RIFF TALKS

Venue: Háskólabíó Date: Friday 7th of October Time: 17:00-19:00 Moderator: Hera Hilmar RIFF TALKS are held in the spirit of TED Talks but focus on filmmaking, the main aim is to inspire, educate and motivate fellow film professionals, other creatives, and regular movie goers. RIFF TALKS are there to challenge and rethink the current mainstream narratives. Each talk is given by a speaker who has oversight on the issues and the current trends in the world of films. The talks are followed by a panel discussion between the different speakers to exchange ideas and as an opportunity to engage with the audience.

HERA HILMAR

Hera is an Icelandic actress who can currently be seen starring in Steven Knight and Francis awrence’s Apple TV+ series, SEE and as well as soon starring in Asa Hjorleifsdottir’s anticipated REPLY TO A LETTER FROM HELGA and Hilmar Oddsson’s DRIVING MUM to be released in 2023. Previously, Hera starred in Baltasar Kormákur’s THE OATH and was the central lead in Universal’s epic franchise MORTAL ENGINES. Hera gained international notoriety in the Icelandic feature LIFE IN A FISHBOWL.

ÁLFRÚN ÖRNÓLFSDÓTTIR

Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir is an Icelandic director, writer and actress. She has had a successful acting career in film, tv and theatre for the past 20 years. She is also a playwright and theatre director. Álfrún is a member of The Post Performance Blues Band, an art collective that seeks inspiration in failure. BAND, her debut film as a director premiered in 2022 and has been screened in major film festivals around the world. She is currently directing a play at the City Theatre of Iceland and developing a new feature film called Shitballs.

BENJAMIN HARDMAN

Benjamin Hardman is a landscape photographer and natural history cinematographer based in Iceland. With Iceland as a home base, the fragile, barren and isolated landscapes of the North have become the core focus of his work. After 10 years in the creative sphere, multiple solo exhibitions and more than 30 assignments as a polar expedition photography specialist, Benjamin has now embarked on a new path in cinematography, working on a series of productions for Netflix and the BBC, set be released in 2023.

CASS GARDINER

Cass Gardiner is an Anishinaabe Algonquin filmmaker, curator, and writer from Kebaowek First Nation. She produced the short documentary Jewels Hunt, which was supported by ITVS and TFI, and broadcast on Independent Lens. Her curatorial work has led her to collaborate with the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, the Critical Distance Centre for Curators, and the Indigenous Curatorial Collective. She has been published in Inuit Art Quarterly, Cherry Bombe, and Compound Butter magazine.

RIFF TALKS

RIFF 2022

more info and tickets at riff.is and on the app

GUDMUNDUR ARNAR GUDMUNDSSON

Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson is a director/producer and co owner of Join Motion Pictures, a boutique Icelandic production company focusing on director-driven films. Gudmundsson graduated in Fine Art and studied screenwriting in Denmark. His short films and features have been showcased and awarded in numerous festivals. Among these accolades are Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlinale Film Festival and a nomination for the European Film Awards.

JÓNMUNDUR GRÉTARSSON

Jónmundur Grétarsson is an actor who graduated from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco 2014. Jónmundurs most recent works were Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the National Theater of Iceland and Detective Einar in the Tv series Systrabönd. His upcoming work include Tv and film projects alongside the play Íslandsklukkan by Halldór Kiljan Laxness which will be premiered at the end of February at The National Theater. Being part of the first Icelandic generations of actors with different ethnicities, his focus is to push for more diversity within the Icelandic art scene.

SARA GUNNARSDÓTTIR

Sara Gunnarsdóttir is a director and artist who has created animation, music videos, and original artwork for film and television, including Marielle Heller’s celebrated debut feature “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” and HBO’s Emmy-nominated “The Case Against Adnan Sayed.” Sara most recently directed the animated comedy “My Year of Dicks,” created by Pamela Ribon, for FX Network. The show won Special Jury Awards at SXSW and took home the Crystal for TV Production at Annecy Animation Film Festival.

TANIA ZARAK QUINTANA

Tania Zarak Quintana began her career at Tribeca Films, Robert De Niro’s production company. Through the years she has worked on the development and production of films like Pan’s Labyrinth, The Departed, and an adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’ News of a Kidnapping. She served as Executive Director of Argos Cine until 2009 when she founded Bonita Films. Tania served as Manager of International Originals at Netflix in 2018. She relocated to Iceland and was appointed Vicepresident of Development at Truenorth.

ÚLFUR TEITUR TRAUSTASON

Úlfur Teitur Traustason has been working in the film industry for 20 years. For the last 15 years he has been working full time as an editor on a big variety of projects. From adverts, tv shows, documentaries to feature films. His newest works are 8 part TV series Black Sands, directed by Baldvin Z and 8 part TV series Fractures, directed by Eva Sigurðardóttir. Last year he also edited the short film Heartless which received an Edda award as the best short film of 2021 last month.