Biography
Phie Ambo (born 1973) was trained at the National Film School of Denmark, graduating as a documentary film director in 2003. Famous for her feature length documentary films true to the tradition of poetic, personal and cinematic language, Ambo deals with essential topics such as family relations, love, creative processes and artificial life.
Phie Ambo has directed a number of award-winning films for the cinema, including major works such as Family (2001), Gambler (2005) Mechanical Love (2007) and Free the Mind (2012).
In recent years Ambo has been especially interested in pursuing work of a more thematic nature, and this in the form of a trilogy focusing on the relation between science and human existence.
Phie Ambo is a member of the Academy documentary branch.
Filmography
70/30 (2021)
Rediscovery (2019)
When You Look Away (2017)
Songs From the Soil (2014)
Good Things Await (2014)
The Bailiff (2013)
Free the Mind (2012)
The Home Front (2010)
Mechanical Love (2007)
Fever (2007)
Gambler (2005)
The Diver Inside Me (2003)
Growing Up in a Day (2002)
Family (2001)
Awards & Festivals
70/30 (2021)
Selected festivals:
CPH:DOX / Denmark / Opening film
More to come…
Rediscovery (2019)
Selected festivals:
CPH:DOX / Denmark
München Documentary Festival / Germany
Dokufest Prizren / Serbia
Awards:
München Documentary Festival 2019: Arri Amira Award
When You Look Away (2017)
Selected festivals:
CPH:DOX / Denmark
Toronto, Hot Docs Int. Documentary Festival / Canada
Warszawa, Against Gravity / Poland
Sheffield Doc/Fest / Great Britain
Seoul, EBS International Documentary Festival / South Korea
Bergen International Film festival / Norway
Reykjavik Film Festival / Iceland
Paris Science Film Festival / France
Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival / Czech Republic
Amsterdam, IDFA / The Netherlands
Helsinki Doc Point Documentary Film Festival / Finland
Tallinn, DocPoint
Good Things Await (2014)
Selected Festivals: One World Human Rights Film Festival, Berlinale, Ile de France, FIFE, Environmental Film Festival, Helsinki Doc Point Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam, IDFA, CPH:DOX
Awards: Official Winner – Pelicam Film Festival, Duke Environment Award – Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Grand Prix (2015) Ile de France, FIFE, Environmental Film Festival 2015
Free the Mind (2012)
Selected festivals:
Amsterdam, IDFA / Netherlands
CPH:DOX / Denmark
Helsinki Doc Point Documentary Film Festival / Finland
Bergen International Film festival / Norway
Warszawa, Against Gravity / Poland
Leuven, Docville / Belgium
Toronto, Hot Docs Int. Documentary Festival / Canada
Göteborg International Film Festival / Sweden
Fever (2010)
Selected Festivals: CPH:DOX, Odense International Film Festival (OFF), FUTURE SHORTS DK, Danish Art Museum, ARoS, Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Sweden
Mechanical Love (2007)
Selected Festivals: CPH.DOX, Doc Point, Helsinki, Amsterdam International Documentary Festival, Hot Docs, Toronto, Silverdocs, Washington, Los Angeles Filmfestival, Munchen International Filmfestival, Nordic Panorama
Awards: Internet Audience Award, Planete Doc. Warsaw, Nominations: Cinema Eye Honor, New York, Gulddok, Copenhagen
Gambler – The Million Dollar Headache (2005)
Awards: Steen Baadsgårds award Festivaler: CPH.DOX, Gøteborg filmfestival, Nordic Presentation, Rotterdam filmfestival, Seattle international filmfestival, Taiwan golden horse international filmfestival
The Diver Inside Me (2003)
Selected Festivals: Sheffield International Documentary Festival, Norsk Dok. film festival in Volda, Ankara International Filmfestival
Growing Up In A Day (2002)
Awards: Kodak award for best photography on short film, Visions du Reel Festivals, IDFA, Amsterdam, Sheffield International Documentary Festival, Visions du Reel i Nyon
Family (2001)
Selected Awards: Amsterdam, Int. Documentary FF 2001: Joris Ivens Award, München Documentary Festival 2002: Dokumentarfilmpreis Des Bayerischen Rundfunks Zanzibar Int. Film Festival 2003: Best Documentary, American Film Institute 2003: Honorary Mention.
Latest release
The film follows the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen, and a group of young climate activists who desperately try to get their message across to the politicians. Their message is clear: if we want actual change, we need to start working together and take responsibility.
