Sturla Brandth Grøvlen (born 11 March 1980) is a Norwegian cinematographer, who lives and works in Denmark. For his work on Victoria (2015), Grøvlen won a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.
Early life and education Grøvlen grew up in the Kattem and Lundåsen neighbourhoods of Trondheim, Norway. He studied film history and film theory at Lillehammer University College from 2000 to 2001. He then studied at European Film College in Ebeltoft from 2001 to 2002. He studied photography at Bergen Academy of Art and Design from 2003 to 2006, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Between 2007 and 2011, he studied film at the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen.
Career Until 2013, Grøvlen spelled his middle name Brandt.
Grøvlen was cinematographer on Anders Morgenthaler's drama The 11th Hour (2014), starring Kim Basinger and Sebastian Schipper. Grøvlen then completed the cinematography on Schipper's film Victoria (2015). The film was screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where Grøvlen won a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography. The film has a 140-minute runtime and was shot in a single continuous take, without cuts. Victoria was Grøvlen's second feature film as a cinematographer. He was also a cinematographer on the Icelandic film Hrútar, which premiered in 2015 and won the audience award at the Tromsø International Film Festival in 2016. He was also the cinematographer on the Danish film Another Round (2020), directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Another Round was awarded the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
In January 2021, he was awarded the Liv Ullmann Prize for his efforts as a leading cinematographer in both Nordic and international film.
Personal life Grøvlen lives and works in Copenhagen. In addition to his mother tongue of Norwegian, he is fluent in Danish and English.
Filmography +Key Denotes films that have not yet been released
Film Year Title Director Notes 2014 The Agreement Karen Stokkendal Poulsen Documentary The 11th Hour Anders Morgenthaler 2015 Victoria Sebastian Schipper Rams Grímur Hákonarson Home Sweet Home Katrine Philp Television documentary 2016 Shelley Ali Abbasi Heartstone Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson 2017 The Discovery Charlie McDowell 2018 Before the Frost Michael Noer 2019 On the Inside of a Military Dictatorship Karen Stokkendal Poulsen Documentary 2020 Shirley Josephine Decker Wendy Benh Zeitlin Director of photography Last and First Men Jóhann Jóhannsson Another Round Thomas Vinterberg 2021 The Innocents Eskil Vogt 2022 Beautiful Beings Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson War Sailor Gunnar Vikene 2024 Life and Other Problems Max Kestner The Summer Book Charlie McDowell
Short films Year Title Director Notes 2007 Unsee David Earle 2009 Skabeloner Nadim Carlsen and Sturla B. Grøvlen Lille Drage Asger Krøjer Kallesøe The Gentlemen Janus Bragi Jakobsson Documentary 2010 In Darkness There Is Light Ali Abbasi Stefan Andreas Thaulow Venus Tor Fruergaard 2011 Deleted Scene (From an Imaginary Film) David B Earle Underneath the Dark Anita Mathal Hopland Documentary Karim Ulaano Salim Director of photography M for Markus Ali Abbasi Før stormen Andreas Thaulow 2012 Touch of Magic Tobias Gundorff Boesen Director of photography My Tokyo Fairytale Marie Limkilde Documentary Ung for evigt Ulaano Salim Turbo Andreas Thaulow 2013 A Doll's House Tobias Gundorff Boesen Et Dukkehjem Tobias Gundorff Boesen 2014 Lubich & Davidsen Sara Lubich Ártún Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson 2015 Riders Jesper Vidkjær Director of photography 2016 Pistol Andreas Thaulow 2018 Kina Tobias Gundorff Boesen
Television series Year Title Director Notes 2014 Kødkataloget Tea Lindeburg 6 episodes 2015 Kunstnerens Lærling Anders Morgenthaler 2023 War Sailor Gunnar Vikene Netflix re-release 2024 Families like Ours Thomas Vinterberg 7 episodes
Music videos Year Title Artist Director 2011 "A Dark God Heart" Sleep Party People Marie Limkilde "Red Swan" The Mob Milad Alami "Sensation" PowerSolo Tor Fruergaard "Farligt" F.U.K.T Lars Halvorsen and Heine Kaarsberg 2012 "Dance" Rebecca & Fiona Lærke Herthoni 2013 "On the Ropes (Out of Line)" The Floor Is Made of Lava Marie Limkilde "Are We Lovers" Silver 6 Christian Eaglecastle 2016 "Go Robot" Red Hot Chili Peppers Thoranna Sigurdardottir
Awards and honours 2015: Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography for Victoria by Sebastian Schipper (tied with Evgeniy Privin and Serhiy Mykhalchuk for Under Electric Clouds) 2015: Best Cinematography for Victoria in the 65th ceremony of the German Film Awards. 2023: American Society of Cinematographers Spotlight Award for War Sailor
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