BIOGRAPHY
Mikel Cee Karlsson, director, writer, editor, cinematographer born 1977 in Varberg, Sweden.
During the 90´s Mikel was one of Swedens most notable skateboarders. Through skateboarding he got introduced to cinematography and started making short films. While studying film directing at Academy Valand Film in Gothenburg, he met producer Erik Hemmendorff and director Ruben Östlund and became co-owner of the production company Plattform Produktion (Palme d’or 2017 and 2022). Mikel has directed four feature length documentaries; Greetings from the woods (In competition, Locarno 2009), The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González (Nordic Competition GIFF 2010, Official Selection Hot Docs 2011), FRAEMLING (Main competition CPH:DOX 2019 and nominated for 2 Guldbagge Awards, including best documentary film) and A Tiger in paradise - with José González (Main competition CPH:DOX 2023). Mikel is also an ACE nominated and SFK winning editor and has written and edited the documentary The scars of Ali Boulala (In competition Tribeca Film Festival 2021, Guldbagge nominated for best documentary 2022), edited Fantastic Machine (Special jury award Sundance 2023) and edited Triangle of sadness (Cannes Palme d'or 2022, Academy Award nominated for Best Picture 2023) as well as directed award-winning short films, video art, and numerous acclaimed music videos for artists like Fever Ray, Calexico, Junip and José González.
FILMOGRAPHY (as writer/director, feature films)
2023 A TIGER IN PARADISE / Feature Documentary/ 78 min / Director, script, editor, cinematographer (Main Competition CPH:DOX 2023)
2021 The scars of Ali Boulala / Feature Documentary / Script and Editor / Sysifos Film / (Official selection Tribeca Film Festival, Guldbagge nominated 2022)
2019 FRAEMLING / Feature Documentary hybrid/ 100 min / Director, script, editor, cinematographer (Guldbagge Award Nominee, Best Documentary and Best supporting actor, Official Competition CPH:DOX)
2010 The Extraordinary Ordinary Life Of José González / Feature Documentary / 75 min / Director, script, editor, cinematographer (Nordic Competition GIFF 2010, Official Selection Karlovy Vary, Official Selection Mar del Plata, Official Selection Hot Docs 2011)
2009 Hälsningar från Skogen (Greetings from the woods) / Feature Documentary / 75 min / Director, script, editor, cinematographer (Official Selection Locarno Film Festival 2009, filmmakers of the present competition)
OTHER MERITS (Director, writer, editor, cinematographer)
2023-2024 / A TIGER IN PARADISE / Feature Documentary special event tour/ 150 min / Writer, director and host together with José González
2022 Editor / Fantastic Machine / Feature Documentary / Plattform Produktion (Special jury award Sundance 2023)
2022 Editor / Triangle of sadness / Feature Fiction / Plattform Produktion (Cannes Palme d’or 2022, Academy Award Nominated for Best Picture 2023)
2021 Editor / Script / The scars of Ali Boulala / Feature Documentary / Sysifos Film (Official selection Tribeca Film Festival, Guldbagge nominated-Best documentary 2022)
2021 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Swing” / Imperial, Mute records, City slang
2021 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Head on” / Imperial, Mute records, City slang
2021 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Visions” / Imperial, Mute records, City slang
2021 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”El Invento” / Music video / Imperial, Mute records, City slang
2020 2nd Unit Director / Cinematographer / Triangle of sadness / Feature Fiction / Plattform Produktion
2018 Director, editor, cinematographer / Thing / Short for exhibition
2017 Director, editor, cinematographer / Love / Short for exhibition
2015 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Open Book” / Music video / Imperial, Mute, Peacefrog
2015 Director, editor, cinematographer / Calexico ”Falling from the sky”/ Music video / Cityslang, ANTI
2015 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Leaf Off”/ Music video / Imperial, Mute, Peacefrog
2014 VFX / Turist (Force Majeure) / Feature Fiction / 120 min / Plattform Produktion (Official Selection Cannes Film Festival)
2014 Director, editor, cinematographer/ ”Hästen” / Short film for art exhibition / Bohusläns Museum
2014 Director, editor, cinematographer / Milagres ”Jeweled Cave”/ Music video / Kill Rock Stars
2013 Director, editor, cinematographer / Junip “Your Life Your Call”/ Music video / Mute, City Slang
2013 Director, editor, cinematographer / Junip “Line Of Fire”/ Music video / Mute, City Slang
2013 Director, editor, cinematographer / Anna von Hausswolff “Mountains Crave”/ Music video / City Slang
2013 Director, editor, cinematographer / Anna von Hausswolff “Funeral for my future children”/ Music video / City Slang
2013 Director, editor, cinematographer / The Amplifetes “You Want It”/ Music video / DEAG
2012 Director, editor, cinematographer / The Amplifetes “You/Me/Evolution / Music video / DEAG
2012 Director: Live video / Hans Appelqvist Live / Kning Disk
2011 Assistant editor / Play / Feature Fiction / 125 min / Plattform Produktion (Guldbagge award winner, best Direction, Best Cinematography)
2010 Editor / PangPangbröder (Twin Brothers) / Feature Documentary / 82 min / Plattform Produktion (Official selection Rotterdam)
2010 Director / Informational film for IM (Individuell Människohjälp), Khatmandu, Nepal. 20 min
2009 Director, editor, cinematographer / Fever Ray "Triangle Walks”/ Music video / Rabid Records, Mute
2008 Cinematographer / Broder Daniel Forever / Feature Documentary / 72 min / Fasad
2008 DOP: Music video / White lies "Death" / Polydor
2008 Director/DOP: Video installation ”Nikel” / Barents Art Trienalle, Kirkenes, Norway
2008 DOP: Music video / Madrugada "Look away Lucifer" / EMI
2007 Director, editor, cinematographer / The Perishers "Step out of the shade"/ Music video/ NONS
2007 Director, editor, cinematographer / Bonde do role "Office boy"/ Music video / Domino
2007 Director, editor, cinematographer / Ida Maria "Oh my god"/ Music video / Sony BMG
2007 Director, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Killing for love”/ Music video/ Imperial, Mute, Peacefrog
2007 Director, editor, cinematographer / José Gonzalez ”Down the line”/ Music video/ Imperial, Mute, Peacefrog
2007 Director, cinematographer / Loney Dear "Saturday waits"/ Music video / Parlophone
2006 Photo Exhibition ”Hälsningar från Skogen_Part 1”, Varbergs Länsmuseum
2006 Director, editor, cinematographer / Love is all ”Ageing”/ Music video/ Parlophone Records
2006 DOP: Music video / Depeche Mode”Martyr”/ Music video/ Mute Records
2006 Director, editor, cinematographer / Love is all ”Make out, fall out”/ Music video/ Parlophone Records
2006 Director, editor, cinematographer / Jai Alai Savant ”White crime”/ Music video/ City slang Records
2006 Director, editor, cinematographer / C.AARMÉ ”Golden retriever”/ Music video/ Burning Heart Records
2005 Postproduction / VFX: Short film/ ”Weekend”, Plattform Produktion
2005 Director, editor, cinematographer / Stisch ”Emotions”/ Music video/ Sound Of Habib
2005 Director, editor, cinematographer / The Tough Alliance ”Koka-Kola”/ Music video/ Service Records
2005 Director, editor / The Similou ”ladykiller”/ Music video/ Dealers of Nordic Music
2004 Director, script, editor, cinematographer / Vuxen / Documentary short / 29 min
2004 VFX: Music video / The Tough Alliance ”Holiday”/ Service Records
2003 Director: Music video / Stisch ”Beauty in me”/ Sound Of Habib
2002 Director, script, editor, cinematographer / Forkboy / Fiction short / 6 min
2002 Founder of Skateboard Magazine ”LEIF”
2001 Director, editor, cinematographer / The key / Skateboard film / 45 min
EDUCATION
2002 - 2006 BFA in Film Directing, Akademi Valand Film, Göteborg University
1999 - 2000 Ljud & Bildskolan / TV & video production
1994 - 1997 Media program, Falkenberg gymnasium