Tonje Hessen Shei

Roles: Director

Tonje Hessen Shei is a Norwegian filmmaker with experience as a producer, director, and reporter from NRK, the Norwegian National Broadcasting Network. She recently completed her masters in film from NTNU, the University of Trondheim in Norway, and has a BA in film production from the University of Texas in Austin. She also has a degree in social anthropology from NTNU. Throughout her studies, Tonje focused on the role of independent media in social change, fight for justice and human rights. She has been interested in the US media situation for twelve years, and has been specifically concerned with the corporate ownership of the media. Tonje brings a new perspective, as her Norwegian background gives her a distinct critical take on media ownership and information control. She has been heavily immersed in the corporate war coverage for three years, and has worked within and explored the media democracy movement throughout this process. Tonje is the co-founder and a director of Anthropos Music, a non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas, which works with low-income schools, giving music lessons to at-risk youth, exposing them to cultural diversity through music while providing them a way to express themselves creatively. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.