoda)
– Toho’s “Godzilla vs. Mothra vs. Mechagodzilla” Tokyo SOS (’03, directed by Masaaki Tezuka)
– KSS’s “Omoi no Iro” (’04, directed by Yasushi Kyan, starring Chinatsu Wakatsuki) *Production Manager
– Godzilla: Final Wars (’04, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura) *Matte Painting Manager
– “Thank You, Ishii’s Dad” (’04, directed by Hisako Yamada, starring Ken Matsudaira) *Compositing Manager
– TV drama “H2” (’04) *Compositing Manager
– Columbia Music Entertainment’s “nido/virtud” music video (’05) *General Production Manager Responsibilities
– Columbia Music Entertainment “nido/elilis” music video (’05) *General Production
– Victor Entertainment “Dragon Ash” live music video (’05) *General Production
– Toei “Otokotachi no Yamato” (’05, Director: Junya Sato, Starring: Takashi Sorimachi) *Poster Production
– Shochiku “Hanada Shonenshi” (’05, Director: Okio Mizuta, Starring: Kenta Suga) *Matte Painting
– Commercial “KIRIN Nodogoshi Nama” (’05) *Matte Painting Compositing Production
・Independent Production “KIZASHI” PV Production (’06) *General Producer
・Toei “Baltic Paradise” (’06) starring Matsudaira Ken *CG Matte Painting Production
・TV Drama “White Night Walk” (’06) *CG Matte Painting Production
・Commercial “Itoham Altbayern” (’06) *CG Compositing Production
・Akamine Katsuto “Food is Life: Learning from the Earth’s Philosophy of Circulation” DVD Production (’06) *General Producer and Director
・Documentary “JOY Club” Planning and Production
・Commercial “Fujitsu FMV PC” *CG Compositing Production
・Production Cooperation for the 70th Anniversary Commemoration of the Directors’ Society of Japan “What is a Film Director?”
・ASICS Shoji Commercial “DASH” (’07-) Planning, Directing, and Production
・Technical Coordinator for the 2009-2010 Documentary Film “Umaru”

Nalle Sjöblad

When Nalle Sjoblad was growing up in the suburbs of Helsinki, he dreamed of becoming a scientist. Fascinated by nature and biology, he often built clever school projects – like an ingenious snake trap. Since then, Nalle has carried his inventive creativity and attention to detail into his films. His projects combine strong art direction with playful, burlesque humour, giving his work a distinctive style and instantly recognisable tone. Nalle is a versatile director, skilled at leading large teams while maintaining meticulous attention to every detail.

Director’ comment
I’m a film director who likes to tell funny stories. Sometimes I enjoy telling sad stories, if they have a bit of humour to them. I think laughing at one’s own (passing) misery is the pinnacle of human experice. This is how I see life.

Päivi Hirsiaho

Paivi Hirsiaho (born 1987, Finland) is a visual artist and animator based in Tampere, Finland. Using hand-drawn animation, drawings, sound and photography, he explores self-portrait, the intersection of human and animal identity, and how nature and the environment shape perception. Hirsiaho’s projects include award-winning animations such as “You’re lost little girl,” which won the Grand Prize in the animation category at the Helsinki Short Film Festival (2015). “Pay Day” (2024) was recently exhibited at Kulttuuritalo Laikku in Tampere.

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.

Annette Saugestad Helland

Visual artist, illustrator, animator and author of childrens books.
I have a varied work experience including illustration for books, magazines, apps and animated films, visual art exhibited in various galleries, and animated films, both educational and independent, broadcasted on tv and shown on filmfestivals across the world.
I have also written texts for films and books, mainly for children.

BOOKs:

I have written and illustrated five childrensbooks:

2003 “Bo!” published by jippicomics www.jippicomics.com

(Silver medal at Norwegain Bookillustration Award)

2007 “Superpappa og Pele” published by Cappelendamm

(Diploma at Norwegian Bookillustration Award)

2009 “Superpappa og Pele; tanntyven” Cappelendamm

2013 “Superpappa og Pele; Sydenbrodrene” Cappelendamm

2015 “Midnattsfesten” published by “To Streker”

2020 “Hvordan temme en fetter?” Gyldendal

(“How to tame a cousin?”)

“Sadan temmer man en fatter” Danish translation

(Gold in Norwegian Bookillustration Award)

2023 Karin og Morket, text by Janne-Camilla Lyster

2023 Paperplanebirthday

2023 Nesejakten/The Nose-hunt text by Andreas Rand

2024 Borte/Gone text by Janne-Camilla Lyster

2025 Urettferdig text by Anne Aanestad Randoy, Gyldendal

2025 Gratulerer, Anna! Text by Erna Osland, Omnipax

Films (director)

2003 Over the Blue
2005 En Hjulehistorie, co-directed with Tora Marie Nordberg
2008 Superdad and Pele
2009 Animated music video for Falgren-Busk trio
2014 Morningbird and Murmelton on winter holiday
Producers: Mikrofilm
2008 Freialand, commissioned films
2024 Morningbird and Murmelton, Rumble-Bumble Rally
Co-directed with Johan Kaos, producers Mikrofilm
2026 Not afraid of the dark, producer True Fiction

Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken

Christoffer Rizvanovic Stenbakken (b. 1986) is a writer/director born and raised in Tasiilaq, East Greenland. Now based in Copenhagen, Denmark, his work as a storyteller, on film or podcast, often takes him back to his adolescence in East Greenland.
As a filmmaker, he seeks a high level of authenticity in his characters and their environment through an investigative approach and naturalistic style to follow.
His newest SHORT film THE THIEF (2025) has been selected for Berlinale 2025.

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.

Hilke Rönnfeldt

Born on the Baltic Sea coast in northern Germany, and of Danish-Icelandic descent, Hilke Ronnfeldt is a screenwriter and director.

She graduated in screenwriting from the Swedish Alma Education program, and in directing from the independent film school Super16 in Copenhagen. She has also been selected for Berlinale Talents, Oxbelly Episodic Lab and European Short Pitch. Her films have been screened at numerous international festivals, and her latest short, A STUDY OF EMPATHY, won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Festival 2023.

Her work explores rural communities, the world of work, intimacy and the sea. She firmly believes in the poetic power of the image.

Tomas Stark

Born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1982. Received education in film and literature at Stockholm University and art at Gerlesborg School of fine arts. Studied TV-production at MITV, Stockholm. Has made a number of short and experimental films, often working in collaboration with Marko Bandobranski.

Rúnar Rúnarsson

Rúnar Rúnarsson (born 20 January 1977 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic screenwriter and director.He graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2009. His credits include the feature film Volcano and the short films Anna, Two Birds, and The Last Farm (which was nominated for an Oscar). He is referred to as the most awarded short film director in the world with more than 90 awards.

His second feature, Sparrows, is a coming-of-age story that was released in 2015. For Sparrows Rúnarsson won the Silver Hugo for best new director at Chicago International Film Festival.^[

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.

 

Annalísa Hermannsdóttir

Annalísa Hermannsdóttiris an Icelandic director and musician.
She has BA in Theatre and Performance Making from the Iceland University of the Arts (2021).
Annalísa was nominated as the New Nordic Voice at Nordisk Panorama 2025 for the short film SENSE, that she directed.
In 2022 Annalísa’s music short film ,,Ég er bara að ljúga er það ekki?” (e. I’m just lying right) won the Icelandic Music Awards for Best Music Video
and the Solveig Anspach Prize for Best Directing. Annalísa is a founder and a member of a few theatre groups, for example Fullorðið Fólk.
In 2026 she will start her Master studies in filmmaking at London Film School.
On this webpage you can find examples of Annalísa’s work.