Biography
Øystein Karlsen is the writer and director behind the Norwegian hit series DAG, the film Fuck Up, and the Netflix Original Lilyhammer Season 3. Seasons 1 through 4 of DAG have all been immediate hits with audiences and have earned glowing reviews from a diverse range of critics, who praised Karlsen's darkly written, warm, absurd comedy and his innovative filmmaking style. Karlsen began his career as a carpenter, then at 21, he bluffed his way into becoming a radio host. He later led the marketing department at NRK, Norway's public broadcaster, but left that role due to a dislike of lengthy meetings to focus on writing scripts and directing. DAG has garnered an impressive 26 Norwegian Emmy nominations and 11 wins, setting a record. Karlsen’s feature film debut, Fuck Up, premiered on February 5, 2012, to excellent reviews. The low-budget film was immediately hailed as "pick of the year" by two leading Norwegian newspapers. Following screenings at US festivals, the American film magazine Twitch Film named it the top film of 2012 and listed Karlsen among the top five emerging directors to watch in 2013. The movie was officially selected for international film festivals in Seattle, Emden, Mexico City, Budapest, Prague, Austin, and Transylvania. Between DAG’s third and fourth seasons, Karlsen directed four episodes of the Netflix Original Lilyhammer and edited those episodes while writing the final season of DAG. The series DAG has been sold to 19 countries and premiered in the UK in August 2016 to strong acclaim. The fourth season premiered in September 2015 in Norway, where it was hailed as "a giant leap for Norwegian drama" by the nation’s leading newspaper. In the UK, both The Independent and The Guardian included the series in their top five shows to watch in Britain in 2015, across all channels and series.
