Torill Kove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Torill Kove
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 25 May 1958  Hamar Municipality
|
| Alma mater |
|
| Employer |
|
| Awards |
|
Torill Kove is a talented film director and animator. She was born in Norway and later became a Canadian citizen. She is famous for her animated films. In 2007, she won a big award called the Academy Award for Animated Short Film for her movie The Danish Poet. This film was made with help from Mikrofilm AS in Norway and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
Contents
Torill Kove's Early Life and Education
Torill Kove was born in Hamar, a town in the south of Norway. Hamar is located near the capital city of Oslo.
In 1982, she moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. There, she studied urban planning at Concordia University. She also earned a master's degree from McGill University. Later, she decided to change her focus to animation.
Her Journey into Animation
Torill Kove has shared that she did not watch much animation until she was in her thirties. In the fall of 1991, she was looking for something new to do. Instead of finding a job, she spent time at a special place called the NFB's public access facility.
Every day, she would watch many films there. She felt very excited to discover so many wonderful animated movies. This experience made her realize clearly, "I want to do this!"
First Oscar Nomination
Torill Kove received her first Academy Award nomination in 2000. This was for her film My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts. The movie was inspired by a true story from her own family. Her grandmother had ironed the shirts of Norway's King Haakon VII for many years.
Directing Animated Features
In 2013, Torill Kove directed an animated movie called Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins. This film was a team effort between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It was based on the popular Alfie Atkins books. These books were written by the Swedish children's author Gunilla Bergström.
Autobiographical Films
Kove's 2014 animated short film, Me and My Moulton, tells a personal story. It is about a little girl who wants to fit in. The film was produced by Mikrofilm AS and the NFB. It first showed at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. On January 15, 2015, it was nominated for an Academy Award.
Her films The Danish Poet and My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts have been shown in special collections. These collections are part of the Animation Show of Shows.
New Projects and Inspiration
In February 2015, Kove mentioned her next film would be about her life in Montreal. Specifically, it would focus on the Shaughnessy Village neighborhood.
In May 2016, Kove shared on the NFB's blog that she was working on a simpler film. This film is called Threads. It was inspired by her experiences as a parent who adopted a child.
...Threads has been an experiment in working simply. I’m drawing on a basic tablet, using Toon Boom Harmony Software — and in the end I’ve opted for one of the basic pre-set brushes. I’ve set myself the challenge of making a five-minute film within a year, and that’s part of the appeal. Keeping it simple makes it easier to try new things with the visual universe that I want to create.
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.
Other Creative Works
Besides directing and animating short films, Torill Kove has also illustrated several children's books. Her drawings are often very unique and recognizable.
On September 3, 2015, she received a very important award. It was the Anders Jahre Culture Prize, which is Norway's top cultural honor.
Images for kids
-
Characteristic illustration by Torill Kove; from Norwegian children's book Johannes Jensen føler seg annerledes (Johannes Jensen feeling strange) from 2003
