Leo Behrens is an award-winning Norwegian cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He was the writer, director, and cinematographer of the short film SKIN, which won the Gold Medal at the 2023 Student Academy Awards and earned him a mentorship through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. SKIN has won 9 awards, been nominated for 20 awards, and screened at over 50 film festivals, including AFI FEST, Newport Beach, and Oldenburg Film Festival. It also won Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Cinematography Awards 2023, Best Cinematography at Gem FEST 2024, and was shortlisted for the Iris Prize 2024.

 

Leo was the cinematographer of the documentary Evan Ever After, which won the Audience Award for Best Florida Short at the Oscar-qualifying Florida Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best Short Doc at the Oscar-qualifying Out On Film Atlanta in 2023. The film was also showcased at Outfest, HollyShorts, InsideOut Film Festival Toronto, and numerous other international festivals.

 

Leo is an associate member of both the Norwegian Society of Cinematographers (FNF) and the Society of Camera Operators (SOC) in the U.S, and he is represented by Zero Gravity Management. He earned his cinematography degree from the American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI) in 2023 and was selected for The ASC Vision Mentorship Program. As an ASC Vision mentee, Leo was awarded the 2024 Fresh Perspective in Cinematography Grant, sponsored by The ASC, ARRI, and AbelCine. He used the grant to shoot the feature film Shadow Watchers in spring 2024 and later presented a clip of the movie at CineGear LA 2024.

 

Before attending AFI, Leo built his career as a cinematographer in Norway, working on major TV productions after graduating from Westerdals Film & TV Norway (2010). Early in his career, his short documentary Historien om deg og meg won the prestigious Gullkalven Award, Norway’s equivalent of the Student Academy Awards. He was also the cinematographer for Season 2 of the documentary series Født i Feil Kropp, which won Best Documentary Series at the Gullruten Awards —Norway’s equivalent of the Emmys, for it's first season. Additionally, he was the Director of Photography for multiple episodes across three seasons of Klassen, a popular Scandinavian narrative TV series filmed in Norway and part of a larger franchise recognized among young adult audiences in Scandinavia.

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Leo is passionate about telling thought-provoking stories that challenge conventional perspectives. He gravitates toward drama, psychological thriller, magical realism, mystery, art house and science fiction, crafting narratives that push boundaries and engage audiences with fresh, unique perspectives. Being a transgender filmmaker, Leo is also passionate about exploring LGBTQ themes across different genres, but his creative pursuits span a wide array of storytelling genres.