Thomas Wangsmo

Thomas Wangsmo grew up in Asker, a small place just outside Oslo, Norway. He first got into filmmaking while doing his national service in the Norwegian Air Force, working as an assistant photographer and videographer. A year after completing his service he started his film education at The Arts Institute at Bournemouth in England, graduating with a BA Honors degree in Film Production. He later went on to do an MFA degree in Film Production at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, graduating in 2010.

In the summer of 2008, between the first and second year of his MFA degree, Thomas started his collaboration with Norwegian producer Daniel Henriksbø and the production company Vidvinkel Film. This resulted in three short films, one of which went on to win the UIP Award for Best European Short Film at Ghent Film Festival in Belgium, making it the ninth Norwegian short film in history to be nominated for Best European Short at the European Academy Awards, in 2010. That film was Amor.

His first feature film as writer and director, Into the Dark (Inn i mørket), was released in Norway in early 2012, and had its international premiere in the First Films Competition at Montreal World Film Festival in August 2012. In addition to writing and directing, Wangsmo has edited all his own films so far, and has often also filled the roles of cinematographer and producer.