The staff has grown!

Mads is from the small town of Sunndalsøra and is finishing a PhD in Film. He has a long experience of being an audience at Kosmorama and has a close relationship to the festival from before.

Congratulations on your new job as Head of Programming at Kosmorama, Mads!

Thank you!

What sort of work experience do you have from earlier?

I have been interested in art and culture from a very young age. The passion for film was always the strongest, so I ended up studying film, which I've done now almost all the way to a PhD, while at the same time working as a film critic, curating film and holding film courses. Other than that, I'm also an educated teacher, and have a great interest for language and social studies, and have been involved in quite a lot of different things through my many volunteering positions.

What relationship do you have to the festival from earlier?

Jeg have a near and close relationship to Kosmorama, as I have attended the festival as both a volunteer and audience ever since I moved to Trondheim almost 15 years ago. As such, I have spent a large portion of my life in the festival film-darkness.

How will you put your mark on the film program for next year's festival?

My idea here is to continue the good work that has been done around programming and the good cooperation around the program with the rest of the staff, while making sure we can have an even greater variation in different expressions and genres. That way we can get an even more distinct film program that embraces as many different and exciting film creators around the world as possible and in the best way possible covers what is happening in the film world.

How would you describe your taste in film? And do you have a few favourites you would like to mention?

My taste in film is very eclectic and goes across many different forms of expressions, but I do have a preference for films and film creatos that have their own distinct way of doing things. Therefore my list of favourites includes everything from Hitchcock's Vertigo, Fellini's 8 1/2, and Bunuel's Belle de Jour, via Tarkovskij's Mirror, Marker's Sans Soleil, Lanzmann's Shoah, and Svankmajer's Alice, and to Lynch's Mulholland Drive, Weerasethakul's Syndromes and a Century, and Arnold's Wuthering Heights – just to name a few and nerd a little here.

What are you most looking forward to getting started with in this new job?

Of course it's many things, but I'm mostly looking forward to finding and conveying lots of interesting film, and that way making sure we have a film program that is characterized by artistic quality and diversity and create good film experiences for the festival audience - with something for each and everyone.

And lastly - do you have a memory Kosmorama you would like to share?

I've had many good film experiences at Kosmorama during my fifteen years at the festival, but of the more fun memories I remember the festive screening of Grease as a wonderful experience. I had originally not planned on going, but was persuaded by enthusiastic people and a lovely 50s-vibe beforehand, and ended up with a fantastic review of an old favourite (with multiple goosebumps!).

Julie Tollan is born and raised in Trondheim and holds a bachelor's degree in Media studies from NTNU. She already has experience with working for Kosmorama from earlier this year.


Congratulations on your new job as Junior Producer at Kosmorama, Julie!

Thank you!

What relationship do you have to the festival from earlier?

I have heard of the festival many times these last few years, but my first real experience with Kosmorama was from this year's festival, when I wrote my bachelor paper in Media studies after finishing my internship at the festival. In other words Kosmorama 2023 will technically be my second year at the festival which I am looking forward to.

What kind of experience do you have in addition to your interning at Kosmorama?

From my time as a student I have been very active in the student society at Media studies, Primtetime. There, I held different volunteering positions at different organizational comitees, in addition to the role as head of Economics.

Already in my first week at Kosmorama I've been able to put into use my previous experiences with volunteering to carry out my work. You never know what you will be able to use from your previous experience, even though it can be difficult to see the use while you're doing it. I never thought that all the work I did as head of Economics as a student would prove itself so useful in festival production, but there you have it!

Experience with coffee drinking and small talk also comes in very handy, as there are lots of meetings in this business.

How will you put your mark on the film program for next year's festival?

As the employee with the least experience from the culture Som den ansatte med kanskje minst erfaring i kulturbransjen fra før, håper jeg at jeg bringer med meg noen nye syn og tanker inn i årets festival. Som ferskt utdannet har jeg også en forkjærlighet for studentlivet i Trondheim, og håper jeg kan bidra til at samarbeidet med denne gruppa fortsetter å utvikle seg under årets festival.

What are you most looking forward to getting started with in this new job?

In my first days with Kosmorama I have already experienced how much this group burns for good film. I'm really looking forward to learning from my new colleagues and developing my knowledge by watching lots of film!

And lastly - do you have a memory Kosmorama you would like to share?

I must admit I didn't have time to see any films during Kosmorama 2022! Therefore I think my favourite memory has to be when we helped build the festival café. Seeing and experiencing the festival taking shape, and getting that festival feeling at Prinsen kino was something else. I'm looking forward to next year's festival feeling as well, and hopefully having time to see a film or two.