Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Simon Lereng Wilmont graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2009 as a documentary filmmaker. His first feature documentary "The Distant Barking of Dogs" (2017), premiered at IDFA, and received the Best Appearance Award. It has since won over 35 awards worldwide, including the McBaine Documentary Feature Award at the SFFILM festival in San Francisco, and has been nominated for a European Film Award (2018), an Emmy (2020) and shortlisted for an Academy Award (2019). The film also won a Peabody Award (2020). As a director, his credits include "Dormitory Master" (2009), "Above Ground", "Beneath the Sky" (2008), "Chikara – The Sumo Wrestler's Son" (2013), and "The Fencing Champion" (2014).