Erik Gustavson started his career in films as an assistant photographer in the seventies, before moving on to directing short films in the early eighties. In 1985 he won the Norwegian National Film Award Amanda for Best Short Film for Rendezvous (1984), before he made his debut as a feature film director with the film noir'esque criminal drama Blackout (1986). In 1990 he presented Herman, which was selected as Norway's entries for the Academy Award in 1991, a result he also repeated with the highly successful and critically acclaimed The Telegraphist in 1993, which also competed at the Berlin festival in that year. Both films also won the Amanda for Best Film.
Gustavson presented several more films through the nineties, from the comparatively down-to-earth comedy Shut Up and Listen! (1995) to the grandiose philosophical fantasy drama Sophie's World (1999) (which was also re-edited as a mini-series for television). Gustavson's work has been distributed widely both theatrically, and on cable, in many countries and has received several awards.
Gustavson is also a seasoned director of commercials, having directed hundreds of them, including some of the most memorable and favored commercials in recent history, for example a very nostalgic spot for Norwegian caramel-fudge candy Smørbukk. Gustavson has also received numerous awards for his work in this field as well.
Norsk Filminstitutt
