Leo Behrens

Leo Behrens is a Norwegian filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA. He is known for his award-winning short film SKIN and recent work as a cinematographer and director on projects like XY (2025) and Pace (2024). He started his career in Norway as a camera operator and director after graduating from Westerdals Oslo's Film and Television Production program in 2010. Since then he has worked on various different projects from documentaries, music videos, TV shows, short films, to his first feature film, Shadow Watchers (2024). In 2023, he graduated from the MFA Cinematography program at the American Film Institute Conservatory. Growing up, Behrens engaged in a range of creative and imaginative activities including role-playing, visual arts, dancing, and music.

In 2003, he purchased his first camera and began learning how to shoot and edit his own short films.

Education Prior to pursuing post-secondary education, Behrens joined the Norwegian military.

Following his graduation, he continued working and building up his experience in the film industry for several years, before being accepted into the American Film Institute Conservatory for a Masters of Fine Arts in Cinematography. He graduated from the program in 2023. The film was originally created in response to a prompt as a second-year student at the AFI Conservatory, to tell a story visually through a 35mm film without dialogue. The short film stars actor Lio Mehiel and has been shown at AFI FEST, LACA Film Festival, Oldenburg International Film Festival, Inside Out Toronto Film Festival and overall more than 50 film festivals around the world.

The Academy Motion Picture Art and Science provided him with guidance from American cinematographer and director, Michael Goi.

After graduating AFI, he was selected for the ASC Vision Mentorship Program through which he received the 2024 Fresh Perspectives in Cinematography Grant from ARRI and ASC. He is also a member of the Norwegian Society of Cinematographers (Foreningen Norske Filmfotografer) along with the Society of Camera Operators (SOC). Another film Behrens shot, Pace (2024), was selected to screen at Cannes Film Festival as a part of the American Pavillion Showcase.

Projects in development Behrens' first feature film, Shadow Watchers (2024), is in post-production.

He is also working as a director of photography on the psychological-horror thriller, Oma, which is in pre-production and set to film in Austria. to his Student Academy Award winner film, SKIN (2023), and his recent work on The Last Draft (2025). Redd (2020) (Music Video) I'll Be There (2018) (Music Video) Gift ved første blikk (2018) (10 episodes, TV series) Hjertets Sang (2008) (Short) Pace (2024) (Short) Possible Stranger (2023) (Music Video) SKIN (2023) (Short) Evan Ever After (2023) (Short) Tell Me Something True (2022) (Short) Next to Benevolence (2022) (Short) Klassen (2019-2020) (24 episodes, TV series) Ex on the Beach Norge (2020) (24 episodes, TV series) Influenserne (2019) (15 episodes, TV series) Stomping Ground (2017) (Music Video) Sykt Perfekt (2016) (6 episodes, TV series) Født i feil kropp (2014) (1 episode, TV series)

SKIN (2023)

Student Academy Award Gold Medal in Alternative/Experimental (2023) - Winner Los Angeles Cinematography Awards: Best Short, Best Picture of the Month, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Producer, Best Production Design, Best Editing (2023) - Winner TINFF Award for Best Short (2024) - Winner AFI FEST Grand Jury Award (2023) - Nominated Stamped Film Festival Jury Award for Best Documentary Short (2023) - Winner

Groomsperson (2023)

Los Angeles Cinematography Award for Best Drama (2023) - Winner

Født i feil kropp (2014, 2017)

Gullruten (Golden Screen) Norway Best Documentary (2015) - Winner Gullruten (Golden Screen) Norway Best Participant Award (2017) - Nominated

Historien om deg og meg (2009)

Gullkalven award for Best Documentary (2009) - Winner Skeive Filmer Blikk's Audience Award for Best Short Film (2009) - Winner Oslo Fusion Film Festival Norway Audience Award (2009) - Winner The Norwegian Documentary Festival Award for Best Documentary (2009) - Nominated