Nina Knag is a Norwegian writer-director exploring desire, vulnerability and moral complexity.

Her debut feature Don’t Call Me Mama (Se meg) premiered in competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2025, where Pia Tjelta received the Best Actress Award. The film opened the Bergen International Film Festival and continues its international festival run, including its US premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026.

Knag previously directed three episodes of the NRK youth drama series Romours (Rykter) and two episodes of the web series No Return (Ingen Retur) for Aftenposten TV.

Her short films have screened at major international festivals including Encounters Film Festival, Les Arcs Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival and Valladolid International Film Festival. The First Days won Best Western Short Film at the Bergen International Film Festival, and It’s Alright received multiple awards, including Grand Prix at Open Place International Short Film Festival and Founders Prize Special Short Film Award at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival.

Nina is currently developing a drama series and several feature film projects, both national and internationally. 

She is represented by Salomonsson Agency (worldwide) and in the US by Bellevue Productions.

EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT

Westerdals School of Arts,
Communication and Technology
Oslo Berlinale Talents Ivana Chubbuck Studio,
Los Angeles

SELECTED AWARDS

Best Actress Award – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2025 (Don’t Call Me Mama) Norwegian Film Critics Award 2026 – Pia Tjelta (Don’t Call Me Mama)

Best Actress Award – Fantasporto International Film Festival (Portugal) to Pia Tjelta

Best Portrayal of Scandinavian Reality – Scandi Film Festival, Prague

Prauge Best Actor Award – Subtitle Film Festival (Tarek Zayat, Don’t Call Me Mama)

Best Western Short Film – Bergen

International Film Festival (The first days) Michael Moore´s Traverse City Film Festival Award (It’s Alright)

Grand Prix - OPEN PLACE International Short Film Festival (It´s Alright)

SELECTED FESTIVALS / NOMINATIONS

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Competition)

Santa Barbara International Film Festival
(US Premiere in Competition)

OFFSpring - Odense International Film Festival
(In Competition) 

Fantasporto - Porto International Film Festival
(In competition)

Göteborg Film Festival (Nordic Lights)

BIAFF – Batumi International Art-House Film Festival

Panorama of European Cinema i Athen (In Competition)

Hamburg Film Festival (In Competition)

Subtitle Film Festival, Kilkenny 

Scanorama European Film Festival

GRANTS

Norwegian State Grant for Young Film Artists
(2016–2018)
State Grant – Municipality of Bergen (2019)

PROFESSIONAL

Founder, Nina Knag CastingFounder, Auditionskolen.no
Lecturer in film directing and casting, University of Bergen 

REPRESENTATION

Bellevue (US) Salomonsson Agency (Europe)