Katrin Pors of Denmark’s Snowglobe and Jussi Rantamaki of Finland’s Aamu Film Company are among the 12 producers selected for Ace Leadership Special, the business workshop hosted by the Ace Producers network.
The 2024 edition will take place in Bergen in the Netherlands in June and Mallorca in Spain in September, with online elements over the summer.
Scroll down for the full Ace Leadership 2024 selection
Danish producer Pors produced Hlynur Palmason’s Cannes 2022 title Godland, which became Iceland’s entry for the best international feature award at the 2024 Oscars. Her other credits include Jonas Carpignano’s A Chiara, Dagur Kari...
The 2024 edition will take place in Bergen in the Netherlands in June and Mallorca in Spain in September, with online elements over the summer.
Scroll down for the full Ace Leadership 2024 selection
Danish producer Pors produced Hlynur Palmason’s Cannes 2022 title Godland, which became Iceland’s entry for the best international feature award at the 2024 Oscars. Her other credits include Jonas Carpignano’s A Chiara, Dagur Kari...
- 4/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mike Mills’ A24 film C’mon C’mon triumphed at the 2021 EnergaCamerimage Film Festival, celebrating the art of cinematography—claiming its high honor, the Golden Frog, along with its Audience Award.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan’s Golden Frog win gives him new momentum as a 2022 Oscar contender, on the heels of his first nomination in 2019 for his work on Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite. While only handful of past winners since the festival’s founding in 1993 have gone on to secure the Best Cinematography Oscar, 12 of 30 have nabbed nominations. And over the last eight years, 5 winners have gone on to nominations—most recently, Joshua James Richards with Nomadland, and Lawrence Sher with Joker.
In Mills’ film, which opened in theaters across North America yesterday, Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, a radio journalist whose latest project has him interviewing children across the U.S. about the state of affairs in the world. Johnny forges a tenuous...
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan’s Golden Frog win gives him new momentum as a 2022 Oscar contender, on the heels of his first nomination in 2019 for his work on Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite. While only handful of past winners since the festival’s founding in 1993 have gone on to secure the Best Cinematography Oscar, 12 of 30 have nabbed nominations. And over the last eight years, 5 winners have gone on to nominations—most recently, Joshua James Richards with Nomadland, and Lawrence Sher with Joker.
In Mills’ film, which opened in theaters across North America yesterday, Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, a radio journalist whose latest project has him interviewing children across the U.S. about the state of affairs in the world. Johnny forges a tenuous...
- 11/20/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Life on the road and fantasy worlds held sway at the 29th edition of the EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival on Saturday, winning big after a week of scaled down but enthusiastic industry events, seminars and screenings celebrating cinematography.
“C’mon C’mon,” shot by Robbie Ryan and directed by Mike Mills, won this year’s Golden Frog. The film, which tells the story of a radio journalist driving between American cities with his nine-year-old nephew Jesse, enchanted jurors with its black-and-white imagery, one of several top contenders in monochrome.
Ryan, praised for his “precise and humble eye” and “cinema that touches the soul,” accepted via video from a film set in Hungary, calling “C’mon C’mon” a “small film,” made just prior to the Covid pandemic by a crew “traveling around like a circus.”
Buzz built early on during the fest for Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” shot by Bruno Delbonnel,...
“C’mon C’mon,” shot by Robbie Ryan and directed by Mike Mills, won this year’s Golden Frog. The film, which tells the story of a radio journalist driving between American cities with his nine-year-old nephew Jesse, enchanted jurors with its black-and-white imagery, one of several top contenders in monochrome.
Ryan, praised for his “precise and humble eye” and “cinema that touches the soul,” accepted via video from a film set in Hungary, calling “C’mon C’mon” a “small film,” made just prior to the Covid pandemic by a crew “traveling around like a circus.”
Buzz built early on during the fest for Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” shot by Bruno Delbonnel,...
- 11/20/2021
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Penned by Danish screenwriter Kim Fupz Aakeson (“Dancers”), HBO Europe’s new show “Welcome to Utmark” is one buzzy contender for this year’s Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize, whose announcement on Feb. 3 marks one highlight at the Göteborg Festival TV Drama Vision.
The eight-part series, produced by Norway’s Paradox, represents a clear bell-weather to HBO Europe’s ambitions for Scandinavia, mixing some of the finest talent in the region, led by Icelandic director Dagur Kári (“Virgin Mountain”) and lensed by Norwegian Dp Andreas Johannessen.
The result is a modern Western, set on the northern margins of Norway, on Sami territory where breathtaking landscape often steals the show. Dramatic opening shots of a sweeping barren landscape set the scene for the viewer. This is a tale set on the edges of civilization – as it is conceived by most Norwegians, and Utmark is a frontier town. Its inhabitants are often caricatured,...
The eight-part series, produced by Norway’s Paradox, represents a clear bell-weather to HBO Europe’s ambitions for Scandinavia, mixing some of the finest talent in the region, led by Icelandic director Dagur Kári (“Virgin Mountain”) and lensed by Norwegian Dp Andreas Johannessen.
The result is a modern Western, set on the northern margins of Norway, on Sami territory where breathtaking landscape often steals the show. Dramatic opening shots of a sweeping barren landscape set the scene for the viewer. This is a tale set on the edges of civilization – as it is conceived by most Norwegians, and Utmark is a frontier town. Its inhabitants are often caricatured,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Emiliano Granada
- Variety Film + TV
Titles backed or produced by HBO Europe (“Welcome to Utmark”), NBCU (“Sisterhood”), Fremantle (“Cargo”) and ITV Studios (“Thin Blue Line”) have been nominated for the 5th Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize, the most prestigious Nordic award for drama series screenwriting.
In a powerful smackdown, a fifth series, “Cry Wolf,” is produced by Dr Drama, the Danish producer of Nordic Noir icons “The Killing” and “The Bridge” as well as “Borgen.”
Adding another edge to competition, the five contenders are produced by companies based in the five main Nordic countries and backed by three of its biggest public broadcasters, Sweden’s Svt, Denmark’s Dr and Finland’s Yle, as well as pan-Nordic pay TV giant Viaplay, part of the Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent).
The winner of the award, which goes to the main writer, will be announced on Feb. 3 at Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival during its TV Drama Vision,...
In a powerful smackdown, a fifth series, “Cry Wolf,” is produced by Dr Drama, the Danish producer of Nordic Noir icons “The Killing” and “The Bridge” as well as “Borgen.”
Adding another edge to competition, the five contenders are produced by companies based in the five main Nordic countries and backed by three of its biggest public broadcasters, Sweden’s Svt, Denmark’s Dr and Finland’s Yle, as well as pan-Nordic pay TV giant Viaplay, part of the Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent).
The winner of the award, which goes to the main writer, will be announced on Feb. 3 at Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival during its TV Drama Vision,...
- 12/18/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
As it continues pulling into the Nordic drama talent pool, HBO Europe has ordered the Norwegian original “Wilderness” (“Utmark” ), an eight-part series created and written by Kim Fupz Aakeson (“In Order of Disappearance”). The award-winning Icelandic director Dagur Kári (“Virgin Mountain”) is helming all eight episodes of the series.
“Wilderness” is a quirky comedy drama set in a small Norwegian town a little north of the middle of nowhere, and revolving around a corrupt sheriff, an alcoholic shepherd, a nature-loving bootlegger, a God-hating pastor and a grieving pimp. The HBO Europe original drama is produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein Kvae at Paradox.
“(‘Wilderness’) is bold, at times totally hilarious – and human all the way,” said Hanne Palmquist, the commissioning editor and VP original programming at HBO Nordic. “Kim Fupz has created an original bunch of flawed yet wonderful characters living in a far-flung place where civilization is a choice rather than a given,...
“Wilderness” is a quirky comedy drama set in a small Norwegian town a little north of the middle of nowhere, and revolving around a corrupt sheriff, an alcoholic shepherd, a nature-loving bootlegger, a God-hating pastor and a grieving pimp. The HBO Europe original drama is produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein Kvae at Paradox.
“(‘Wilderness’) is bold, at times totally hilarious – and human all the way,” said Hanne Palmquist, the commissioning editor and VP original programming at HBO Nordic. “Kim Fupz has created an original bunch of flawed yet wonderful characters living in a far-flung place where civilization is a choice rather than a given,...
- 7/5/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Kim Fupz Aakeson, writer of Liam Neeson feature Cold Pursuit, has created a quirky Norwegian comedy for HBO Europe. The premium broadcaster has commissioned eight-part series Utmark/Wilderness, which will be directed by Dagur Kári, director of Paul Dano’s The Good Heart.
Aakeson is also behind AMC’s David Schwimmer drama Feed The Beast, which was based on his Danish series Bankerot. It is produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein Kvae at Paradox.
Utmark/Wilderness is a quirky comedy drama set in a small Norwegian town a little north of the middle of nowhere. A sheep lies savaged. A dog runs free. A wife leaves her husband. So begins a chain of revenge that entangles a whole town. Corrupt sheriff, alcoholic shepherd, nature-loving bootlegger, God-hating pastor, grieving pimp…everyone knows everyone in this secluded corner of the Nordic North. Now an optimistic new school teacher rolls in, hopeful for a fresh start.
Aakeson is also behind AMC’s David Schwimmer drama Feed The Beast, which was based on his Danish series Bankerot. It is produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein Kvae at Paradox.
Utmark/Wilderness is a quirky comedy drama set in a small Norwegian town a little north of the middle of nowhere. A sheep lies savaged. A dog runs free. A wife leaves her husband. So begins a chain of revenge that entangles a whole town. Corrupt sheriff, alcoholic shepherd, nature-loving bootlegger, God-hating pastor, grieving pimp…everyone knows everyone in this secluded corner of the Nordic North. Now an optimistic new school teacher rolls in, hopeful for a fresh start.
- 7/5/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
It is the first time a Norwegian feature has won the prestigious $52,000 prize.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s English-language family drama Louder Than Bombs has won the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize.
The Dkk 350,000 ($52,000) prize will be shared between Trier, writer Eskil Vogt and producer Thomas Robsahm in recognition of the fact film-making is a collaboration between a director, writer and producer.
The Nordic Council is an inter-parliamentary body fostering cooperation between the Nordic territories including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Every year it awards prizes in five artistic categories including cinema, literature and music.
Louder than Bombs is the 13th recipient of the award and the first Norwegian feature to in the prize. Last year’s winner was Iceland’s Dagur Kári with Virgin Mountain (Fúsi).
Prince Frederik of Denmark presented the award at the autumn session of the Nordic Council, which is currently being held in Copenhagen.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s English-language family drama Louder Than Bombs has won the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize.
The Dkk 350,000 ($52,000) prize will be shared between Trier, writer Eskil Vogt and producer Thomas Robsahm in recognition of the fact film-making is a collaboration between a director, writer and producer.
The Nordic Council is an inter-parliamentary body fostering cooperation between the Nordic territories including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Every year it awards prizes in five artistic categories including cinema, literature and music.
Louder than Bombs is the 13th recipient of the award and the first Norwegian feature to in the prize. Last year’s winner was Iceland’s Dagur Kári with Virgin Mountain (Fúsi).
Prince Frederik of Denmark presented the award at the autumn session of the Nordic Council, which is currently being held in Copenhagen.
- 11/2/2016
- ScreenDaily
It is the first time a Norwegian feature has won the prestigious $52,000 prize.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s English-language family drama Louder Than Bombs has won the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize.
The Dkk 350,000 ($52,000) prize will be shared between Trier, writer Eskil Vogt and producer Thomas Robsahm in recognition of the fact film-making is a collaboration between a director, writer and producer.
The Nordic Council is an inter-parliamentary body fostering cooperation between the Nordic territories including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Every year it awards prizes in five artistic categories including cinema, literature and music.
Louder than Bombs is the 13th recipient of the award and the first Norwegian feature to in the prize. Last year’s winner was Iceland’s Dagur Kári with Virgin Mountain (Fúsi).
Prince Frederik of Denmark presented the award at the autumn session of the Nordic Council, which is currently being held in Copenhagen.
Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s English-language family drama Louder Than Bombs has won the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize.
The Dkk 350,000 ($52,000) prize will be shared between Trier, writer Eskil Vogt and producer Thomas Robsahm in recognition of the fact film-making is a collaboration between a director, writer and producer.
The Nordic Council is an inter-parliamentary body fostering cooperation between the Nordic territories including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Every year it awards prizes in five artistic categories including cinema, literature and music.
Louder than Bombs is the 13th recipient of the award and the first Norwegian feature to in the prize. Last year’s winner was Iceland’s Dagur Kári with Virgin Mountain (Fúsi).
Prince Frederik of Denmark presented the award at the autumn session of the Nordic Council, which is currently being held in Copenhagen.
- 11/2/2016
- ScreenDaily
Joachim Trier’s drama Louder Than Bombs won four prizes including Best Director, while The Wave scooped Best Film.Scroll down for full list
Joachim Trier’s Louder than Bombs [pictured] starring Jesse Eisenberg and Gabriel Byrne won four Amanda awards at the 44th Norwegian Film Festival (Aug 20-16), including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
In 2015, the film was the first Norwegian feature to play in competition at Cannes for 36 years.
Marking the first English language film made by Trier, Louder Than Bombs follows a father and his two sons who are made to come to terms with the death of their mother, a notable war photographer.
Roar Uthaug’s The Wave took the night’s top prize, Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release. Submitted by Norway to last year’s Academy Awards for the best foreign-language category, it depicts the 1934 Tafjord Tsunami which resulted in the death of 40 people.
Rune Denstad Langlo’s [link...
Joachim Trier’s Louder than Bombs [pictured] starring Jesse Eisenberg and Gabriel Byrne won four Amanda awards at the 44th Norwegian Film Festival (Aug 20-16), including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.
In 2015, the film was the first Norwegian feature to play in competition at Cannes for 36 years.
Marking the first English language film made by Trier, Louder Than Bombs follows a father and his two sons who are made to come to terms with the death of their mother, a notable war photographer.
Roar Uthaug’s The Wave took the night’s top prize, Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release. Submitted by Norway to last year’s Academy Awards for the best foreign-language category, it depicts the 1934 Tafjord Tsunami which resulted in the death of 40 people.
Rune Denstad Langlo’s [link...
- 8/30/2016
- ScreenDaily
Rough tenderness forged from a life of silent hard work and self-imposed isolation is the defining quality of Grímur Hákonarson’s
characters and the trials they endure in “Rams,” a story about brotherly love gone awry set in the vast Icelandic countryside mostly populated by highly-regarded sheep. As is often the case with Scandinavian cinema, the film’s narrative is enhanced by its clever and precise use of dark and dry humor. However, Hákonarson’s rural portrayal of a relationship in need of mending is grounded on compelling human interpersonal afflictions, which serves as a sensible vehicle for the comedy to be delivered.
During a local competition between sheep farmers, Gummi, a levelheaded man who enjoys the pleasures of solitude, notices that his brother Kiddi’s most precious ram shows signs of a scrapie, a deadly and infectious disease that can kill entire flocks. Though the simplest way to ensure the safety of everyone’s sheep would be to talk to his brother, Gummi is aware this is not a viable path because, despite living on the same property they entire lives, they haven’t spoken in several decades. The looming possibility of losing their shared livelihood will widen the emotional gap between the two, one that can only be resolved if they join forces against the mortal virus and the authorities. Authentically Icelandic in content and execution, "Rams" was Iceland's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.
In our recent conversation with the Cannes-winning Icelandic filmmakers, Hákonarson discussed the relationship between the location and the film's visual approach, his homelands deeply ingrained love for sheep, the emerging local film industry, and the casting process to find the right four-legged stars for "Rams."
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the importance of sheep in Icelandic culture. Why do you think Icelandic people relate to these animals in such endearing fashion? They seem to not only be part of the pastoral lifestyle but of their interpersonal relationships.
Grímur Hákonarson: When the first settlers came to Iceland, the Vikings who came from Norway, they brought the sheep with them. Sheep were the main livelihood throughout the centuries. They used the wool for clothing and the meat and milk to feed themselves. It was their main livelihood. We didn’t have so many cows. People ate or use every part of the sheep except the anus. The anus was the only part people didn’t utilize. It stayed that way until the 20th century. Older people lived in farms until the 19th century and then it totally changed. Now older people live in the cities. There is this historical and cultural connection between Icelandic people and sheep. The farmers take the sheep to the highlands in the spring, then they have a competition, they hang around drinking and singing songs about sheep, so there is definitely a culture around sheep. But there also seems to be some kind of unexplained spiritual connection between farmers and their sheep. Many farmers say they relate in a stronger emotional way to sheep than to cows. Numerous farmers have told me this. I know farmers that have lost their sheep because of scrapie, and even though they had horses and cows, it was somehow much more difficult for them to get over losing their sheep.
CA: What was the motivation for using a story of two estrange brothers to tackle this singular aspect about Icelandic culture? Was any part of the premise based on actual events or stories you heard from people who made a living as sheep farmers?
Grímur Hákonarson: The film is based on a true story that my father told me years ago about two brothers who lived on the same land next to each other for 40 years and didn’t speak. I thought that story was interesting. I think it’s very Icelandic and it describes us a bit as a nation being an island and being isolated. People tend to be very independent and nationalistic. I also thought these idea could be a tragicomedy. The basic idea of these brothers is funny and sad at the same time. It’s sad that they don’t speak, but it’s also unique situation. I though that was interesting, and on the other hand I also wanted to make a film about this relationship with sheep, so I combined these two ideas.
CA: Both brothers seem to very territorial and they use concrete, not always well-intentioned, acts rather than using language to express their feelings.
Grímur Hákonarson: The reason they don’t speak to each other, of course, is because they don’t need to speak to each other. They act more than they talk. They rather speak to the sheep and they become very close with them. That’s also the reason there is not a lot of dialogue in the movie. It’s told mainly through images and through actions. The story I’m telling affected the filmmaking process in a way because it creates a unique kind of atmosphere. I was trying to capture life in this part of the world, which is kind of slow and relaxed. People live alongside sheep. The visual style of the film is also a bit slow-paced. This visual style is also trying to capture this way of living and its atmosphere.
CA: Did you based these two brothers on real life characters in the story your father told you, were they the result of different traits from people you know, or were they entirely fictitious? Once you have brought them to life on paper, how challenging was it to match them with the right actors?
Grímur Hákonarson: I had some prototypes to base them on. The real life characters died in the 90s because it’s an old story. I never met them, but I had some prototypes based on a pair of brothers I know. These brothers were living together and they were good friends, but they were very different characters. One of them was an introverts and the other was more of an extrovert. One was an alcoholic and the other was more feminine and cleaned and took care of things. I used these guys as prototypes for the characters, and when I selected the actors I knew the actor a little bit and I knew they shared some personality elements with the characters. In a way they were typed-cast both mentally and physically, Sigurður Sigurjónsson who plays Gummi is a small guy, and Theodór Júlíusson, who plays Kiddi, looks more macho and is bigger. They were physically and mentally perfect for the roles. I think that’s a good thing when you are picking an actor. It's important that the actor has experienced something similar or knows something about the inner emotions of the character.
CA: Loneliness comes across as an underlying theme in "Rams." These brothers who live so close to each other are still very lonely by choice. Is this concept something that you decisively considered when creating the characters?
Grímur Hákonarson: Of course, that makes it really tragic. They actually need to talk to each other but they are so stubborn that they never call a mediator or psychiatrist. The dog is the only link between them. Of course there is loneliness. Gummi, the main character, I think he is an introvert and he enjoys his life a lot. He enjoys his life, he is not unhappy. He is quite satisfied with his life, but his older brother is not and that’s because of this division of the land. He is unhappy. The idea was that the older brother Kiddi had had some girlfriends or wives before, but they got sick of him and moved out. Gummi, on the hand, was kind of this puritan who had never had any sex in his life. This loneliness is one of the reasons we shot on CinemaScope with anamorphic lenses. Also, the framing, which is kind of wide and static, was trying to capture this loneliness. They live lonely lives.
CA: In terms of the visual style and your decisions regarding the film's cinematography, how did the landscape and the nature of the story influenced these choices?
Grímur Hákonarson: The characters are living very close to nature and they spend a lot of time on the field with the sheep, so we wanted to capture the landscape and the nature around them and to connect them to it. That’s why we shot it using anamorphic lenses. I think 10 years ago we probably would have shot it on 35mm or 16mm because it’s that kind of film. It’s about these old farmers stuck in the past and it takes place in nature, so we tried to imitate this film look with the anamorphic lenses. The look of the film it’s a bit like a Western, if it had cows perhaps they would look like cowboys. We might have been a bit inspired by a movie like “There Will Be Blood.” There are some shots and scenes in “Rams” that were shot very similarly to those in “There Will Be Blood.” It’s an Icelandic Western with sheep and guns.
CA: I'm curious to know how was the casting process and working dynamic with the sheep. They are the stars of the film. Were they difficult to work with in a film like ths in which they play a very integral part? How did you know which sheep were the right ones to appear on camera?
Grímur Hákonarson: The most important thing was to find the right sheep. We had to select the right sheep and we did sheep casting. We saw a lot of sheep because the sheep that were living on the farm were too afraid of people. They would just ran away from you. We then found these sheep that looked really pretty because they are a good breed, but they were also very calm and they ere used to people. The reason for that is that their owners treat them as pets. They talk to them and pet them like if they were dogs. Those sheep were not afraid of humans. Then we hired a professional sheep farmer to train them and to be with us on set. We rehearsed all the sheep scenes before shooting them, like when Gummi bathes the ram. We said, “Ok lets bathe this ram,” and we found out that we needed five people to hold the ram in the bathtub but we couldn’t have all of them in the shot. When we filmed I told the actor, “ Ok Sigurður they are going to hold the ram but then they are going to run away and you just have to do it yourself and we’ll see what happens.” I said, “Action,” and the guys ran away and the actor was alone trying to hold the ram - it was interesting.
Thomas Vinterberg, who made “Far from the Madding Crowd,“ said that it was a disaster to work with sheep and that it was very difficult, but I have a different opinion about that. We usually didn’t have to shoot many takes with the sheep. Usually we did less than five takes in the scenes involving sheep. The sheep were very professional. Some of the actors went to 12 or 15 takes, but the sheep usually didn’t. They were one-take sheep.
CA: When the disease, scrapie, threatens the farmers way of life in the film a lot of them contemplate leaving it all behind and moving away. Would you say this this way of living is slowly dying not only because of occurrences like this but also because it's being overpowered by modern farming practices?
Grímur Hákonarson: Today there are not many sheep farmers like these brothers who live only from their sheep. It’s becoming more like a hobby today. It’s lees of a business. It’s difficult to make a living from sheep farming. There are not so many farmers like the brothers in the film who can only live from that. They have a tough life. They are quite poor. They can’t afford much. Sheep farming in Iceland has been declining and it’s struggling. It’s always going to be there and it’s always going to be a part of our culture, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to live from it. The brothers in the film are a bit like the last Mohicans. They are the last remains of this old farming society. This disease, scrapie, has caused a lot of harm in Iceland. Sheep are becoming less abundant. About 30 years ago, in the 1980s, there were three times more sheep in Iceland.
CA: Scandinavian humor is clearly idiosyncratic and definitely dry, but you managed to blend the comedy elicited from the characters' circumstance with the emotional poignancy of the story rather organically. How did merging these two tonal elements come about when crafting the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: The basic idea about these brothers living so close together but not speaking to each other is a good premise for black comedy. It has a tragicomic element. That’s why humor is a naturally underlying element throughout the whole film because the basic idea is a bit humorous itself. Then there are some scenes that are very funny of course, and those are supposed to make you laugh. I don’t like to make films that are too serious or too heavy. I try to pick stories that have a little bit of lightness in them and in “Rams,” maybe, I managed to master this balance. Some people cry in “Rams” and it can get really emotional. It has a strong message, but it’s also entertaining. I’m inspired by filmmakers like Aki Kaurismäki, known for his Finnish dark comedies, Bent Hamer in Norway, or Swedish director Roy Andersson. I’m inspired by these Scandinavian directors. My humor is pretty dry and people who know me see Grímur’s humor in the film. If I wasn’t a humorous person I would make different films.
CA: Despite the overall comedic tone of the film, the ending is particularly moving and shows a tenderness we hadn't fully seen before in the film. Why did you feel this was the correct way to conclude this tale about two brothers whose broken relationship gets a second chance thanks to the sheep?
Grímur Hákonarson: I think the ending is symbolic. It’s about these two brothers and their relationship. It’ a very powerful ending and it’s also an open ending. It makes people think and it stays with people. I’m really happy with it. It’s also a kind of risky ending, many people who read the screenplay warned me, “Grímur, you really think it should end like this? You don’t want to explain it a bit more?” But I went for this ending. When I was shooting, making the ending work was one of the most difficult things. It was worth the risk.
CA: Do you have any brothers? If so, is anything in "Rams" specifically related to your personal relationship with your brothers or siblings and what did they think of that being depiction in the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: Yes I have a brother. We were just Skyping recently. He’s seen the film and I think he never though it was about him because we have a good relationship. There is nothing in my family like in the film. My family is quite peaceful, so the story of the brothers is not connected to me personally. What’s connected to me personally is that my mother passed away when I was writing the script. The film is dedicated to her. She grew up on a sheep farm, so I feel like “Rams” is a bit a film about my ancestors, my family, and where we come from.
CA: Considering the acclaim and attention "Rams" received abroad, how as the reaction to the film in Iceland? Was it embrace by your compatriots?
Grímur Hákonarson: It was good. We decided to go straight to cinemas after Cannes to use the attention we got there. We won the Un Certain Regard Prize, it was a big prize for the Icelandic film industry. It’s maybe the biggest prize an Icelandic film has won, so of course it was a big thing. Iceland is a small country. People were really proud of it. I think about 10% of the nation’s population saw the film.
CA: How difficult, financially and logistically, is it to make films in Iceland? It appears that in recent years there has been an explosion of talent that has made a mark in the international festival scenes. What makes these new Icelandic voices distinct from the rest of the world?
Grímur Hákonarson: It’s a small industry. The Icelandic Film Fund is not very big, so we depend on doing co-productions and getting money from abroad. Icelandic films are cheaper to make than those in the rest of Scandinavia - like three times cheaper. “Rams” was made for 1 million Euros, mostly made up of Icelandic money. We got maybe 15% of the money from the Danish Film Fund. We don’t make so many movies so we have to be practical and we have to make contemporary simple stories. We can’t really make an expensive sci-fi film or large period movies in Icelandic. Maybe it’s a bit sad that we haven’t. I think it would be nice to do a costume drama set in the 30s, but it’s not possible to do that in Iceland.
What connect these new directors from Iceland like me, Dagur Kári, Rúnar Rúnarsson, or Benedikt Erlingsson, is that we are making contemporary, humanistic, and simple stories. We are not trying to hunt Hollywood. We are not trying to make blockbusters. Maybe because we don’t have so much money we have to make simple stories and we make films taken from Icelandic reality. Maybe that’s the right recipe for our films. Maybe that’s the reason they are special. Maybe that’s the reason people want to see them.
"Rams" is currently playing in La at the Laemmle Royal and in NYC at the Film Forum and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
characters and the trials they endure in “Rams,” a story about brotherly love gone awry set in the vast Icelandic countryside mostly populated by highly-regarded sheep. As is often the case with Scandinavian cinema, the film’s narrative is enhanced by its clever and precise use of dark and dry humor. However, Hákonarson’s rural portrayal of a relationship in need of mending is grounded on compelling human interpersonal afflictions, which serves as a sensible vehicle for the comedy to be delivered.
During a local competition between sheep farmers, Gummi, a levelheaded man who enjoys the pleasures of solitude, notices that his brother Kiddi’s most precious ram shows signs of a scrapie, a deadly and infectious disease that can kill entire flocks. Though the simplest way to ensure the safety of everyone’s sheep would be to talk to his brother, Gummi is aware this is not a viable path because, despite living on the same property they entire lives, they haven’t spoken in several decades. The looming possibility of losing their shared livelihood will widen the emotional gap between the two, one that can only be resolved if they join forces against the mortal virus and the authorities. Authentically Icelandic in content and execution, "Rams" was Iceland's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.
In our recent conversation with the Cannes-winning Icelandic filmmakers, Hákonarson discussed the relationship between the location and the film's visual approach, his homelands deeply ingrained love for sheep, the emerging local film industry, and the casting process to find the right four-legged stars for "Rams."
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the importance of sheep in Icelandic culture. Why do you think Icelandic people relate to these animals in such endearing fashion? They seem to not only be part of the pastoral lifestyle but of their interpersonal relationships.
Grímur Hákonarson: When the first settlers came to Iceland, the Vikings who came from Norway, they brought the sheep with them. Sheep were the main livelihood throughout the centuries. They used the wool for clothing and the meat and milk to feed themselves. It was their main livelihood. We didn’t have so many cows. People ate or use every part of the sheep except the anus. The anus was the only part people didn’t utilize. It stayed that way until the 20th century. Older people lived in farms until the 19th century and then it totally changed. Now older people live in the cities. There is this historical and cultural connection between Icelandic people and sheep. The farmers take the sheep to the highlands in the spring, then they have a competition, they hang around drinking and singing songs about sheep, so there is definitely a culture around sheep. But there also seems to be some kind of unexplained spiritual connection between farmers and their sheep. Many farmers say they relate in a stronger emotional way to sheep than to cows. Numerous farmers have told me this. I know farmers that have lost their sheep because of scrapie, and even though they had horses and cows, it was somehow much more difficult for them to get over losing their sheep.
CA: What was the motivation for using a story of two estrange brothers to tackle this singular aspect about Icelandic culture? Was any part of the premise based on actual events or stories you heard from people who made a living as sheep farmers?
Grímur Hákonarson: The film is based on a true story that my father told me years ago about two brothers who lived on the same land next to each other for 40 years and didn’t speak. I thought that story was interesting. I think it’s very Icelandic and it describes us a bit as a nation being an island and being isolated. People tend to be very independent and nationalistic. I also thought these idea could be a tragicomedy. The basic idea of these brothers is funny and sad at the same time. It’s sad that they don’t speak, but it’s also unique situation. I though that was interesting, and on the other hand I also wanted to make a film about this relationship with sheep, so I combined these two ideas.
CA: Both brothers seem to very territorial and they use concrete, not always well-intentioned, acts rather than using language to express their feelings.
Grímur Hákonarson: The reason they don’t speak to each other, of course, is because they don’t need to speak to each other. They act more than they talk. They rather speak to the sheep and they become very close with them. That’s also the reason there is not a lot of dialogue in the movie. It’s told mainly through images and through actions. The story I’m telling affected the filmmaking process in a way because it creates a unique kind of atmosphere. I was trying to capture life in this part of the world, which is kind of slow and relaxed. People live alongside sheep. The visual style of the film is also a bit slow-paced. This visual style is also trying to capture this way of living and its atmosphere.
CA: Did you based these two brothers on real life characters in the story your father told you, were they the result of different traits from people you know, or were they entirely fictitious? Once you have brought them to life on paper, how challenging was it to match them with the right actors?
Grímur Hákonarson: I had some prototypes to base them on. The real life characters died in the 90s because it’s an old story. I never met them, but I had some prototypes based on a pair of brothers I know. These brothers were living together and they were good friends, but they were very different characters. One of them was an introverts and the other was more of an extrovert. One was an alcoholic and the other was more feminine and cleaned and took care of things. I used these guys as prototypes for the characters, and when I selected the actors I knew the actor a little bit and I knew they shared some personality elements with the characters. In a way they were typed-cast both mentally and physically, Sigurður Sigurjónsson who plays Gummi is a small guy, and Theodór Júlíusson, who plays Kiddi, looks more macho and is bigger. They were physically and mentally perfect for the roles. I think that’s a good thing when you are picking an actor. It's important that the actor has experienced something similar or knows something about the inner emotions of the character.
CA: Loneliness comes across as an underlying theme in "Rams." These brothers who live so close to each other are still very lonely by choice. Is this concept something that you decisively considered when creating the characters?
Grímur Hákonarson: Of course, that makes it really tragic. They actually need to talk to each other but they are so stubborn that they never call a mediator or psychiatrist. The dog is the only link between them. Of course there is loneliness. Gummi, the main character, I think he is an introvert and he enjoys his life a lot. He enjoys his life, he is not unhappy. He is quite satisfied with his life, but his older brother is not and that’s because of this division of the land. He is unhappy. The idea was that the older brother Kiddi had had some girlfriends or wives before, but they got sick of him and moved out. Gummi, on the hand, was kind of this puritan who had never had any sex in his life. This loneliness is one of the reasons we shot on CinemaScope with anamorphic lenses. Also, the framing, which is kind of wide and static, was trying to capture this loneliness. They live lonely lives.
CA: In terms of the visual style and your decisions regarding the film's cinematography, how did the landscape and the nature of the story influenced these choices?
Grímur Hákonarson: The characters are living very close to nature and they spend a lot of time on the field with the sheep, so we wanted to capture the landscape and the nature around them and to connect them to it. That’s why we shot it using anamorphic lenses. I think 10 years ago we probably would have shot it on 35mm or 16mm because it’s that kind of film. It’s about these old farmers stuck in the past and it takes place in nature, so we tried to imitate this film look with the anamorphic lenses. The look of the film it’s a bit like a Western, if it had cows perhaps they would look like cowboys. We might have been a bit inspired by a movie like “There Will Be Blood.” There are some shots and scenes in “Rams” that were shot very similarly to those in “There Will Be Blood.” It’s an Icelandic Western with sheep and guns.
CA: I'm curious to know how was the casting process and working dynamic with the sheep. They are the stars of the film. Were they difficult to work with in a film like ths in which they play a very integral part? How did you know which sheep were the right ones to appear on camera?
Grímur Hákonarson: The most important thing was to find the right sheep. We had to select the right sheep and we did sheep casting. We saw a lot of sheep because the sheep that were living on the farm were too afraid of people. They would just ran away from you. We then found these sheep that looked really pretty because they are a good breed, but they were also very calm and they ere used to people. The reason for that is that their owners treat them as pets. They talk to them and pet them like if they were dogs. Those sheep were not afraid of humans. Then we hired a professional sheep farmer to train them and to be with us on set. We rehearsed all the sheep scenes before shooting them, like when Gummi bathes the ram. We said, “Ok lets bathe this ram,” and we found out that we needed five people to hold the ram in the bathtub but we couldn’t have all of them in the shot. When we filmed I told the actor, “ Ok Sigurður they are going to hold the ram but then they are going to run away and you just have to do it yourself and we’ll see what happens.” I said, “Action,” and the guys ran away and the actor was alone trying to hold the ram - it was interesting.
Thomas Vinterberg, who made “Far from the Madding Crowd,“ said that it was a disaster to work with sheep and that it was very difficult, but I have a different opinion about that. We usually didn’t have to shoot many takes with the sheep. Usually we did less than five takes in the scenes involving sheep. The sheep were very professional. Some of the actors went to 12 or 15 takes, but the sheep usually didn’t. They were one-take sheep.
CA: When the disease, scrapie, threatens the farmers way of life in the film a lot of them contemplate leaving it all behind and moving away. Would you say this this way of living is slowly dying not only because of occurrences like this but also because it's being overpowered by modern farming practices?
Grímur Hákonarson: Today there are not many sheep farmers like these brothers who live only from their sheep. It’s becoming more like a hobby today. It’s lees of a business. It’s difficult to make a living from sheep farming. There are not so many farmers like the brothers in the film who can only live from that. They have a tough life. They are quite poor. They can’t afford much. Sheep farming in Iceland has been declining and it’s struggling. It’s always going to be there and it’s always going to be a part of our culture, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to live from it. The brothers in the film are a bit like the last Mohicans. They are the last remains of this old farming society. This disease, scrapie, has caused a lot of harm in Iceland. Sheep are becoming less abundant. About 30 years ago, in the 1980s, there were three times more sheep in Iceland.
CA: Scandinavian humor is clearly idiosyncratic and definitely dry, but you managed to blend the comedy elicited from the characters' circumstance with the emotional poignancy of the story rather organically. How did merging these two tonal elements come about when crafting the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: The basic idea about these brothers living so close together but not speaking to each other is a good premise for black comedy. It has a tragicomic element. That’s why humor is a naturally underlying element throughout the whole film because the basic idea is a bit humorous itself. Then there are some scenes that are very funny of course, and those are supposed to make you laugh. I don’t like to make films that are too serious or too heavy. I try to pick stories that have a little bit of lightness in them and in “Rams,” maybe, I managed to master this balance. Some people cry in “Rams” and it can get really emotional. It has a strong message, but it’s also entertaining. I’m inspired by filmmakers like Aki Kaurismäki, known for his Finnish dark comedies, Bent Hamer in Norway, or Swedish director Roy Andersson. I’m inspired by these Scandinavian directors. My humor is pretty dry and people who know me see Grímur’s humor in the film. If I wasn’t a humorous person I would make different films.
CA: Despite the overall comedic tone of the film, the ending is particularly moving and shows a tenderness we hadn't fully seen before in the film. Why did you feel this was the correct way to conclude this tale about two brothers whose broken relationship gets a second chance thanks to the sheep?
Grímur Hákonarson: I think the ending is symbolic. It’s about these two brothers and their relationship. It’ a very powerful ending and it’s also an open ending. It makes people think and it stays with people. I’m really happy with it. It’s also a kind of risky ending, many people who read the screenplay warned me, “Grímur, you really think it should end like this? You don’t want to explain it a bit more?” But I went for this ending. When I was shooting, making the ending work was one of the most difficult things. It was worth the risk.
CA: Do you have any brothers? If so, is anything in "Rams" specifically related to your personal relationship with your brothers or siblings and what did they think of that being depiction in the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: Yes I have a brother. We were just Skyping recently. He’s seen the film and I think he never though it was about him because we have a good relationship. There is nothing in my family like in the film. My family is quite peaceful, so the story of the brothers is not connected to me personally. What’s connected to me personally is that my mother passed away when I was writing the script. The film is dedicated to her. She grew up on a sheep farm, so I feel like “Rams” is a bit a film about my ancestors, my family, and where we come from.
CA: Considering the acclaim and attention "Rams" received abroad, how as the reaction to the film in Iceland? Was it embrace by your compatriots?
Grímur Hákonarson: It was good. We decided to go straight to cinemas after Cannes to use the attention we got there. We won the Un Certain Regard Prize, it was a big prize for the Icelandic film industry. It’s maybe the biggest prize an Icelandic film has won, so of course it was a big thing. Iceland is a small country. People were really proud of it. I think about 10% of the nation’s population saw the film.
CA: How difficult, financially and logistically, is it to make films in Iceland? It appears that in recent years there has been an explosion of talent that has made a mark in the international festival scenes. What makes these new Icelandic voices distinct from the rest of the world?
Grímur Hákonarson: It’s a small industry. The Icelandic Film Fund is not very big, so we depend on doing co-productions and getting money from abroad. Icelandic films are cheaper to make than those in the rest of Scandinavia - like three times cheaper. “Rams” was made for 1 million Euros, mostly made up of Icelandic money. We got maybe 15% of the money from the Danish Film Fund. We don’t make so many movies so we have to be practical and we have to make contemporary simple stories. We can’t really make an expensive sci-fi film or large period movies in Icelandic. Maybe it’s a bit sad that we haven’t. I think it would be nice to do a costume drama set in the 30s, but it’s not possible to do that in Iceland.
What connect these new directors from Iceland like me, Dagur Kári, Rúnar Rúnarsson, or Benedikt Erlingsson, is that we are making contemporary, humanistic, and simple stories. We are not trying to hunt Hollywood. We are not trying to make blockbusters. Maybe because we don’t have so much money we have to make simple stories and we make films taken from Icelandic reality. Maybe that’s the right recipe for our films. Maybe that’s the reason they are special. Maybe that’s the reason people want to see them.
"Rams" is currently playing in La at the Laemmle Royal and in NYC at the Film Forum and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
- 2/5/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
A lead up to the evening’s most perplexing event, was the switcheroo announcement crowning the top film of the festival first (Very Big Shot) and once that was out of the way, the big “move” from the jury was to make sure that everyone gets a trophy, and that no one wins second place (or it can be certainly read this way). During a time where the Paris events have still in public consciousness, the 15th edition will be looked back as one that unites. Unfortunately for me, there would be no after party and Todd Haynes’ Carol will have to wait as my battle with stomach demons continued. Here is the complete tally of the prizes. I wonder what airport security thought about the statute.
L’ÉTOILE D’Or – Le Grand Prix Du Festival
The Golden Star – Festival Grand Prize
Very Big Shot (Film kteer kbeer) de/by...
L’ÉTOILE D’Or – Le Grand Prix Du Festival
The Golden Star – Festival Grand Prize
Very Big Shot (Film kteer kbeer) de/by...
- 12/15/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Francis Ford Coppola’s jury awards all other competition entries a jury prize.
The 15th Marrakech International Film Festival (Dec 04-12) saw jury president Francis Ford Coppola and his fellow jurors award all films in competition the event’s jury prize, apart from Lebanese-Qatari feature Very Big Shot, which won the Golden Star Festival Grand Prize.
Coppola announced the joint prize in a speech during the closing ceremony: “This year’s jury prize is for cinema itself,” said the director, adding that the decision was made by the “majority vote of the jury”.
In Jean Bou Chaaya’s Very Big Shot a small-time Lebanese drug-dealer slyly manipulates public opinion with the help of a filmmaker.
The best directing prize went to Gabriel Mascaro for his film Neon Bull.
Gunnar Jonsson snapped up the best actor prize for his performance in Virgin Mountain.
The best actress prize went to Galatea Bellugi for her performance in Guillaume Senez’s [link...
The 15th Marrakech International Film Festival (Dec 04-12) saw jury president Francis Ford Coppola and his fellow jurors award all films in competition the event’s jury prize, apart from Lebanese-Qatari feature Very Big Shot, which won the Golden Star Festival Grand Prize.
Coppola announced the joint prize in a speech during the closing ceremony: “This year’s jury prize is for cinema itself,” said the director, adding that the decision was made by the “majority vote of the jury”.
In Jean Bou Chaaya’s Very Big Shot a small-time Lebanese drug-dealer slyly manipulates public opinion with the help of a filmmaker.
The best directing prize went to Gabriel Mascaro for his film Neon Bull.
Gunnar Jonsson snapped up the best actor prize for his performance in Virgin Mountain.
The best actress prize went to Galatea Bellugi for her performance in Guillaume Senez’s [link...
- 12/14/2015
- ScreenDaily
Dalibor Matanic’s The High Sun wins hat trick at Cottbus.
Croatia was the big winner at the 25th edition of FilmFestival Cottbus (Nov 3-8) with Dalibor Matanić’s The High Sun taking home three awards, including the Main Prize and Fipresci Prize.
The €25,000 Main Prize was shared equally between Matanić and his producer Ankica Jurić Tilić for the Croatian-Slovenian-Serbian co-production which had its world premiere in San Sebastian in September.
The film’s actress Tihana Lazović was in Cottbus to accept the Main Prize on behalf of Matanić and Tilić, and subsequently picked up the €5,000 Special Prize for Best Actress for her portrayal of three women in three consecutive decades.
The High Sun premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar where it won the Jury Prize; international sales are handled by Cercamon World Sales for the film which is now Croatia’s submission for the Foreign-Language Film Oscar.
Meanwhile, another Croatian...
Croatia was the big winner at the 25th edition of FilmFestival Cottbus (Nov 3-8) with Dalibor Matanić’s The High Sun taking home three awards, including the Main Prize and Fipresci Prize.
The €25,000 Main Prize was shared equally between Matanić and his producer Ankica Jurić Tilić for the Croatian-Slovenian-Serbian co-production which had its world premiere in San Sebastian in September.
The film’s actress Tihana Lazović was in Cottbus to accept the Main Prize on behalf of Matanić and Tilić, and subsequently picked up the €5,000 Special Prize for Best Actress for her portrayal of three women in three consecutive decades.
The High Sun premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard sidebar where it won the Jury Prize; international sales are handled by Cercamon World Sales for the film which is now Croatia’s submission for the Foreign-Language Film Oscar.
Meanwhile, another Croatian...
- 11/9/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Lucrative prize goes to Iceland for second year in a row.
Iceland has claimed the lucrative Nordic Council Film Prize for the second year running, as Dagur Kari’s Virgin Mountain (Fusi) captured the award for the best Nordic Film of the Year.
The prize - which comes with $55,000 (Dkk 350,000) cash — was announced on Tuesday night at the Nordic Council’s annual autumn session, held this year in Reykjavik.
The story is about an obese man living with his mother who breaks out of his shell after he goes to a dance class.
The jury described Virgin Mountain as, “A simple and visually inventive tale about preserving your goodness and innocence in a seemingly impenetrable world. Dagur Kári’s artistic ascent of a male virgin mountain results in a deeply moving and captivating film, offering a dignified portrait of its gentle giant of a man, as well as poignant depictions of the women around him.”
Iceland-born Kari also...
Iceland has claimed the lucrative Nordic Council Film Prize for the second year running, as Dagur Kari’s Virgin Mountain (Fusi) captured the award for the best Nordic Film of the Year.
The prize - which comes with $55,000 (Dkk 350,000) cash — was announced on Tuesday night at the Nordic Council’s annual autumn session, held this year in Reykjavik.
The story is about an obese man living with his mother who breaks out of his shell after he goes to a dance class.
The jury described Virgin Mountain as, “A simple and visually inventive tale about preserving your goodness and innocence in a seemingly impenetrable world. Dagur Kári’s artistic ascent of a male virgin mountain results in a deeply moving and captivating film, offering a dignified portrait of its gentle giant of a man, as well as poignant depictions of the women around him.”
Iceland-born Kari also...
- 10/27/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
- 10/20/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Icelandic-Danish film Virgin Mountain from writer-director Dagur Kári of Noi the Albino (2003) notoriety offers one of the most brilliant and understated lead performances at Lff this year. Larger-than-life Gunnar Jónsson makes man-mountain character Fúsi a symbol of good-natured society as life deals Fúsi raw deal after raw deal. Along the lines of a Scandi
The post Lff 2015: Virgin Mountain Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Lff 2015: Virgin Mountain Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 10/15/2015
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This past weekend the Icelandic feature "Sparrows" from director Rúnar Rúnarsson won the main prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival. This caps off an impressive 12-month period for Iceland's film industry. Last year, director Benedikt Erlingsson won the festival's best director award for his oddball ode to equine-human relationships "Of Horses and Men" and went on to win the Nordic Council’s Film award – the first Icelandic feature to take home the prize. This followed a string of successes. "Virgin Mountain" from director Dagur Kári won three prizes at the Tribeca Film Festival; Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Actor. Director Grímur Hákonarson won the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section with his story of two sheep farming brothers "Rams" and last but certainly not least, director Baltasar Kormákur opened the Venice Film Festival with his massive disaster epic...
- 9/30/2015
- by Ari Gunnar Thorsteinsson
- Indiewire
Festival director Mirsad Purivatra says “quality over quantity” in the programme has led to a boost in figures.
The Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 14-22) generated 10% more box office than last year’s 20th anniversary edition, according to preliminary figures revealed to ScreenDaily by festival director Mirsad Purivatra.
“We still have some calculations to make but the results are really positive and we estimate our box office is up by 10%,” said Purivatra, one of the founders who created the festival near the end of the Bosnian War in 1995 while the city was still under siege.
The festival has grown from an attendance of 15,000 back then to more than 100,000 cinemagoers and film professionals.
This year’s 21st edition wrapped on Saturday night (Aug 22) with Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang winning Best Feature Film and Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain screened as the closing feature.
During screenings at venues across the city that included an impressive 3,000 capacity open air theatre...
The Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 14-22) generated 10% more box office than last year’s 20th anniversary edition, according to preliminary figures revealed to ScreenDaily by festival director Mirsad Purivatra.
“We still have some calculations to make but the results are really positive and we estimate our box office is up by 10%,” said Purivatra, one of the founders who created the festival near the end of the Bosnian War in 1995 while the city was still under siege.
The festival has grown from an attendance of 15,000 back then to more than 100,000 cinemagoers and film professionals.
This year’s 21st edition wrapped on Saturday night (Aug 22) with Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang winning Best Feature Film and Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain screened as the closing feature.
During screenings at venues across the city that included an impressive 3,000 capacity open air theatre...
- 8/23/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Above And Below director Nicolas Steiner with Swiss Consul Thomas Schneider in New York Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg of Dogme fame, Roy Andersson, Baltasar Kormákur, Dagur Kári's Virgin Mountain, Pablo Larrain's El Club, Buster Keaton's The General, The Rescuers' albatross, The Lion King, over lunch at Café Select in Nolita, where a scene from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was filmed, had to compete with cows fighting as topic of conversation.
In his anthropological documentary, Above And Below, Nicolas Steiner tells a story about five people surviving this world in their own way - in the sewers underneath Las Vegas, Nevada, in the California desert, and in a Utah facility that prepares for a mission to Mars. Over Swiss fare, Nicolas told me about the mountainous region he comes from and how that relates to the desert, a childhood cinema trauma,...
Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg of Dogme fame, Roy Andersson, Baltasar Kormákur, Dagur Kári's Virgin Mountain, Pablo Larrain's El Club, Buster Keaton's The General, The Rescuers' albatross, The Lion King, over lunch at Café Select in Nolita, where a scene from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was filmed, had to compete with cows fighting as topic of conversation.
In his anthropological documentary, Above And Below, Nicolas Steiner tells a story about five people surviving this world in their own way - in the sewers underneath Las Vegas, Nevada, in the California desert, and in a Utah facility that prepares for a mission to Mars. Over Swiss fare, Nicolas told me about the mountainous region he comes from and how that relates to the desert, a childhood cinema trauma,...
- 8/5/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
World premiere of Nordic disaster movie The Wave to open festival in Haugesund.
Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs, starring Jesse Eisenberg, has been named as the closing film of the 43rd Norwegian International Film Festival (Aug 16-21) in Haugesund.
The drama, about how a father and his two sons confront their feelings of their deceased wife and mother, was Norway’s first Palme d’Or contender at Cannes in 36 years and is set to play at Toronto next month.
As previously announced, Niff will open with the world premiere of Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie, The Wave (Bølgen), when the festival is launched by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon on Aug 16.
It means Norwegian films will both open and close the festival.
Tonje Hardersen, who was named the new Niff festival director in March, said: “I am very happy to see that local cinema is so well represented, and in so many genres.”
Considering the wider...
Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs, starring Jesse Eisenberg, has been named as the closing film of the 43rd Norwegian International Film Festival (Aug 16-21) in Haugesund.
The drama, about how a father and his two sons confront their feelings of their deceased wife and mother, was Norway’s first Palme d’Or contender at Cannes in 36 years and is set to play at Toronto next month.
As previously announced, Niff will open with the world premiere of Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie, The Wave (Bølgen), when the festival is launched by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon on Aug 16.
It means Norwegian films will both open and close the festival.
Tonje Hardersen, who was named the new Niff festival director in March, said: “I am very happy to see that local cinema is so well represented, and in so many genres.”
Considering the wider...
- 8/4/2015
- by jornrossing@aol.com (Jorn Rossing Jensen)
- ScreenDaily
Newly announced strands include 1995-2015 Dealing With The Past.Scroll down for line-up
The Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 14-22) has unveiled the full line-up for its 21st edition, including new strand 1995-2015 Dealing With The Past.
The strand includes three documentaries that tackle Bosnia’s war-torn past: The Voices of Srebrenica; The Dvor Massacre; and The Diplomat.
The first two titles will be screened together. Nedim Lončarević’s The Voices of Srebrenica is the tale of survivors of the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people in July 1995 during the Bosnian War.
The Dvor Massacre, directed by Kasper Vedsmand and Georg Larsen, centres on a Danish officer haunted by a decision not to intervene in a situation that ultimately saw nine people executed.
David Holbrooke’s The Diplomat, first shown at Tribeca in April, tells the story of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose career spanned 50 years of Us foreign policy - from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Bosnia...
The Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 14-22) has unveiled the full line-up for its 21st edition, including new strand 1995-2015 Dealing With The Past.
The strand includes three documentaries that tackle Bosnia’s war-torn past: The Voices of Srebrenica; The Dvor Massacre; and The Diplomat.
The first two titles will be screened together. Nedim Lončarević’s The Voices of Srebrenica is the tale of survivors of the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people in July 1995 during the Bosnian War.
The Dvor Massacre, directed by Kasper Vedsmand and Georg Larsen, centres on a Danish officer haunted by a decision not to intervene in a situation that ultimately saw nine people executed.
David Holbrooke’s The Diplomat, first shown at Tribeca in April, tells the story of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose career spanned 50 years of Us foreign policy - from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Bosnia...
- 7/31/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Sundance award-winner to open festival; Dagur Kári’s Tribeca winner Virgin Mountain to close.
Anna Muylaert’s The Second Mother (Que Horas Ela Volta?) is to open the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival on August 14.
Brazilian director Muylaert will be in attendance at Sarajevo’s impressive open air theatre for the screening of the film, in which the estranged daughter of a live-in housekeeper suddenly appears, breaking down unspoken class barriers that exist within the home.
The film debuted at Sundance in January where actors Regina Casé and Camila Márdila picked up the Special Jury Prize. It went on to win the Panorama Audience Award at Berlin in February and the jury prize for best screenplay at RiverRun.
Sarajevo has also announced that Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain (Fusi) will close the festival on August 22.
Kári will present the screening alongside lead actor Gunnar Jónsson, who plays a 43-year-old that still lives with his mother and whose monotonous...
Anna Muylaert’s The Second Mother (Que Horas Ela Volta?) is to open the 21st Sarajevo Film Festival on August 14.
Brazilian director Muylaert will be in attendance at Sarajevo’s impressive open air theatre for the screening of the film, in which the estranged daughter of a live-in housekeeper suddenly appears, breaking down unspoken class barriers that exist within the home.
The film debuted at Sundance in January where actors Regina Casé and Camila Márdila picked up the Special Jury Prize. It went on to win the Panorama Audience Award at Berlin in February and the jury prize for best screenplay at RiverRun.
Sarajevo has also announced that Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain (Fusi) will close the festival on August 22.
Kári will present the screening alongside lead actor Gunnar Jónsson, who plays a 43-year-old that still lives with his mother and whose monotonous...
- 7/27/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Danish cinema received a strong vote of confidence and a winning boost this weekend; two films from the Tribeca Film Festival won top dramatic jury prizes. And “Virgin Mountain,” a Danish-Icelandic film directed by Icelandic-born, Danish-raised Dagur Kári (“Noi the Albino” and the sorely underrated “The Good Heart” with Paul Dano and Brian Cox) won the coveted jury prize for best narrative feature film (and two other major prizes; Danish film "Bridgend" took three other baubles). And while the award may set expectations the movie can’t quite match, Kári’s fourth feature film is still a thoughtful, engaging, and compassionate look at the lonely outsider and his quiet emptiness. The movie’s name comes from its protagonist, Fúsi (Gunnar Jónsson), a hulking mass of a man who is untouched, cloistered, and naïve. This is not a foreign version of Judd Apatow’s “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” though on...
- 4/27/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Over the weekend, the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival gave out their annual awards, putting a bow on the latest installment of the fest. It was a pretty solid festival, as far as I could tell, though in all fairness I saw less movies this year than I usually do at Tribeca. Still, the films that I did wind up privy to wound up impressing me, by and large. Most of my favorite titles weren’t cited by these awards, but one sort of was, and that was Leslye Headland’s wonderful Sleeping with Other People. That was a runner up (as you’ll see below), but it deserved plenty more. I personally would have given some awards to not just Sleeping with Other People, but also titles like Grandma, Misery Loves Comedy, and Slow West as well. I might do my own awards/best of piece later on in the week,...
- 4/27/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Virgin Mountain Gentle Icelandic drama Virgin Mountain (Fúsi) was named best dramatic film at Tribeca. The film, which tells an offbeat love story, won a purse of $25,000 for director Dagur Kári, who took home a $5,000 bonus for best screenplay. The film's hat-trick of awards saw Gunnar Jónsson named as best actor for his role as shy man mountain Fúsi, whose subtle performance that relies as much on small gestures and looks as scripting, is fully deserving of recognition.
The other chief winner at this year's festival was a Danish film - shot in the UK - Bridgend. The film is certainly controversial, as it draws on the real-life suicides of teenagers and young adults in the Welsh town of the title and although some of the craft behind the film is good - particularly Magnus Jønck's excellent cinematography - I found the reductive nature of the picture painted (every.
The other chief winner at this year's festival was a Danish film - shot in the UK - Bridgend. The film is certainly controversial, as it draws on the real-life suicides of teenagers and young adults in the Welsh town of the title and although some of the craft behind the film is good - particularly Magnus Jønck's excellent cinematography - I found the reductive nature of the picture painted (every.
- 4/27/2015
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Virgin Mountain and Bridgend were among the winners at the 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival; King Jack and Transfatty Lives take the audience awards.
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T were King Jack, directed by Felix Thompson, in the narrative category, and TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, in the documentary category .
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress...
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T were King Jack, directed by Felix Thompson, in the narrative category, and TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, in the documentary category .
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress...
- 4/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Virgin Mountain and Bridgend were among the winners at the 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival’s New York awards show at Spring Studios on Thursday night.
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark, pictured). Winner...
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark, pictured). Winner...
- 4/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Virgin Mountain and Bridgend were among the winners at the 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival’s New York awards show at Spring Studios on Thursday night.
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark, pictured), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman...
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark, pictured), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman...
- 4/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Virgin Mountain and Bridgend were among the winners at the 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival’s New York awards show at Spring Studios on Thursday night.
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark, pictured), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman...
It was also announced that, starting this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award is The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded on Thursday by the filmmaker’s children Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.
The winners of the audience awards sponsored by At&T will be announced on April 25.
World Narrative Competition Categories
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain (Iceland-Denmark, pictured), dir Dagur Kári. Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by At&T and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi in Virgin Mountain. Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman...
- 4/24/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: The 2015 Indiewire Tribeca Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During Run of Festival The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival tonight announced the winners of their 14th annual event. "Virgin Mountain," written and directed by Dagur Kári, won the top award in the World Narrative Competition for Best Narrative Feature, while "Democrats," from director Camilla Nielsson, won the respective award in the World Documentary Competition. Below find the full list of winners. The festival continues through April 26.World Narrative Competition:The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature "Virgin Mountain," written and directed by Dagur Kári [Iceland, Denmark]. Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by At&T, and the art award "Ash Eroded Film Reel" by Daniel Arsham. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal joined by Marissa Shorenstein, President, At&T New York. Jury Comment: "With...
- 4/24/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
As the festival nears its end, Tribeca today announced winners of the 2015 festival, and it looks like Denmark has emerged as the big winner — and how. Films from the Scandinavian county dominated the World Narrative and World Documentary competitions, with Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain (A joint Danish/Icelandic production) taking Best Narrative Feature, and Camilla Nielsson’s Democrats taking Best Documentary Feature. Meanwhile, a Danish film, Hamy Ramezan and Rungano…...
- 4/24/2015
- Deadline
Below are the winners of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Note that the narrative awards were split evenly between Virgin Mountain and Bridgend, with three apiece. World Narrative Competition Categories: The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition sponsored by Aka, were Paul Attanasio, Sophie Barthes, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan McDermott, and Burr Steers. ● The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain, written and directed by Dagur Kári [Iceland, Denmark]. Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by At&T, and the art award “Ash Eroded Film Reel” by Daniel Arsham. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal […]...
- 4/23/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Below are the winners of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Note that the narrative awards were split evenly between Virgin Mountain and Bridgend, with three apiece. World Narrative Competition Categories: The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition sponsored by Aka, were Paul Attanasio, Sophie Barthes, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan McDermott, and Burr Steers. ● The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Virgin Mountain, written and directed by Dagur Kári [Iceland, Denmark]. Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by At&T, and the art award “Ash Eroded Film Reel” by Daniel Arsham. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal […]...
- 4/23/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Copenhagen’s Cph Pix (April 9-22) will be bookended by films from two Danish directors shooting in the UK – Jeppe Ronde’s Welsh teen suicide drama Bridgend [pictured] and Thomas Vinterberg’s Thomas Hardy adaptation, Far From The Madding Crowd.
The audience-focused Cph Pix will show 130 feature films during 420 screenings and events.
Festival director Jacob Neiiendam said: “Artistically it’s a strong year for Danish cinema.”
Indeed, three Danish debut features will screen at Pix. “The first features from Thomas Daneskov [The Elite], Anna Sofie Hartmann [Limbo] and Jeppe Rønde showcase a diversity and nerve we have been missing in our fiction films, and they are just the tip of the iceberg,” added Neiiendam.
“We always wanted the festival to be a platform for local films which wouldn’t play well with regular releases, and this year we’ve been flooded with films produced outside the standard support system - and they are good films.”
Opening night will also...
The audience-focused Cph Pix will show 130 feature films during 420 screenings and events.
Festival director Jacob Neiiendam said: “Artistically it’s a strong year for Danish cinema.”
Indeed, three Danish debut features will screen at Pix. “The first features from Thomas Daneskov [The Elite], Anna Sofie Hartmann [Limbo] and Jeppe Rønde showcase a diversity and nerve we have been missing in our fiction films, and they are just the tip of the iceberg,” added Neiiendam.
“We always wanted the festival to be a platform for local films which wouldn’t play well with regular releases, and this year we’ve been flooded with films produced outside the standard support system - and they are good films.”
Opening night will also...
- 3/12/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Andrew Renzi‘s directorial debut about a third wheel starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James, Reed Morano‘s relationship testing drama featuring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, Onur Tukel‘s secret unleashed on the airwaves and Gregory Kohn‘s hallucinatory tale with Eléonore Hendricks topling are part of the American independent offerings at the 14th Tribeca Film Festival. Renzi’s Franny and Morano’s Meadowland will be competing in the dozen selected in the World Narrative Competition while Tukel’s Applesauce and Kohn’s Come Down Molly are among the in the Viewpoints sidebar. Here are the selected titles below sans synopsis.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
- 3/3/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Top brass at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) presented by At&T have announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition and Viewpoints selections.
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
- 3/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Woman in Gold, starring Helen Mirren, and Anton Corbijn’s Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan, to world premiere at Berlinale.
The 65th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 5-15) is to host the world premieres of Woman in Gold, starring Helen Mirren; Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan; and Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain.
The films form part of the Berlinale Special Galas line-up, which will also include the international premiere of awards contender Selma and the European premiere of Bill Pohland’s Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack
Based on a true story, Woman In Gold is directed by Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn) and stars Mirren as Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, who takes on the government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.
The UK-us co-production, which also stars Ryan Reynolds (Captives) and Daniel Brühl (Rush), is produced by Origin Pictures, BBC Films and The...
The 65th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 5-15) is to host the world premieres of Woman in Gold, starring Helen Mirren; Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan; and Dagur Kári’s Virgin Mountain.
The films form part of the Berlinale Special Galas line-up, which will also include the international premiere of awards contender Selma and the European premiere of Bill Pohland’s Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack
Based on a true story, Woman In Gold is directed by Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn) and stars Mirren as Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, who takes on the government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.
The UK-us co-production, which also stars Ryan Reynolds (Captives) and Daniel Brühl (Rush), is produced by Origin Pictures, BBC Films and The...
- 1/15/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Bac Films
Circa 1988, the Paris-based company created by Jean Labadie is a company of many hats. The French Distribution and International Sales Co. Bac Films is an indie outfitter that counts Frédéric Jardin’s Sleepless Night, Nicolas Provost’s The Invader, Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet’s The Strange Colour Of Your Body’s Tears and the sublime Michel Franco’s After Lucia (2012 Cannes) as their recent slate. Head of Sales Gilles Sousa will be once again repping Baltasar Kormákur’s latest (they worked with him on The Deep).
Croisette 2014 Offerings:
Bac Films populate three sections this year. They’ve got Thomas Cailley’s Love at First Fight (aka Fighters) in the Directors’ Fortnight (see pic above), Un Certain Regard selected Philippe Lacôte’s Run and Pablo Fendrik’s El Ardor (starring Gael Garcia Bernal) gets Special Screening status. We’ve been highly anticipating the Gael Garcia Bernal starrer – he...
Circa 1988, the Paris-based company created by Jean Labadie is a company of many hats. The French Distribution and International Sales Co. Bac Films is an indie outfitter that counts Frédéric Jardin’s Sleepless Night, Nicolas Provost’s The Invader, Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet’s The Strange Colour Of Your Body’s Tears and the sublime Michel Franco’s After Lucia (2012 Cannes) as their recent slate. Head of Sales Gilles Sousa will be once again repping Baltasar Kormákur’s latest (they worked with him on The Deep).
Croisette 2014 Offerings:
Bac Films populate three sections this year. They’ve got Thomas Cailley’s Love at First Fight (aka Fighters) in the Directors’ Fortnight (see pic above), Un Certain Regard selected Philippe Lacôte’s Run and Pablo Fendrik’s El Ardor (starring Gael Garcia Bernal) gets Special Screening status. We’ve been highly anticipating the Gael Garcia Bernal starrer – he...
- 5/31/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Dok Leipzig’s Golden Dove for Best International Documentary went to the Us, while Norway scored a hat-trick at the Nordic Film Days in Lübeck.
The top award in Leipzig’s International Documentary Competition went to Italian-born, Us-based film-maker Roberto Minervini’s Stop The Pounding Heart whose portrayal of a strict religious family was described by the jury as ¨refreshing and unsettling at the same time.¨
The Us-Belgian-Italian co-production is handled internationally by Doc & Film.
The Golden Dove in the German Documentary Competition was awarded to Carlo Zoratti for his feature-length debut The Special Need, while the newly-created Golden Dove for the animation-documentary hybrid form was presented to French director Daniela De Felice’s Casa.
A total of 18 prizes with cash awards totalling almost €70,000 ($95,000) included the Fipresci Prize for Gang Zhao’s A Folk Troupe; the Mdr Film Prize for Vitaly Mansky’s Pipeline; and the Youth Jury Prize to Joanna by Aneta Kopacz, a graduate...
The top award in Leipzig’s International Documentary Competition went to Italian-born, Us-based film-maker Roberto Minervini’s Stop The Pounding Heart whose portrayal of a strict religious family was described by the jury as ¨refreshing and unsettling at the same time.¨
The Us-Belgian-Italian co-production is handled internationally by Doc & Film.
The Golden Dove in the German Documentary Competition was awarded to Carlo Zoratti for his feature-length debut The Special Need, while the newly-created Golden Dove for the animation-documentary hybrid form was presented to French director Daniela De Felice’s Casa.
A total of 18 prizes with cash awards totalling almost €70,000 ($95,000) included the Fipresci Prize for Gang Zhao’s A Folk Troupe; the Mdr Film Prize for Vitaly Mansky’s Pipeline; and the Youth Jury Prize to Joanna by Aneta Kopacz, a graduate...
- 11/4/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Moodysson’s We Are The Best! wins audience award at Icelandic festival’s 10th anniversary.
Uberto Pasolini’s Still Life was awarded the Reykjavik International Film Festival’s top prize, The Golden Puffin, on Sunday night (Oct 6).
Screening in Riff’s 12-film New Visions competition for first and second films, Still Life also won the festival’s Fipresci Prize. Director Pasolini was in attendance to accept the award during the closing ceremony at the Icelandic capital’s historic Gamla Bio theatre.
The competition jury, which consisted of Wide Management founder Loïc Magneron, author and political activist Luciana Castellina and former Icelandic president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, said in a statement that it had unanimously agreed to give the first prize to Still Life “for its artistic quality, but also for the sensitivity and touching human message the director succeeds to underline”.
Two films in New Visions were also given special mentions by the jury: Alexandros Avranas’ Miss Violence and Yuval Adler...
Uberto Pasolini’s Still Life was awarded the Reykjavik International Film Festival’s top prize, The Golden Puffin, on Sunday night (Oct 6).
Screening in Riff’s 12-film New Visions competition for first and second films, Still Life also won the festival’s Fipresci Prize. Director Pasolini was in attendance to accept the award during the closing ceremony at the Icelandic capital’s historic Gamla Bio theatre.
The competition jury, which consisted of Wide Management founder Loïc Magneron, author and political activist Luciana Castellina and former Icelandic president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, said in a statement that it had unanimously agreed to give the first prize to Still Life “for its artistic quality, but also for the sensitivity and touching human message the director succeeds to underline”.
Two films in New Visions were also given special mentions by the jury: Alexandros Avranas’ Miss Violence and Yuval Adler...
- 10/6/2013
- ScreenDaily
It's sincerely mind blowing that a country of just over 300,000 people can have the creative output that Iceland does. That's about half the amount of people that reside in Wyoming, the least populated state in America. But despite its size, Iceland has an incredible amount of internationally renowned visual artists, architects, musicians and, yes, filmmakers. From Fridrik Thor Fridriksson (whose "Children of Nature" was nominated for a foreign language film Oscar in 1992) to Dagur Kári Petursson (who recently made his English language debut with the Brian Cox-Paul Dano starrer "The Good Heart") to Baltasar Kormákur (who made "Jar City" and is Iceland's Oscar hope this year with "The Deep"), Iceland has no shortage of cinematic minds. All three of those noted filmmakers were among those with upcoming work being presented at a special event thrown by the Icelandic Film Centre in Reykjavik last Friday. In...
- 10/8/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
I guess this week is payback for the awesome week that was last. So let’s sift through what’s there this week:
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
Nothing. Save your money for that rainy day coming soon.
Check it out:
The Good Heart
Directed by: Dagur Kári
Written by: Dagur Kári
Starring: Brian Cox & Paul Dano
Why should you rent this movie? Because no matter how you look at it there are still two phenomenal performances in this movie. Brian Cox and Paul Dano are pitch perfect. Cox plays the asshole bartender who hates everyone and everything – except his bar – so much that, well, eventually you end up loving him; and you love him even more when you see him begin to like Lucas (Paul Dano) and show his more vulnerable side. It’s the perfect 90 minute heart-to-heart (yes I just did that) film that you’ll like to sit...
Grab ‘Em Right Away:
Nothing. Save your money for that rainy day coming soon.
Check it out:
The Good Heart
Directed by: Dagur Kári
Written by: Dagur Kári
Starring: Brian Cox & Paul Dano
Why should you rent this movie? Because no matter how you look at it there are still two phenomenal performances in this movie. Brian Cox and Paul Dano are pitch perfect. Cox plays the asshole bartender who hates everyone and everything – except his bar – so much that, well, eventually you end up loving him; and you love him even more when you see him begin to like Lucas (Paul Dano) and show his more vulnerable side. It’s the perfect 90 minute heart-to-heart (yes I just did that) film that you’ll like to sit...
- 8/11/2010
- by Andrew Robinson
- The Film Stage
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Triage" (2009)
Directed by Danis Tanovic
Released by National Entertainment Media
Although a largely tepid reception at last year's Toronto Film Festival and a downer of a subject matter prevented "No Man's Land" director Danis Tanovic's English-language debut from getting American theatrical distribution, Colin Farrell delivers an award-worthy performance as a photojournalist recovering from the ravages of war and the loss of his friend and colleague in this direct-to-dvd drama. Even with Paz Vega to come home to, Farrell's photographer tries to make sense of the horrors he witnessed as his wife (Vega) and the wife of his dead friend (Kelly Reilly) try to get him to open up.
"Children of Invention" (2009)
Directed by Tze Chun
Released by Indieblitz Releasing
An alum of Sundance 2009, Chun's feature debut centers around a Chinese immgrant single mother's determination to give her children a better life...
"Triage" (2009)
Directed by Danis Tanovic
Released by National Entertainment Media
Although a largely tepid reception at last year's Toronto Film Festival and a downer of a subject matter prevented "No Man's Land" director Danis Tanovic's English-language debut from getting American theatrical distribution, Colin Farrell delivers an award-worthy performance as a photojournalist recovering from the ravages of war and the loss of his friend and colleague in this direct-to-dvd drama. Even with Paz Vega to come home to, Farrell's photographer tries to make sense of the horrors he witnessed as his wife (Vega) and the wife of his dead friend (Kelly Reilly) try to get him to open up.
"Children of Invention" (2009)
Directed by Tze Chun
Released by Indieblitz Releasing
An alum of Sundance 2009, Chun's feature debut centers around a Chinese immgrant single mother's determination to give her children a better life...
- 8/10/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Iceland has laid claim to “The Good Heart.” Although the drama starring Brian Cox and Paul Dano is set in a New York dive bar, it was directed by Icelander Dagur Kári and filmed in downtown Rekjavic. And two years after production, the island nation can’t seem to let go: As the cast and crew prepared for its Manhattan premiere, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, covering the European airspace with plumes of ash and grounding plane travel. In Serbia filming Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut “Coriolanus,” Cox couldn’t make it stateside to attend the premiere. He did, however, promote the film by phone from downtown Belgrade.
“I love the film,” he says. “I just think it’s a beautiful film, and I want as many people to see it as possible.”
In “The Good Heart,” Cox plays Jacques, the cantankerous owner of the House of Oysters. Far from the cast...
“I love the film,” he says. “I just think it’s a beautiful film, and I want as many people to see it as possible.”
In “The Good Heart,” Cox plays Jacques, the cantankerous owner of the House of Oysters. Far from the cast...
- 4/30/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Just about every filmmaker alive has at one point or another wanted to make a movie in New York City, but when Iceland's Dagur Kári came to the city to shoot his new movie The Good Heart with Brian Cox and Paul Dano, he decided to play down some of the things that sets New York apart. In fact, much of his movie takes place inside a bar set built in Iceland as Cox and Dano, reteaming for the first time since their indie breakout L.I.E. , play two eccentric characters brought together by chance who must find a middle ground in their personalities to keep the bar running smoothly. Cox is Jacques, the cranky old bar owner whose adherence to a strict set of rules is shaken up when he meets Dano's Lucas, a naïve but generous homeless young man who Jacques hopes will inherit the bar...
- 4/30/2010
- Comingsoon.net
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
The Good Heart - Poster Giveaway
Those who saw There Will Be Blood ought to err on the side of hyperbole when describing Paul Dano’s performance in that film.
Movies like Little Miss Sunshine and Gigantic have shown Dano to be an actor who isn’t just earning roles based on how he looks on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, espousing him as the next new “It” actor, he’s getting work because he’s just good at what he does.
That looks like it’s continuing with the movie The Good Heart, a film by Dagur Kári. Kári directed 2003’s wonderful Nói, a movie about a boy looking to escape his life in one of the more honest and truthful...
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
The Good Heart - Poster Giveaway
Those who saw There Will Be Blood ought to err on the side of hyperbole when describing Paul Dano’s performance in that film.
Movies like Little Miss Sunshine and Gigantic have shown Dano to be an actor who isn’t just earning roles based on how he looks on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, espousing him as the next new “It” actor, he’s getting work because he’s just good at what he does.
That looks like it’s continuing with the movie The Good Heart, a film by Dagur Kári. Kári directed 2003’s wonderful Nói, a movie about a boy looking to escape his life in one of the more honest and truthful...
- 4/30/2010
- by Christopher Stipp
A grimly modern fable with a giveaway title, The Good Heart wears it modest narrative intentions -- along with just about everything else -- on its sleeve. A regulation tale of bittersweet uplift involving a saintly young homeless man and a villainous codger with no apparent heirs and a nasty heart attack habit, the film aims not to surprise but to soothe you with the pleasure of its company, its variations on a familiar theme. Despite its capable leads and sturdy framework, in his American debut Icelandic writer and director Dagur Kári relies too heavily on the fleeting rewards of situation for the film to come together as an involving story.
- 4/28/2010
- Movieline
As indie-film pairings go, The Good Heart's reunion of Brian Cox and Paul Dano is a fairly provocative one. A decade after their collaboration in the controversial L.I.E. -- featuring 15-year-old Dano as a disaffected young man who befriends Cox's pedophile Big John Harrigan -- the duo teams again in the tale of gruff bar owner Jacques (Cox) and his accidental protégé Lucas (Dano). They meet in the hospital where Jacques convalesces after his umpteenth heart attack and Lucas recovers from an attempted suicide. As the older man's health deteriorates, Lucas's applies his sensitivity to opening both the bar and its proprietor to a more inclusive manner of existence. Under Icelandic director Dagur Kári (making his American feature debut), Dano and Cox mount funny, bittersweet pas de deux around the clash of new and old, kind and coarse, and a New York City lost and found.
- 4/27/2010
- Movieline
By Harvey Karten - In two different ways, Brian Cox reveals his Dick Chaney persona in French-born, Icelandic bred Dagur Kári's "The Good Heart," the most interesting aspect being not the film itself but its origins among producers, director, and location in Iceland as well as some scenes in the U.S. (The production team also includes folks from Denmark, France and Germany.) The heart of the title bears a metaphor that you won't find in the Hallmark section as Valentine's Day approaches, the physical organ being nothing like the red symbol of Eros and Cupid but a rather ugly piece of machinery that we're more than happy to keep inside of us.
- 4/24/2010
- Arizona Reporter
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.