Håvard Bustnes (1973) has directed and produced documentaries for more than 20 years. He is based in Trondheim where he is a founding member and co-owner of the production company UpNorth Film. Bustnes made his international breakthrough with the feature documentary "Big John" (2008) which won several awards, including the Amanda Award, Best Nordic Documentary at Nordic Panorama in Malmö, The Golden Chair in Grimstad, and The Crystal Heart Award in USA. After this, his movies "Health Factory" (2010), "Two Raging Grannies" (2013), and "Golden Dawn Girls" (2017) have been screened at more then 100 film festivals, won awards and nominations at notable film festivals like IDFA and Hot Docs, and have been broadcast at television and cinemas worldwide. His latest feature "Name of the Game" (2021) premiered at IDFA in Amsterdam, which is the worlds biggest documentary film festival.
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Biography from TMDB.
- September 15, 1973 (53)
- Oslo, Norway
- Director, producer and writer
- 5 on MovieCove · 14 credits in all
What are Håvard Bustnes' films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 2
Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 2
Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Håvard Bustnes' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Håvard Bustnes' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
14 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.
Let Our Mountains Live(2026)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
My AI Election (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
The Gardener, the Buddhist & the Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Phantoms of the Sierra Madre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Behind the Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Norwegian Dream(2023)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Privacy of Wounds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Golden Dawn Girls(2017)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Venus(2016)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Two Raging Grannies(2013)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Health Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Big John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Positive Mental Attitude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Career shape
A full career of 13 titles from 2007 to 2026.
How do Håvard Bustnes' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 5; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th3
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 5 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Mixed1
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Håvard Bustnes work with?
People who share at least 2 of Håvard Bustnes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anders Teigen shares the most, 3.
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Anders TeigenShared titles: Let Our Mountains Live (2026), Golden Dawn Girls (2017), Two Raging Grannies (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Anders Teigen
- Jonas ColstrupShared titles: Let Our Mountains Live (2026), Golden Dawn Girls (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Jonas Colstrup
- Viggo KnudsenShared titles: Golden Dawn Girls (2017), Two Raging Grannies (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Viggo Knudsen
- Ola KvernbergShared titles: Venus (2016), Two Raging Grannies (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Ola Kvernberg
Producers
- Jesper JackShared titles: Golden Dawn Girls (2017), Venus (2016), Two Raging Grannies (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Jesper Jack
- Torstein PareliusShared titles: Let Our Mountains Live (2026), Golden Dawn Girls (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Torstein Parelius
- Christian Aune FalchShared titles: Golden Dawn Girls (2017), Two Raging Grannies (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Christian Aune Falch