Ismaele Tortella

Documentary filmmaker and wildlife director based in Tromsø, Norway.

Ismaele began his career as a wildlife photographer, publishing photojournalism in international magazines and being a finalist in international photography competitions (Nikon, National Geographic, Photo Montier, Nature Namur).
He moved to Tromsø and began working as an Arctic filmmaker and documentary director. His first short documentary has won awards at several international film festivals and has been broadcast on Italian national television (RAI).
“Arctic Blue,” supported by NFI, NNFS, FFN, and VestNorsk, is Ismaele’s first feature-length documentary and is currently in production. It was developed within the framework of the Esodoc and Documentary Campus programs. He was shortlisted for The Whickers Award 2023, won the Below Zero Award at North Pitch 2024, and won the National Geographic WildPitch Award at WildScreen 2024. In 2025, he will premiere his new short documentary, “Stone Biter: Saving the Arctic Sea Forests,” made possible by the My World Film Grant, in collaboration with Jackson Wild, Schoolyard Films, and Amberjack.
He currently works as a freelance cinematographer and drone pilot for national and international productions such as BBC NHU, Silverback, Plimsoll, Deepsea, and DocLights. His documentaries are broadcast on platforms including BBC Studios, Netflix, National Geographic, SVT, NDR, and ORF.