Director
Katja Wik
Director and script writer Katja Wik, born in 1987, has a Master's degree in film from HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg. In 2013, Katja made her debut as a director with the short film VICTIM-MENTALITY RHETORIC, which won the Audience Award at Startsladden, Gothenburg Film Festival. Following the release of Victim-Mentality Rhetoric and its success in festivals world-wide, she published a book on the subject. In 2017, Katja Wik made her feature film debut with THE EX-WIFE, which competed in New Directors Competition, São Paulo. In Sweden, The Ex-Wife premiered in main competition Dragon Award Best Nordic Film, Gothenburg Film Festival. Despite being a micro-budget film, The Ex-Wife reached top ten list of best films in Sweden and was praised for its directing and actor’s performances. It was appointed best film of the year in magazine Nöjesguiden and received high ratings in major national news outlets Svenska Dagbladet, Sveriges Radio P1, TT and Amelia. The film was distributed by TriArt, broadcasted by SVT and made available on demand via TriArt Play and SF Anytime. As a feature film debutant at the age of 29, Katja became a role model for many filmmakers both nationally and internationally.
Katja also has a CV as one of Sweden's most acclaimed casting directors. Among other films, she has cast Ruben Östlund's feature films Force Majeure, PLAY and Involuntary, Anna Odell's X&Y, TV-series Måste Gitt and several works by Roy Andersson, including A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence and About Endlessness.
Katja is currently working on her second feature, THE NARCISSIST.
Director
Fanny Ovesen
Fanny Ovesen, born in 1990, is a Swedish director and screenwriter based in Norway. She graduated from the Norwegian Film School in 2018 and has written and directed several short films. Her graduation short, SHE-PACK, premiered at the Berlinale in 2019 and has won numerous awards, among them the Amanda Award (Norwegian Academy Award) for Best Short. Fanny has also directed four episodes of the TV series NACH for Rubicon/Discovery Norway, written by Ernst de Geer. She was the conceptual director for the tv series ALL THAT REMAINS, based on the novel by Sandra Beijer.
Fanny finds herself gravitating towards the drama genre, but always strives to find humour, irony and beauty in everyday life. In every project she wishes to find a certain urgency and she often explores themes such as norms, structural power and privilege. She has a deeply empathetic and subjective approach to building complex characters. Fanny is devoted to challenging stereotypes and letting all different types of faces, bodies and personalities shine on screen.
Fanny’s debut feature LAURA is a road movie based on her own experiences in the European couch-surfing community. The film has already been awarded on several occasions. In 2018, Fanny won the Nordic Talents pitch in Copenhagen, awarded by Nordisk Film & TV Fond. She was also awarded the Swedish Film Institute’s Wild Card, an initiative to support up-and-coming directors. In 2019, Fanny won the Swedish Anna Prize for the film's relevance to the UN Women’s Convention.
Director
Mikael Bundsen
Mikael Bundsen, born 1989, is a Swedish screenwriter and director. He trained at Akademin Valand/Göteborg University earning a Bachelor’s degree in film directing (2009 – 2012). Furthermore, he has a one year masters in Screenwriting from Alma manusutbildning (2017- 2018).
He’s been selected for multiple talent labs, such as Göteborg Film Festival’s Nordic Film Lab initiative and the European Film Academy’s “A Sunday in the country”-program
His short MOTHER KNOWS BEST (2016) celebrated its world premiere at the 66th Berlinale, where it was nominated for a Crystal Bear and the Teddy Award. It has been shown at around 50 festivals around the world, earning a number of awards. It has been sold to public tv networks in Switzerland and Sweden, made available on DVD & VOD platforms in among others England, USA and Japan.
With the film, Bundsen won the prestigious Iris Prize in 2017 giving him an opportunity to make a new film in Wales. Involuntary Activist (2019) became a co-production between Sweden and the UK. It was sold to the BBC, aired on BBC Two Wales and was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru Award for best short film. It’s also been selected for a number of festivals around the globe, among others the Oscar qualifying Outfest in Los Angeles.
Apart from writing and directing his own projects, Bundsen works as a freelance screenwriter, script consultant and tutor. Among other things, he’s written multiple episodes for one of Viaplay’s most successful shows Hammarvik (2020).