Variety fjallar um velgengni íslenskra kvikmynda á árinu undir fyrirsögninni „‘Íslenskir leikstjórar setja mark sitt á alþjóðlega kvikmyndagerð.“ Í greininni, sem fjallar að mestu um nýafstaðna RIFF hátíð er sú spurning sett fram hvort Íslendingar muni halda áfram að senda frá sér sífellt betri myndir.
Í grein Variety segir meðal annars:
As a lucky group of Reykjavik fest attendees earlier this month consumed a special eight-course tasting menu at the city’s upscale Hotel Borg courtesy of head chef Anita Ingolfsdottir, while watching globe-trotting docu “Foodies,” word broke that Icelandic helmer Runar Runarsson’s “Sparrows” had nabbed top prize at Spain’s San Sebastian fest. The news provided further confirmation, if any was needed, that Icelandic helmers are enjoying a banner year.
In September, Icelandic helmer Baltasar Kormakur’s Hollywood pic “Everest” debuted to strong reviews and box office while his Icelandic TV skein “Trapped,” an atmospheric policier, sold stateside to the Weinstein Co. Meanwhile, after a well-received premiere in Berlin, Dagur Kari’s appealing dramedy “Virgin Mountain” took best feature, screenplay and actor kudos at the Tribeca fest. Perhaps most promising of all, Grimur Hakonarson’s touching humanist drama “Rams,” above, captured Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Award as well as prizes in the Hamptons, Cluj, Palic and Zurich, making it Iceland’s strongest shot at a foreign-language Oscar nomination since Fridrik Thor Fridriksson’s 1991 “Children of Nature.”
Can Icelandic helmers continue going from strength to strength? The Icelandic Film Center, which supports the production, distribution and promotion of Icelandic films as well as gathering and publishing information relevant to the film industry, presented a look at films and TV series in production and development as one of RIFF’s industry components. Upcoming feature releases will include the comedy “The Aquatic Effect” from the late Solveig Anspach (“Lulu in the Nude”), coming-of-age drama “Heartstone” from Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson, the romantic comedy “In Front of Others” from Oskar Jonasson (“Reykjavik Rotterdam”) and animation “Ploey — You Never Fly Alone” from Arni Olafur Asgeirsson and Gunnar Karlsson.
Femme helmers Kristin Johannesdottir and Isold Uggadottir are each developing feature dramas, with “Alma” from the former and “And Breathe Normally” from the latter. Meanwhile, Ragnar Bragason (“Metalhead”) will direct the long-in-development TV drama skein “Prisoners,” centered on Iceland’s only women’s prison.
Promising documentaries include Benedikt Erlingsson’s archival compilation “The Show of Shows: 100 Years of Vaudeville, Circuses and Carnivals,” which is due for a U.S. fest premiere after bowing at Sheffield Doc/Fest this summer. And in post are creative docus “Yarn” from Una Lorenzen about four international crafts artists, and “Innsaei: The Sea Within” from Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir and Kristin Olafsdottir, about the art of connecting in today’s world of distractions and stress.
Greinina má lesa hér í heild sinni.
