Acclaimed filmmaker Eirik Tveiten chatted about his 2023 Oscar nomination for his short film “Night Ride.”
The synopsis is: During a cold night in December, Ebba (Sigrid Kandal Husjord) waits for the tram to go home after a party, but the ride takes an unexpected turn.
Tveiten wrote and directed “Night Ride,” a LGBTQ short film that was nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for “Best Live Action Short Film.” This is an acting project that sheds light on gender identity and prejudice.
On earning this Oscar nomination, Tveiten said, “It was quite unbelievable. We had worked on getting the film out to festivals for some time and felt it had had its run, so when Tribeca called and wanted the film and then ending up winning ‘Best Short,’ we were all elated and surprised. We put all our plans for the film on hold and started working towards a possible Oscar nomination and here we are.”
“Tveiten opened up about his favorite part of the filmmaking experience for “Night Ride.” “I have many stories I want to tell, but this one was particularly fun because of the challenges of filming on a tram. It gives a certain intimacy working with the actors in such a closed environment which allowed us to to get to know each other in a different way than what I am used to,” he said.
Motivations
Regarding his daily motivations as a filmmaker, Tveiten said, “I am inspired just by observing society. Charlie Kaufman and Buster Keaton.”
For young and aspiring filmmakers, he said, “I am drawn to ingenuity in form and content and it is something I would like to encourage others to search for in their work.”
When asked if there were any moments in his career that helped define him, he responded, “Many, all the setbacks probably most of all because I learned to trust and never give up.”
Regarding his futurue plans, he revealed, “We are in post-production finishing another short, ‘Camping in paradise,’ and in development with a feature length script I am writing.”
On his definition of the word success, he shared, “Success, to me, is when you believe in your work and never give up on it.”
Tveiten concluded about “Night Ride,” “We all have a social responsibility to act when we see our fellow human beings being treated unjustly or being harassed. If our lead, Ebba, can find the courage to stand up, so can we.”
To learn more about filmmaker Eirik Tveiten, follow him on Instagram and check out his IMDb page.
