Anita Vedå co-founded Smau in 2014 and works as a creative producer for documentaries. Her films have been well received in Norway, and the recent co-production Murmuring Hearts (2024) won Best Cinematography at Tallinn Black Nights. She attended IDFA Academy in 2019, was part of the Norwegian delegation to CPH:DOX in 2024, and joined the “Take on Impact” program at Movies that Matter in 2025. An interview with her, now selected for the 2026 Emerging Producers programme (read her EP profile here).

Why do you produce documentaries? Do you see documentary cinema as an instrument of social and political change?
Anita Vedå: I produce documentaries because I have a passion for character-driven storytelling. Each project has been a journey of exploration, offering new insights into topics, people, and cultures I might never have encountered otherwise. The format for documentaries also allows me to delve deeper into topics than a journalist normally has the opportunity to.

I very much see documentary cinema as an instrument of change. Throughout my work on Hope is a Word (forthcoming), I have worked a lot on impact strategies and how our documentary can provide real change for the people in Ogoniland. When we are allowed to document their lives, I feel that we are obligated to do our best to maximize the social impact.

How do you achieve and maintain work-life balance and foster overall well-being?
As a film producer, I must admit that this is a challenging question, and work-life balance in the most hectic periods is difficult to attain. However, I have found that maintaining friendships outside the industry to provide different topics and a break from discussing projects is a key element for me. I am also fortunate to live in a city where the mountains are my backyard, and nothing puts challenges into perspective quite like reaching the top and feeling that sense of perspective. Spending enough time exercising or enjoying nature is therefore essential for me, as it provides the mental breaks I need.

As I have gained more experience, I also see that it is important – although difficult – to have a strict divide between work and private life. For example in terms of answering emails and phone calls at certain times, and increasing efficiency by always asking for a concrete agenda for meetings and following up with decisions/key take-aways from meetings.

Where do you find audiences for your films?
Besides traditional methods like cinema, festivals and TV-sales I try to map who is interested in the subject. Are there organizations that can contribute? For example for my latest tv-series The Senior Experiment we cooperated with The Pensioners’ Association in Norway. We have also worked with The Cultural School Bag – where culture/documentary is shown in Norwegian schools (often with a talk/discussion afterwards).

Internationally we have so far worked mostly with festivals - but for upcoming projects we see a great potential in working with organizations / NGOs to get a maximum reach. This is also one of the topics I would like to learn more about at Emerging Producers and strengthen my international network.

What projects do you have underway (including fiction films and other projects)?
Currently I have the following projects underway:

Hope is a Word – full length documentary – spring/summer 2026
Poet and activist Nnimmo Bassey has spent his life fighting the devastation caused by oil extraction in the Niger Delta. Wondering who will carry on the struggle in a climate of violence and division, he decides to bring together young activists to write poetry. The film unfolds through intimate encounters against a ravaged landscape as the young poets find their voice and the courage to use it.

Grete and the Cuban Pianist – full length documentary – spring/summer 2026
Grete (60) has always dreamed of becoming a singer. After a concert with The Byron Quartet, she strikes up a conversation with pianist Aruán Ortiz, who invites her to record an album in New York. But just after the album’s release and a series of concerts in Cuba – when Grete is finally living the life she has always dreamed of – her life suddenly takes a new and life-changing turn.

I am also in the early stages of other projects as producer/co-producer:

The Ferry Man: After fleeing the war in Ukraine, many refugees have found safety in Norway. But for some, the journey ends abruptly in death, leaving their families behind with both grief and practical challenges. Paul Smines gives them one final journey home – and a grave for their loved ones to visit.

The Generation Experiment: What happens when young and old live side by side – sharing spaces, activities, and everyday life? Can intergenerational living reduce loneliness among seniors while giving young people access to life experience and hard-earned wisdom? In the documentary series The Generation Experiment, we explore this at Marineholmen in Bergen, where senior apartments and student housing will come together under one roof in 2027.

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EMERGING PRODUCERS is a leading promotional and educational project, which brings together talented European documentary film producers. The programme is organised and curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.

Deadline for applications to the EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027 edition is 31st March 2026.