BIO

Aren Hansen is an editor and filmmaker living in Toronto, Ontario. Over the past ten years, his work has ranged from dramatic features to documentary shorts, from sketch comedy to charitable PSAs and even one sock puppet opera, THE PERFECT MATCH.

ONLY (dir. Ingrid Veninger/Simon Reynolds), the feature film he edited last summer recently screened in competition at Slamdance 09, earlier screening at the Toronto Int. Film Festival, the Vancouver Int. Film Festival, Rome 08 and winning the Audience Choice Award at Australia's Possible Worlds Film Festival. Last year, a Canadian Film Centre project, SONG OF SLOMON (dir. Emmanuel Shirinian) made it's U.S. premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2006 Hansen had two beloved bikes stolen and was inspired to direct a short documentary cursing bike thieves. WHITE VANS premiered at the Atlantic Film Festival and went on to Hot Docs, the Vancouver Int. Film Festival, Cinequest San Jose, Brooklyn's Rooftop Film Festival, Upsalla Sweden and a dozen others. In late 2008, Aren travelled to New York and began work on six short documentaries to be weaved into a contemporary dance performance titled, AROUND THE BLOCK (choreographer Day Helesic), which premiered in March at Vancouver, the first of a four city Canada tour.

Aren recently finished editing 13 episodes of the premiere season of HOTBOX (creative prod. Vivieno Caldinelli), a crazy sketch comedy show airing now on the Comedy Network. He also just finished CHEMERICAL (dir. Andrew Nisker), a film about a family transitioning to natural household products and the toxins that we're all exposed to every day.

Currently, Aren is completing MODRA, a feature drama by Ingrid Veninger. It's the story of two 17 year olds finding their way through a difficult time in their lives. Shot in Slovakia using a majority of non-english speaking locals, the film is already being described as 'Herzogian'.

Aren grew up in Vancouver, spending most of his time making music and films; Terry Gilliam and Jimmy Page were his storytellers of choice. He studied audio engineering and 3D animation before setting off on a trip around the Middle East at 20. He returned, picked up the camera again, and immediately won Vancouver's 24-Hour Film Contest. He spent the next few years working as a freelance editor with many great Vancouver directors before joining Gemini Award winning director Tony Papa at Avanti Pictures for three years. Aren moved to Toronto in 2006 to attend the Canadian Film Centre's advanced Editors' Lab training program and loves it here.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
contact Aren for a complete CV

FILM

‘Modra’
Dramatic Feature
Producer, pUNK films
Director, Ingrid Veninger
in post production

‘Only’
Dramatic Feature
Producer, pUNK films
Director, Ingrid Veninger, Simon Reynolds
Official Selection: Slamdance, TIFF, VIFF, Rome, others

‘A Life Less Gone’ (in post-production)
Dramatic feature
Producer, Lou Toucci
Director, Jason Lupish

‘Night’
18 min. dramatic
Producer, Jennifer Mesich/Mark Montefiore/CFC
Director, Dylan Akio Smith

‘Song of Slomon’
16 min. dramatic
Producer, Tara Boire/CFC
Director, Emmanuel Shirinian
Official Selection: Tribeca, Montreal, others

 

TELEVISION AND DOCUMENTARY

‘Hotbox’
(13) 22 min. sketch comedy
S & S Productions, Comedy Network

‘Chemerical’
Documentary feature
Producer, Andrew Nisker, Take Action Films

‘The Adrenaline Project’
(2) 22min. adventure/reality
Marble Media, YTV

'Doug’s Stuff'
8 min comedy
Agincourt Productions/CTV

'White Vans'
13 min. documentary
Producer, Reva Quam/NFB
Director, Aren Hansen
Official Selection: Hot Docs, VIFF, AFF, Cinequest, others

‘WordLove WorldLove’
44 min. documentary
Producer, Avanti Pictures
Director, Tony Papa
TVO, MChannel

‘The Sharing Farm’
15 min. documentary
Producer, Michael Gazetas
Director, Keith Behrman

‘E! News Weekend’
(2) 22 min. news/entertainment
CanWest/Global