Mona J. Hoel
Mona J. Hoel (b. 1960) was educated as a director at the former Dramatiska Institutet, now Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (SADA), in Sweden, after initial studies in photography in New York from 1982 to 1985. She graduated from Dramatiska Institutet in 1989, and has since made her mark as one of the most noteworthy female directors in Norway since the beginning of the nineties. She has directed short films, features, documentaries and commercials, several of which have won prestigious awards at film festivals around the world. Her debut as a feature film director came in 1995, with the drama At Ease. In 2000 Hoel directed Cabin Fever, the first Norwegian film to be made following the rules of the Dogme 95 manifesto, created by danish avant-garde directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, and was approved as Dogme #19. The film was, among several other festivals, invited for competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and for Toronto International Film Festival. Hoels next film, Clorox, Ammonia and Coffee, was released in 2004, and won the Main Award at Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film festival 2005. It was also programmed for New Directors New Films at the MoMa New York 2005. After some severe health challenges Hoel produced Sami screenwriter and director Sara Margrethe Oskals shortfilm “Daughter of the Sun” won the shortfilmprice at B3 Biennale des bewegten Bildes during the Frankfurt bookfair 2019. Hoels forth featurefilm “Are you leaving already?”premiered at Oslo Pix 2019, and attended Gothenburg International filmfestival 2020. Hoels short film “Face the wind” is in post production. Hoel produced the feature film debut of screenwriter and director Sara Margrethe Oskal, “The Land is my Heart”, now in postproduction and will premiere NIGHT, her 5th feature in Norwegian cinemas January 13th. It worldpremiered in competition at PÖFF Black Nights filmfestival,Tallinn. Hoel is currently screenwriting her 6th featurefilm, “The emergency collective”.
