Torill Kove facts for kids
Torill Kove is a talented film director and animator. She was born in Norway but is now a Canadian citizen. Torill Kove is famous for her animated short films. In 2007, she won an Academy Award for Animated Short Film for her movie The Danish Poet. This film was made with help from Norway's Mikrofilm AS and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
Early Life and Journey to Animation
Torill Kove was born in Hamar, a city in southern Norway, close to Oslo. In 1982, she moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She first studied urban planning at Concordia University and then at McGill University. But later, she decided to change her focus to animation.
Interestingly, Torill Kove has said she didn't watch much animation until she was in her thirties. In 1991, she was looking for a new path. She spent time at a special place called the NFB's public access facility. There, she watched many films every day. She realized she loved animation and wanted to create her own.
Award-Winning Films and Stories
Torill Kove's films often tell personal stories. Her first Academy Award nomination was for My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts in 2000. This film was inspired by her own grandmother. Her grandmother had ironed the shirts for Norway's King Haakon VII for many years.
In 2013, she directed a longer animated movie called Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins. This film was based on the popular Alfie Atkins books. These books were written by Swedish author Gunilla Bergström.
Her 2014 animated short film, Me and My Moulton, is a story about growing up. It's an autobiographical film, meaning it's based on her own life. The film is about a young girl who wants to fit in. It first showed at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Later, it was nominated for another Academy Award in 2015.
Two of her well-known films, The Danish Poet and My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts, were shown in the famous Animation show of shows.
New Projects and Inspirations
In 2015, Torill Kove shared that her next film would be about her life in Montreal. Specifically, it would be about the Shaughnessy Village neighborhood.
In 2016, she started working on a more simple film called Threads. This film was inspired by her experiences as a parent who adopted a child. She wanted to try a minimalist style for this project. She used basic drawing tools and software to create the film. Her goal was to make a five-minute film within a year.
Besides directing and animating films, Torill Kove has also illustrated several children's books. Her artistic work has been recognized with important awards. On September 3, 2015, she received the Anders Jahre Culture Prize. This is one of Norway's highest cultural honors.
In 2024, Torill Kove released her short film Maybe Elephants. This film is seen as a follow-up to Me and My Moulton. It has been very successful at film festivals around the world.
