Tom Skjeklesæther is a well-known journalist, manager, promoter, producer and arranger with a stellar career in the Norwegian music business. He now returns once again to his hometown to stage the Halden International Music Film Festival, where he began arranging concerts and other events in his youth.

 

His experience ranges from founder and organizer of the Down on the Farm music festival (1988 – 1999), manager for Madrugada and other Norwegian bands and rock clubs, music journalist for ABC News and host/producer for NRK’s popular “Cowboys and Indians”.

 

Other experience includes editor for music magazine BEAT, contributing journalist for various national and international publications, and since 2007, the music journalist for the national Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen.

Born in the USA, David John Smith is an author, producer, and organizer of various initiatives national and international. A Cold War intelligence officer in West Berlin, he subsequently worked with several Olympic organizing committees, and later, SONY. 

 

After founding Norway Communicates in 2004, his collaboration with Steven Van Zandt began in 2011 and has thus far resulted in projects within education, music and film.

 

These have included Lillehammer Foundation for the Arts, the Wild Telemark (with Ian Brodie and Per Ole Hagen), producer of the documentary Bluestown Rising, the Notodden Film Conference, and now the Halden International Music Film Festival.

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One of our new team members is Veronica van Groningen, a photographer with a fascination and love of music. This has resulted in a compilation of large body of work from photographing bands and artists over the years.

 

Her work also brings her in close contact with people on an everyday level, working as a photographer of children, families and wedding.

 

The art of storytelling – and an avid interest in hearing other people’s stories –

 is one of Veronica’s passions. This has led her to a photo project which will document the activities young Halden musicians during the years 2021-22 that will be completed in 2023.

Per Ole Hagen is a musicologist by education, Director of Music at NRK P1 from 1993, and subsequently Director of Music Rights at NRK.

 

He has taught at different levels of education, and since 2016 has been an assistant professor at the University of Oslo. He has also written books about music education and about computers.

 

Per Ole Hagen is a photographer for Getty Images and has held many exhibitions in Norway and abroad. In 2021, he and Arvid Skancke-Knutsen were awarded top honors for the year's music journalism for the book "Da musikken stilnet" (When the music stopped).

Ian Brodie is an award-winning film photographer and film tourism expert.

 

He has authored 22 books, and in 2005 received the New Zealand Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II for his efforts in tourism and literature, also being honored with "New Zealand Platinum Award" for The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook.

 

In Norway, Ian Brodie has lectured on film tourism and worked with film and film-related projects including Birkerbeineren, The Heavy Water War and the Wild Telemark.

Catharina Heide Amundsen is film professional, originally from Halden who is trained as a director and screenwriter.

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She has freelanced in the cultural industry for many years, both as a producer, coordinator, project manager, director, with marketing and film production in all forms. In addition, she has had the role of an invigilator, responsible for supervising completion and staging of rehearsals and performances.

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Catharina’s versatility has gained her experience from performing arts, music, festivals, art and within the film industry where she has worked with documentaries, feature films, short films, advertising and music videos.

 

On a daily basis, she works as an adviser in communication and political influence in Red Cross Youth, while retaining her passion for cultural life in Halden and is involved in several different projects. These include the Halden International Music Film Festival.