After 13 years as festival director and CEO at Amandus, Stine Marie Solem is moving on to a new job in August. The current program director, Eivind M. Nordengen will take over the position.
Stine Marie Solem has been the longest-serving festival director in the history of the Amandus Festival, and her tenure has been marked by significant and notable changes. She has led the merger with The Norwegian Student Film Festival in 2017, established the digital festival platform during the pandemic, and founded Amandus Blikkfang in 2021. She also spearheaded the celebrations of the festival’s 25th and 30th anniversaries.
“Working with Amandus has truly been a dream job, with so many wonderful people and creative talents, both within the organization, in the program, and among all the young participants at the festival. It is, of course, a bit bittersweet to move on, but it is reassuring to know that the festival is in safe hands with Eivind. I look forward to following its development and am excited to visit the festival as an audience member,” says Solem.
Solem will continue to contribute to the film field in her new role as cinema and stage manager at Rådhusteatret in Kongsvinger.
Eivind M. Nordengen, who takes over as festival director from August 1st, has been a central part of the festival team since 2017. He also served as acting festival director in 2020, a year heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am excited to take on new challenges as the festival director of Amandus Festival and Amandus Blikkfang. It is a dream to work with Norway’s most dynamic film festival, and it is incredibly fun to discover, experience, and follow so much film talent. Amandus is Norway’s most important arena for young film culture and has been an essential contributor to the Norwegian film industry for almost four decades. In other words, it is with a certain sense of reverence that I take on the task of leading the organization and the important work of fostering enthusiasm for film among young people and providing a platform for new film talents,” says Nordengen.
Amandus Blikkfang from September 26th to 28th will therefore be the first festival Nordengen leads as the new festival director.