Piraya Film AS is an independent Norwegian production company that makes creative, political and philosophical documentary films for worldwide distribution. Piraya Film was established in 1999 with the vision to create artistic documentary films of high international standard and of great social and political importance. The company has worked strategically over the years to ensure our independence, and to ensure that the films we release have the best possible platform for word-wide distribution.
In Piraya Film, we strive to make significant films only. Acknowledging this simple choice is essential to understanding our principles as well as how we work. The conscientious decision to not take any «easy roads» is the foundation from where all our other priorities stem. This influences the projects we select, the way we structure our company and our sister companies and, importantly, our choice of partners.
Since 2004, Piraya Film has had a focus on human rights and freedom of expression related issues under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, as well as in war and warlike situations. Films have been shot in countries like Somalia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Burundi and Tanzania. Under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions, the company has succeeded in delivering films like Mogadishu Soldier, The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes, Inside Fur, Love City Jalalabad, Russian Lessons, Gulabi Gang, Yodok Stories, Back to the Square, Belarusian Waltz and On a Tightrope.
Piraya Film has recently co-produced a number of films with international partners, like The Look of Silence and The Act of Killing (Final Cut for Real), The Great European Cigarette Mystery (Sonntag Pictures), Forever Pure (Duckin' and Divin' Films), Tutti a Casa – Power to the People? and My Afghanistan (Magic Hour Films), TPB AFK (Nonami), Dance of Outlaws (Illume), Pushwagner (Indie Film), Farewell Comrades! and Digital Dissidents (Gebrueder Beetz). There are currently several ongoing, ambitious co-productions.

Torstein Grude (born 1971) is one of Europe's most prolific documentary filmmakers. He is a film writer, director, cinematographer, creative producer, co-producer and executive producer dedicated to the creation of documentary films with the potential for global impact. His films are most often political and philosophical, and deal with human rights or gender related issues as well as spiritual and cognitive liberties. All of Grude's endeavours are based in love and with a strong sense of spirituality, solidarity and justice, and a wish to make the world better for all its living beings.
Documentary films with Grude's involvement the last decade include titles such as Angels Are Made of Light (2018), Raghu Rai: an Unframed Portrait (2017), The Great European Cigarette Mystery (2017), Raghu Rai (2017), The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes (2016), Mogadishu Soldier (2016), Forever Pure (2016), Digital Dissidents (2015), Snow Monkey (2015), Inside Fur (2014), The Look of Silence (2014), Love City, Jalalabad (2013), TPB AFK (2013), Gulabi Gang (2012), The Act of Killing (2012), Back to the Square (2012), Dance of Outlaws (2012), Farewell Comrades! TV series (2011), Pushwagner (2011), Russian Lessons (2010), Discoveries of a Marionette (2009), Yodok Stories (2008), Belarusian Waltz (2007) and On a Tightrope (2007).
These films have received more than 200 awards and honourable mentions, and additionally many nominations, including two Oscars, three Asia Pacific Screen Awards (one win), three European Academy Awards (one win) and three Emmys

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Andrei Nekrasov is a Russian-born film, TV and theatre director and writer.
Nekrasov studied acting and directing at the Drama, Music and Film Institute in his native Leningrad; then philosophy and comparative literature at the University of Paris (Paris VII and Paris VIII) taking a DEA (pre-doctoral) degree. He completed a filmmaking course at Bristol University Post-Graduate Film School (RFT) in 1986.
In 1985 he assisted Andrei Tarkovsky during the filming and editing of the director's last film, "The Sacrifice". Nekrasov went on to make internationally co-produced films and arts TV programmes (notably "A Russia of One's Own", "Pasternak", "Prokofiev, the Prodigal Son", "Children's Stories: Chechnya" etc.). His first drama short "Springing Lenin" (1993) won a prize at Cannes Film Festival (in the Critic's Week section) that year. In 1997 his first feature "Love is as Strong as Death" won the FIPRESCI (International Critics') prize at Mannheim film festival. The director's second feature, "Lubov and Other Nightmares" (2001) was presented in two sections at Sundance FF in 2002 and won recognition at many festivals all over the world (notably Berlin FF).
Nekrasov's well known political documentaries include "Disbelief" (about Moscow terror attacks), "Rebellion, the Litvinenko Case" (in the U.S. "Poisoned by Pollonium - the Litvinenko File") and "Russian Lessons" (about Georgian-Russian war 2008). In 2011 Nekrasov directed a 6-part series "Farewell Comrades" broadcast in more than 20 countries (Grimme Prize 2012).
Nekrasov's other documentary series, "In Search of Putin's Russia" made for Al Jazeera (English) was praised for its balance and thoughtfulness.
Nekrasov's German theatre productions (of his own plays) include "Koenigsberg" at the Volksbühne in Berlin, and "Der Spieler" at Euro Theater Central in Bonn.
Nekrasov's book "The Magnitsky Case. Who is behind the new cold war?" was published by Eksmo in Russian in 2017.

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