JADE HÆREM AKSNES

Director/Writer/Producer

Jade (b. 1987) graduated in 2014 from the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles with a Master of Fine Arts in Directing. Prior to this she completed her studies in Norway with a bachelor's degree in Film and TV Production specializing in Directing, and a master's degree in Film Analysis.

Jade has written and directed several short films that have screened at over 65 international film festivals worldwide, winning numerous awards and prizes including “Best Short Film”, “Best Director” and “Best Screenplay”. Her short PUSHING NIGHT AWAY, which was produced by Zarepta Film Production AS and funded by the Norwegian Film Institute and the Western Norway Film Center, qualified for Oscar consideration for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards 2019, and received funding from the Norwegian Film Institute for the Oscar campaign. Amongst Jade’s other films are her award-winning shorts THE RESTRICTOR and PLAYING WITH ANGELS, the latter was also broadcast on Norwegian national television.

Jade is a member of the Directors Guild of Norway. Based on her film production, she was awarded Arts Council Norway's Grant for Artists in 2020, 2017 and 2015, and Bergen Municipality's Artist Grant in 2018. She is currently working on developing two feature films with funding from Western Norway Film Centre and The Audio and Visual Fund; WOLFGANG and THE FIRST HOUR.

Visit Jade's website

AWARDS

2020 WINNER: Best Actor Short - "The Restrictor" (Olaf Heggdal)

Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (USA)

2019 WINNER: 3rd place Award - "The Restrictor"

Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (USA)

2018 NOMINATED: Méliès d'argent - "The Restrictor"

Trieste Science+Fiction Festival (Italy)

2017 WINNER: Best International Film - "Pushing Night Away"

Catalina Film Festival (USA)

2017 WINNER: Best International Film - "Pushing Night Away"

HollyShorts Film Festival (USA)

2017 NOMINATED: German Independence Award,

Best Short Film - "Pushing Night Away"

Oldenburg Film Festival (Germany)

2017 WINNER: 2nd place Award - "Pushing Night Away"

Big Sur Int. Short Film Festival USA)

2017 NOMINATED: Best Int. Short - "Pushing Night Away"

Milan Int. Film Festival, MIFF Awards (Italy)

2016 WINNER: Best Short Film - "Pushing Night Away"

West Nordic Int. Film Festival (Norway)

2016 WINNER: Best Screenplay - "Pushing Night Away"

24fps Int. Film Festival (USA)

2015 WINNER: Best Narrative Short - "Golden Thread"

Logan Film Festival (USA)

2015 WINNER: Best Directing - "Golden Thread"

Women's Independent Film Festival (USA)

2015 WINNER: Best Screenplay - "Golden Thread"

Women's Independent Film Festival (USA)

2015 WINNER: Best Student Film - "Golden Thread"

Women's Independent Film Festival (USA)

2015 WINNER: Best Student Film - "Golden Thread"

North Hollywood Cinefest (USA)

2011 WINNER: Audience Award - "Playing With Angels"

Wiz-Art Festival (Ukraine)

GRANTS

2020 Arts Council Norway's Artist Grant (diversestipend)

2019 Script Development Grant from Western Norway Film

Centre

2019 Script Development Grant from The Audio and Visual Fund

2018 Bergen Municipality's Cultural Grant

2018 Marie Bruflott's Grant for Visual Artists

2017 Arts Council Norway's Artist Grant (diversestipend)

2015 Arts Council Norway's Artist Grant for Young Artists

(diversestipend)

2014 Cultural Entrepreneur Grant from The Norwegian Bank

2014 Bergen Municipality's Cultural Grant

2014 Gerd og Fredrik Johan Grahl's Grant

2013 Fridtjof Sundt's Grant for Artist

2012 The American-Scandinavian Foundation

2013 Tom Wilhelmsen's Grant

2013 Grant from Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2013 University of Bergen Student Grants

2013 Grant from Heje's Fund

2012 The American-Scandinavian Foundation

2012 Grant from Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2012 Augusta Antonette Mohr's Grant

2011 University of Bergen Student Grants

2011 Bergen Municipality's Establishment Grant

2011 Benjamin Johanessen's Grant

2008 Augusta Antonette Mohr's Grant

2006 Grant from Heje's Fund

2006 Benjamin Johanessen's Grant

OSCAR RUN, TV & OTHER MEDIA

2019 "Pushing Night Away" qualified for Oscar consideration for

Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards

2019 "Pushing Night Away" included in the Norwegian Film Institute's Film Collection 2019-2020

2013 "Playing with Angels" available at Library Central Norway

2012 "Playing with Angels" screened on Norwegian national

television (TV2)

FILM FESTIVALS

THE RESTRICTOR

2020 Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (USA)

2019 Aaretaler Kurzfilmtage (Switzerland)

2019 Cinemagic International Film Festival for Young People

(Northern Ireland)

2019 Norwescon Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention (USA)

2019 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (USA)

2018 Trieste Science+Fiction Festival (Italy)

2018 Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden)

2018 Orlando Film Festival (USA)

2018 West Nordic International Film Festival (Norway)

2018 Encounters Short Film Festival (UK)

2018 The Block festival (USA)
2018 Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series (USA)

PUSHING NIGHT AWAY

2019 Aaretaler Kurzfilmtage (Switzerland)

2019 The Birlic Festival (Romania)

2018 In The Palace International Short Film Festival (Bulgaria)

2018 Cleveland International Film Festival (USA)

2018 Vail Film Festival (USA)

2018 Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival (USA)

2018 Sarasota Film Festival (USA)

2018 The Norwegian Int. Seagull Short Film Festival (Norway)

2017 Catalina Film Festival (USA)

2017 HollyShorts Film Festival (Oscar-kvalifiserende) (USA)
2017 Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series (USA)
2017 Milan Int. Film Festival Awards, MIFF Awards (Italy)

2017 Oldenburg Film Festival (Germany)

2017 International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino

(Poland)

2017 15th Internacional Festival Signos de la Noite (Portugal)
2017 Yountville International Short Film Festival (USA)
2017 San Jose International Short Film Festival (USA)
2017 Nordic Film Days Lübeck (Germany)
2017 Aesthetica Short Film Festival (UK)

2017 Heart of Gold Film Festival (Australia)
2017 Open Place International Film Festival (Latvia)

2016 West Nordic International Film Festival (Norway)

2016 24fps International Short Film Festival (USA)

2016 Block Film & Art Festival (USA)
2016 Henley Film Festival (UK)
2016 Bergen Int. Film Festival - Short Travelled Film (Norway)

GOLDEN THREAD

2016 West Nordic International Film Festival (Norway)

2015 Logan Film Festival (USA)

2015 North Hollywood Cinefest (USA)

2015 Women’s Independent Film Festival (USA)

2015 Cinerockom International Film Festival (USA)

2015 Henley Film Festival (UK)

2015 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards (USA)

2015 Orlando Film Festival (USA)
2015 San Diego Film Festival (USA)
2015 Red Rock Film Festival (USA)
2015 Pervolia International Film Festival (Cyprus)

2015 Las Vegas Film Festival (USA)
2015 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (USA)

2015 Young Adult Film Festival (UK)
2015 Film Fest 52 (USA)
2015 Lady Filmmakers Festival (USA)
2015 Henley Film Festival (UK)
2015 Short Film Corner, Festival de Cannes (France)
2015 FIRST International Film Festival Xining (China)
2015 Bergen Int. Film Festival (Norway)

PLAYING WITH ANGELS

2011 Angelus Student Film Festival (USA)

2011 LA Femme Film Festival (USA)
2010 Wiz-Art Film Festival (Ukraine)

2010 Corti da Sogni - International Short Film Festival (Italy)

2010 Young Cinema Art - Student Film Festival (Poland)
2009 Up and Coming Int.Film Festival Hannover (Germany)

2009 Stavanger Short Film Festival (Norway)
2009 Young Film Festival (Norway)
2009 WT Os International Film Festival (Norway)

THE MAGIC OF THE LIBRARY

2010 IFLA International Marketing Award (the Netherlands)