Esben Tønnesen

Few people in the film industry know this, but Esben was once destined for greatness… in match fishing. At just 15, he clinched the Danish junior championship, poised to dominate the high-stakes world of competitive angling. But after realizing that the cutthroat nature of elite fishing was simply too intense, he did the only logical thing—joined a heavy metal band as a lead guitarist. Eventually, in search of something more “stable,” he settled on the low-risk, no-stress career of directing movies. Esben is a hardworking and versatile director who has helmed feature films, TV series, and commercials all over the world. His latest feature, THE ANGEL MAKER, has been sold to more than 50 countries (with theatrical release in US, India, France, Spain, Germany and more) as well as both Netflix and HBO. And while that film happens to be a dark thriller, most of Esben’s work actually reflects his generally cheerful nature—bringing smiles, not shivers, to audiences everywhere.