RIFF 2023 - TALENT LAB BROCHURE

Talent Lab

WELCOME

Velkomin til Reykjavíkur!

We are thrilled to have you as participants of the 20th edition of the Reykjavik International Film Festival.

We hope that you will make the most of the masterclasses, panels, talks and networking events.

This brochure will provide you with information about the Talent Lab program and practical information regarding your stay in Iceland.

LETTER FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dear Talent Labbers,

I am extremely excited to be welcoming you to Reykjavík to take part in this year’s RIFF Talent Lab. My name is Eva Sigurðardóttir, and I am this year’s Talent Lab Artistic Director. We have put together a super exciting week for you; interesting events and talks from prominent filmmakers and film industry professionals, both local talents and international guests. Many of the talks and events are organized and exclusive for the Talent Lab participants, but we will be also attending some RIFF Industry Talks of special interest and partake in some more social events, both with local talents and other festival guests.

Just like every year, we will have a special Talent Lab screening of a recent Icelandic film. This year we will be watching Ninna Pálmadóttir’s 2023 film “Solitude”, where you will have a chance to engage in an intimate Q&A with the creative team after the screening. We will also join the Industry trip around Heiðmörk and help director Benedikt Erlingsson in the planting and cultivation of a special film forest, which was established precisely to reduce the environmental pollution of the film industry. On our last day we are planning to unwind at a local swimming pool, which is a very Icelandic activity, so make sure to bring your swimming suit!

I really look forward to meeting you all and to spend some inspirational and fun few days together.

Eva Sigurðardóttir

GREEN STEPS

We at RIFF have taken eco-friendly steps and our goal is to be in the lead amongst other Icelandic festivals to protect nature. We print fewer copies of our festival brochure, with fewer pages on enviromentally friendly paper. The Talent Lab brochure is only avaible digitally. Read more at riff.is.

RIFF APP

RIFF TALENT LAB

RIFF Talent Lab is a special section of our festival, addressed to up-and-coming filmmakers who are working on their first feature film.

During five action-packed days, the participants of the Talent Lab will have the opportunity to make first-hand contact with film producers and other professionals for advice and consulting on their first feature film, as well as meet up with other like-minded individuals of various backgrounds from around the world. They

THE GOLDEN EGG

Participants also have the opportunity to submit their short films to The Golden Egg competition. The submitted films pass through our selection committee

THE MISSION

RIFF’s threefold motto of “Innovation, Networking and Dialogue” is perfectly manifested in the activities of the Talent Lab. The lab highlights and promotes the innovative works of young filmmakers and fosters as well as facilitates the networking necessary

THE PROGRAM

The program of RIFF Talent Lab differs every year, but always consists of an exciting combination of masterclasses, panels, workshops, screenings and entertainment.

Masterclasses made available to the Talent Lab include those by RIFF’s Honorary Guests Isabelle Huppert and Luca Guadagnino. Special closed panels for the Talent Lab will be held with renowned Icelandic and international filmmakers who will share personal

will join in master classes and discussions with wellestablished names in the film industry. Education and entertainment will go hand in hand. The schedule is packed with great films, workshops, events and seminars.

This year’s Talent Lab will run from the 3rd until the 7th of October 2023 and will host 32 participants, with 13 different nationalities.

and the ones who make the cut, are screened in the festival’s official program and compete for the Golden Egg award.

to promote their work to buyers and distributors. Furthermore, the attendees gain the opportunity to participate in dialogue and exchange ideas and thoughts with young filmmakers from across the globe. experiences with the participants. A special private screening of this years RIFF opening film “Solitude” will be followed by an intimate Q&A by its director Ninna Pálmadóttir, as well as the participants will visit the residence of the Icelandic President for a RIFF reception.

During the lab, techniques in pitching will be shared, and later in the week participants will get a chance to put this learning into practice by pitching their

TUE

9:00

13:00

15:00 KEX

Check-in & Registration

16:00

17:30 - 18:30

HB Lobby

TL: Kick-Off Drinks

19:00

19:15 - 22:00

HB 1

Optional

Screening & Masterclass: Antarctica

Calling by Luc Jacquet

19:30 - 22:30

9:00 - 9:30

KEX

TL: Introduction

9:30 - 10:30

KEX

TL: Pitch Perfect

11:00 - 12:30

KEX

TL: Holy Trinity

13:30 - 15:00

KEX

TL: Star Struck

THU 5.10.

9:30 - 11:00

RH

Industry Panel: Festival Strategy & Distribution

11:30 - 13:00

KEX

TL: Sound of Cinema

9:00 - 12:00

HB 2

TL: Private Screening & Talk: Solitude by Ninna Pálmadóttir

9:00 - 10:30

KEX

TL: The Odd Couple

11:15 - 13:00

Industry Trip: Tree Planting

13:00 - 15:30

KEX

TL: Pitch Competition

14:00 - 16:00 Presidential Reception

15:30 - 17:30

HB 4

Golden Egg I

16:00 - 18:00

RH

17:00 - 18:30

NH

Masterclass: Isabelle Huppert

18:15 - 20:15

HB 4

Golden Egg II

17:00 - 19:25

HB 1

Optional

Screening & Extended Talk:

Call Me By Your Name by Luca Guadagnino

Industry Event: RIFF Talks

17:00 - 19:30

HB 1

Optional Screening & Extended Talk: Sidonie in Japan starring Isabelle Huppert

19:30 - 21:00

13:30 - 14:30

HB Lobby

TL: Wrap-Up & Pitch Award

15:00 - 16:30

Vesturbæjarlaug

TL: Swimming Pool 17:00 - 20:30

HB 1

Award & Closing Ceremony + Closing Film: Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos

21:00 - 22:30

SB Bar

Optional Event: Stand Up

SB Cinema

22:00

TL: Screening “Out of Competition” Shorts

21:15 - 23:30

HB1

Optional Screening: Corsage

21:30 - 22:30

HB 1

Silent Film Concert

HB Lobby Reception: Tromso Int. FF

20:15 - 22:30

HB 1

Optional Screening: The Piano Teacher starring Isabelle Huppert

21:00 Edition Hotel

Closing Party

VENUES

1. KEX: Talent Lab Main Venue & Accommodation

KEX HOSTEL - TL events are in Gym&Tonic room on main floor.

Address: Skúlagata 28, 101 Reykjavík

2. HB: RIFF Main Cinema

Walking time from KEX: 0 min

HÁSKÓLABÍÓ - numbers HB1-HB4 refer to screen number.

Address: Suðurgata, 107 Reykjavík

3. RH: Industry Days Main Venue

Walking time from KEX: 35 min

RÁÐHÚS REYKJAVÍKUR / CITY HALL - all events in Main Hall.

Address: Tjarnargata 11, 101 Reykjavík

4. NH: Special Events Venue

NORDIC HOUSE / NORRÆNAHÚSIÐ - Main Hall

Address: Sæmundargata 11, 102 Reykjavík

5. SB: Bar & Small Cinema

Walking time from KEX: 20 min

Walking time from KEX: 31 min

SLIPPBARINN Hotel Bar. SLIPPBÍÓ Small Cinema off the bar.

Address: Mýrargata 2, 101 Reykjaík

3. VESTURBÆJARLAUG: Swimming Pool

Walking time from KEX: 22 min

VESTURBÆJARLAUG - meet in foyer, or in large hot tub.

Address: Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík

Walking time from KEX: 35 min

TUESDAY 3RD OF OCTOBER

CHECK IN & REGISTRATION

15:00 - 16:45 KEX Hostel - Reception

You’ve arrived, and now you need to get settled and organised. Head over to the KEX Hostel reception from 15:00 to check in to your accommodation. If you arrive earlier, the reception will be happy to store your luggage, but no early check-ins are possible. Next to the reception desk you will find our RIFF desk where the TL team will be ready and excited to complete your Talent Lab registration and provide you with your festival pass and all the information you may need.

WALK FROM KEX TO HB

Departure 16:45 from KEX Reception

TL: KICK-OFF DRINKS & PHOTOCALL

17:30 - 18:30 HB Lobby

First things first - let’s grab a drink and toast this year’s Talent Lab! A casual get-together for our participants and organisers is what’s on the agenda. Be prepared to be photographed.

WALK FROM HB TO SB

Departure 18:30 from HB main entrance

TL: SCREENING: I’LL SHOW YOU MINE IF YOU SHOW ME YOURS

19:30 - 22:30 SB Slippbíó

Once the small talk dries up, then we will do what we do best - show films! This event is a private and relaxed screening of shorts by Talent Labbers that weren’t selected for the Golden Egg program - these “Out of Competition” shorts are equally diverse and exciting as those selected. We truly believe that the best way to get to know fellow filmmakers is by watching their films, and by the end of the night we will be in deep…

OPTIONAL SCREENING & MASTERCLASS : ANTARCTICA CALLING by LUC JACQUET

19:15 - 22:00 HB 1

Luc Jacquet is this year’s recipient of RIFF’s Green Puffin Award. His film Antarctica Calling will screen at Háskólabíó, and will be followed by an extended talk by Luc Jacquet. NOTE: Tickets need to be booked with your festival pass.

WEDNESDAY 4TH OF OCTOBER

TL: ARTISTIC DIRECTOR INTRODUCTION

9:00 - 9:30

KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

This year’s Talent Lab Artistic Director is multi award winning Producer and Director Eva Sigurdardottir. Hosting the lab for the second time, Eva is excited to introduce the TL program and kick off the sessions.

TL: PITCH PERFECT

9:30 - 10:30

KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

In this first session, artistic director Eva Sigurdardottir will outline how to structure a successful pitch, providing tips and tricks to improve your technique. Later in the week you will have an opportunity to test your pitching skills in our Pitch Competition. In front of a panel of industry professionals, you will be able to pitch your upcoming projects, and will receive immediate feedback. A winner will then be chosen by the panel. Not everyone is required to pitch, but if you are interested, please register after this session.

TL: THE HOLY TRINITY: PRODUCERS, WRITERS & DIRECTORS

11:00 - 12:30

KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

How do you find the right producer for your film? Should you work with a screenwriter or write your own script? Experienced Producers and Directors will join us for a conversation about the development process, and we will discuss and explore what is needed to assemble a “dream team”. Speakers confirmed for the session are producer Hlín Jóhannesdóttir (Solitude, Driving Mum, The Swan), producer Sara Nassim (Lamb), producer-director Davíð Óskar Ólafsson (Metalhead, Trom, The Valhalla Murders) and Argentinian writer-director/producer Lisandro Alonso (Eureka, Jauja, Los Muertos, La Libertad).

TL: STAR STRUCK: ACTORS & CASTING

13:30 - 15:00

KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

How do you engage an experienced actor for your project? What makes for a fruitful collaboration between a director and their cast? Actors Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir (Blackport, Wild Game, Trapped, Heartstone) and Blær Hinriksson (Heartstone, Beautiful Beings) will join director Ragnar Bragason (Börn, Parents, Metalhead) and casting director Vigfús Þormar Gunnarsson from Doorway Casting for an open and honest conversation about the casting process and share their unique approaches to working as/with actors.

SCREENING: GOLDEN EGG I: “IS THIS LOVE?” + Q&A

15:30 - 17:30

HB 4

We hope to see you all in the cinema for both Golden Egg screenings. This first section comprises eight shorts from the Talent Lab participants, and will be followed by a Q&A.

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SCREENING:

18:15 - 20:15

GOLDEN EGG II: “LIFE GETS COMPLICATED” + Q&A

HB 4

Refresh your popcorn and buy a fresh drink before sitting back down for the second half of the Golden Egg selection - this time seven fantastic shorts. Of course there will also be a Q&A following the screening.

OPTIONAL EVENT: STAND UP COMEDY NIGHT

21:00 - 22:30 Slippbarinn // FREE ENTRY

Join the industry participants and other RIFF guests for a night of laughter. Come and watch the best Icelandic comedians work on their stuff and have a drink at our festival bar (15% discount for TL). Hosted by comedian York Underwood.

OPTIONAL SCREENING: CORSAGE starring VICKY KRIEPS

21:15 - 23:15

HB 1

Recipient of this year’s RIFF Creative Excellence Award is acclaimed German-Luxembourgish actress Vicky Krieps. The film Corsage starred Vicky Krieps as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, which won her the Best Actress prize at the 35th European Film Awards last year. This screening will be introduced by Vicky Krieps herself. NOTE: Tickets need to be booked with your festival pass.

THURSDAY

5TH

OF OCTOBER

INDUSTRY PANEL: SOUND-CAMERA-DISTRIBUTION! FESTIVAL STRATEGY & DISTRIBUTION FOR FIRST TIME FILMMAKERS

9:30 - 11:00

Ráðhúsið (City Hall)

Moderated by film journalist Jason Gorber, this panel will unveil useful and practical tips for distribution and festival strategies, particularly targeted at first time filmmakers. Come and get inspired by our impressive panel of RIFF programme director and Tribeca artistic director Frédéric Boyer, the director of the film department at Festival de Cannes Christian Jeune, director of sales & operation of the Marché du Film in Cannes Maud Amson, and Festival Scope co-founder Alessandro Raja.

TL: SOUND OF CINEMA

11:30 - 13:00 KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

Films are more than just a sequence of pretty pictures, and in this session we will focus on the magic of sound and music in cinema. Composers Herdís Stefánsdóttir (Knock at the Cabin, The Essex Serpent, Blackport) and Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir (The Deposit, Sumarbörn), a.k.a. Kira Kira will share insights into the film composer’s process. Sound designers Gunnar Árnason (Belonging, Driving Mum, A Letter from Helga) and Björn Viktorsson (Lamb, Northern Comfort, A White White Day) will share their invaluable experience of working both on set and across audio post production.

PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION FOR RIFF HONORARY GUESTS

14:00 - 16:00

President’s Residence at Bessastaðir (Transport provided)

This is not a joke - you are invited to meet the President of Iceland at his residence in Bessastaðir! This VIP reception is hosted in honour of the recipients of this year’s RIFF Creative Excellence Awards - actors Vicky Krieps and Isabelle Huppert, and director Luca Guadagnino. Transport will be organised to and from Bessastaðir, which is a 20 minute drive from the city centre. Dress code is smart-casual.

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MASTERCLASS: ISABELLE HUPPERT

17:00 - 18:30

Nordic House

RIFF Creative Excellence recipient, actress Isabelle Huppert, will talk about her career and experiences in an intimate Masterclass at the Nordic House. With a prolific career spanning more than 50 years and nearly 150 film and TV production, Isabelle Huppert is a luminous figure in French cinema. Her long list of awards include two Best Actress awards at the Cannes Film Festival (Violette Noziere, The Piano Teacher), a BAFTA (The Lacemaker), a Golden Globe Award (Elle) and an Academy Award Nomination (Elle).

OPTIONAL SCREENING & EXTENDED TALK: CALL ME BY YOUR NAME by LUCA GUADAGNINO

17:00 - 19:25

HB1

SILENT FILM CONCERT

21:30 - 22:30

HB1

Don’t miss out on the Extended Talk after the screening of Luca Guadagnino’s groundbreaking film Call Me By Your Name in Háskólabíó. The film screens at 17:00, but we will be in attendance at Isabelle Huppert’s Masterclass at that time - but we can sneak in for Luca Guadagnino’s talk after the screening of his film. Luca Guadagnino is an Italian filmmaker known for his intimate, heartfelt and artistic films. In 2018 Guadagnino won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me By Your Name, and his most recent film is Challengers starring Zendaya, which is set to be released next year. He is currently finalising Queer, featuring Daniel Craig, in Italy.

// FREE for TL

The Abyss is an erotic, silent melodrama which launched the career of Denmark’s great silent film star, Asta Nielsen. The Abyss will be shown with live music composed and performed by Norwegian electronica artists Charlotte Bendiks. This screening is a special collaboration with Tromso International Film Festival (TIFF).

FRIDAY 6TH OF OCTOBER

TL: PRIVATE SCREENING: SOLITUDE by NINNA PÁLMADÓTTIR + Q&A

9:00 - 12:00

Háskólabíó Screen 2

You are invited to an early morning screening of RIFF’s opening film, the Icelandic feature Solitude, directed by debut filmmaker Ninna Pálmadóttir and written by acclaimed Rúnar Rúnarsson. After the screening we will be joined by the director for an intimate chat about her process, her experiences and more.

Gunnar (60) lives a solitary life in the Icelandic countryside. The state Gunnar gives his horses to the neighbour and drives to the capital without looking back. He moves to a quiet suburb and settles there until the paper delivery boy, Ari, decides to befriend him. Their friendship proves to be transformative for them both.

TL: PITCH COMPETITION

13:00 - 15:30

KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

Ready, set, pitch! In this session, participants have the opportunity to present their ideas and upcoming projects to film professionals and receive valuable feedback from them. The Pitch Competition is a highlight of the Talent Lab program, and is of huge value to both those that pitch, as well as those who attend as observers. The Pitch Competition is a closed event intended to allow the TL participants to practise their pitching skills in a professional-style setting. Registration will take place on Tuesday after the Perfect Pitch session.

INDUSTRY EVENT: RIFF TALKS

16:00 - 18:00 Ráðhúsið (City Hall)

Join RIFF’s industry guests for our yearly RIFF Talks where young and promising filmmakers as well as seasoned ones, give short talks in the vein of TedX Talks. The aim is to inspire young filmmakers with motivational talks and the speakers raw energy. Our very own Sol Berruezo Pichon-Riviére is one of the speakers, so make sure to be there!

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OPTIONAL SCREENING + EXTENDED TALK: SIDONIE IN JAPAN starring ISABELLE HUPPERT

17:00 - 19:30 HB1

Isabelle Huppert’s most recent film Sidone in Japan will be followed by an Extended Talk. The film is directed by Élise Girard and follows an established French writer as she mourns her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto. As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him but she will have to finally let go of the past to let herself love again. NOTE: make sure to pre-book your tickets.

DRINK RECEPTION: TROMSØ INT. FILM FESTIVAL

19:30 - 21:00 Háskólabíó Lobby

Join our friends from the Tromso International Film Festival for a well earned drink at Háskólabíó. This is an opportunity for you to mingle and rub elbows with the rest of the industry guests and other special guests.

OPTIONAL SCREENING: THE PIANO TEACHER starring ISABELLE HUPPERT

20:15 - 22:30 HB1

Erika, a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory, lives with her tyrannical mother in a hermetically sealed world of love-hate and dependency. Her sex life consists of voyeurism and masochistic self-injury. But when one of Erika’s students decides to seduce her, the barriers around her collapse. The film was directed by Michael Haneke and released in 2001. Isabelle Huppert will introduce the film before it’s screening. NOTE: make sure to pre-book your tickets.

SATURDAY 7TH OF OCTOBER

TL: THE ODD COUPLE: CINEMATOGRAPHERS & EDITORS

9:00 - 10:30 KEX Hostel - Gym&Tonic

Our final session explores how Cinematographers and Editors can support one another, and how a director can best engage and prepare with these key collaborators in their projects. Editors Úlfur Teitur Traustason (Let Me Fall, Black Sands, Fractures) and Sigurður Eyþórsson (Trapped, Blackport, Katla) will sit down with Cinematographers Árni Filippusson (Operation Napoleon, The Lazarus Project, Katla, Trapped) and Magga Vala (Sophie, Felt Cute, Dalia) and discuss how collaborations between these two very different sides of the filmmaking process can be enhanced.

INDUSTRY TRIP: TREE PLANTING

11:15 - 13:00 Heiðmörk National Park (Transport From Ráðhús/City Hall)

RIFF aims to be at the forefront of increasing sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of culture festivals. In light of this, RIFF has, in partnership with our sponsors, committed to reducing our eco-footprint and to making choices with the good of the environment in mind. Among this year’s initiatives, trees will be planted to offset the carbon-footprint of airline passengers visiting the festival. TL participants, along with other foreign guests, will make a trip to Heiðmörk national park, and join director Benedikt Erlingsson in planting trees… Trust us, you will be so happy to get out of the city and get some fresh air while doing your bit for the environment.

TL: WRAP UP & PITCH AWARD

13:30 - 14:30 HB Lobby

It’s time to say goodbye! But before we do, we need to announce the winner of this year’s Pitch Competition. Expect to be photographed!

SWIMMING POOL

15:00 - 16:30

Vesturbæjarlaug

If the showers are busy at KEX, then you can opt to join in on our trip to the swimming pool! Icelanders go swimming in outdoor pools all year round, but the main event is chatting to your friends and strangers in the hot tub. The pool is right by Háskólabíó, so make sure to pack your trunks, towel and evening attire before the Industry trip in the morning. We will arrange for your bags to be dropped off at KEX in the evening, so you don’t need to carry your wet bikini with you all night!

AWARD & CLOSING CEREMONY + CLOSING FILM: POOR THINGS by YORGOS LANTHIMOS

17:00 - 20:30 HB1

It’s all been leading to this - the award and closing ceremony. Expect laughter, long speeches (some more dry than others), lots of clapping and of course the winner of the Golden Egg will be presented with their award on stage. After the ceremony the closing film Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos will be screened.

CLOSING PARTY

After Closing Film - late The Edition - Rooftop Bar

Cheers! We made it. Now let’s drink and dance. Join us at the rooftop bar of The Edition Hotel where the drinks will be flowing, the music will be turned up and the views are to die for.

THE GOLDEN EGG I - IS THIS LOVE?

Mum, I’m in Love With Pamela Anderson

Mamá, estoy enamorado de Pamela Anderson

Duration: 91 min

4.10. @ Háskólabíó 4 - 15:30 + Q&A

Greta Griniute ES, 2023, 10 min

When single mother Maria discovers that her seven-year-old son Jose has fallen in love with Pamela Anderson, she summons all her powers of invention to ensure Pamela responds.

Last Night at Paris Blues

Fany de la Chica US, 2022, 11 min

Triana is an Andalusian flamenco-jazz immigrant singer who needs to decide between love and her career as an artist on the last day she performs at Paris Blues in New York.

Mea Culpa

Eric Bizzarri CA, 2020, 10 min

A date becomes complicated when a controversial subject forces the couple to examine their desires and limitations.

I Do

Alexander Seltzer CA, 2023, 20 min

Faced with deportation two Russian students in Canada conspire to pose as a gay couple in order to seek asylum. But soon they start developing real feelings for each other.

You’re Smart

Surita Parmar CA, 2023, 4 min

An experimental meditation on the #MeToo movement through dance and spoken word, from the perspective of a woman of color.

Heirloom

Devina Sofiyanti ID, 2022, 17 min

A woman tries to escape from a wrapped ghost, Pocong, by hiding in a man’s house. Later, she realizes that the man is scarier than the Pocong itself.

3PM Thursdays

Michèle Kaye CA, 2023, 7 min

In a stylized dive-bar a femme dancer performs for American soldiers and business men. When the dancer begins menstruating, the soldiers begin to lose control and everything turns into chaos.

Bromance

SaraKlara Hellström SE, 2022, 12 min

Räkan and Fabbe are bros 4 life. But when Räkan is forced to a girl’s party, he becomes aware of the exclusion he has so often felt but never confronted. Until now.

THE GOLDEN EGG II - LIFE GET’S COMPLICATED

Wise Woman

Duration: 88 min

4.10. @ Háskólabíó 4 - 18:15 + Q&A

Daniel Butler IE, 2022, 17 min

Inspired by Donegal folktales, the skeptical daughter of a traditional healer has her certainties challenged when she encounters the ‘Good People’ (fairies) of Irish folklore.

Crying Applause

Souzanna Maragou US, 2023, 5 min

A woman in New York City enters unknown realms of her mind after an unexpected incident. Images and sounds twist and distort until she can no longer distinguish the real from the imaginary.

Lia IRL

Milda Baginskaite UK, 2023, 14 min

Young boy with learning difficulties befriends a voice-activated AI assistant that unknowingly prepares him for the real challenges of life.

My Grandmother’s Dream

El Sueño de mi Abuela

Tahiel Jimenez Medina US, 2022, 6 min

An immigrant grandmother’s dream foretells the disappearance of her granddaughter.

Lady in Black

Gana Comagic ME, 2023, 13 min

A conflicted funeral director enthusiastically tackles a large influx of customers during a new pandemic, along with their scrutiny of his career and fatherhood.

Recovery of the Fallen Recuperación de los Caídos

Curtis Matzke US, ES, 2022, 7 min

A lone man wanders a barren landscape on a foreign planet, salvaging items off of bodies that have fallen to the surface.

This Is Ours

Simon London UK, 2023, 26 min

In a facility where the worth of each child must be measured and evaluated, a young girl is made to question her blind obedience.

NANNA KRISTÍN MAGNÚSDÓTTIR

Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir is an Icelandic writer-director, producer and one of Iceland’s most well known actresses. She is the owner of CUBS Productions. Nanna Kristín co-produced, wrote and directed the shorts Playing with balls and CUBS. As well as the TV-series Happily Never After where she got a the second nomination for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize, after Stella Blomkvist. She co-directed the TV-series The Minister. Her first full feature as a writer / director is the family musical 12 Hours to Destruction / Abbababb.

ANDREAN SIGURGEIRSSON

Andrean is a dancer, choreographer and actor. He began dancing at 18 years old after doing martial arts for 10 years. He graduated with a BA in contemporary dancing from Iceland University of Arts and soon after was signed as a dancer with Iceland Dance Company. Since then he has worked on several solo as well as group shows and has appeared in many music videos, for artists and bands such as Vök, Mammút, Ólafur Arnalds, Hatari and most recently Björk, directed by Andrew Thomas Huang. Andrean has a role in the upcoming film The.Damned, by Terrence Malick. Andrean was awarded Newcomer of the Year in 2018 at The Icelandic Perfoming Arts Awards and has been nominated twice as Dancer of the Year. Andrean is Icelandic/Indonesian and speaks fluent Icelandic, Indonesian and English.

SVANDÍS DÓRA EINARSDÓTTIR

Svandís Dóra is an Icelandic actress and has starred on a number of feature films, TV series and in many theatre projects in the National Theatre of Iceland and with independent theatre groups. In 2022-23 she starred in the hit TV series Balls (Afturelding) where she played the female lead, the feature film Northern Comfort and award winning films Summerlight and Then Comes the Night where she plays one of the lead and April Skies (CAN) which she was nominated as the Best Leading Actress in Central Alberta Film Festival. She also starred in the popular TV series Trapped III on Netflix. She starred in the theatre piece Congratulations on being Human in the National Theatre of Iceland. Upcoming film All Eyes on Me (CAN) is in post production and due to be realesed in 2024. Svandís Dóra has also done a lot of voice over and is currently the ongoing character, Valka, for the hit international video came Assassin ́s Creed Valhalla.

Svandís Dóra also starred in the feature films In Front of Others, which she was nominated as the Best Supporting Actress at the Icelandic Film Awards Edda. Other films appearances include the award winning film Of Horses and Men, the Icelandic comedy classic Harrý & Heimir – Morð eru til alls fyrst, Love on Iceland (Hallmark USA), Polite People, City State and Faust by Aleksander Sukorov. She has also starred on a number of TV series, such as Fractures,The Lava Field, The Mayor, Promises, Ordinary People and in the award winning short Playing with Balls. Svandís Dóra graduated as an actress from The Icelandic Art Academy in 2010.

SOL BERRUEZO PICHON-RIVIÉRE

Director & Screenwriter

KÁRI ÚLFSSON Producer ARNDÍS EY Costume designer

MAGGA VALA Cinematographer

ÓLÖF B. TORFADÓTTIR Director & Screenwriter

SUNNEVA ÁSA WEISSHAPPEL Production Designer

ÞORSTEINN STURLA GUNNARSSON

Director & Screenwriter

NINNA PÁLMADÓTTIR Director & Screenwriter

PÁLL GRÍMSSON Director & Screenwriter

CLARA ALTIMAS

Clara Altimas is a Canadian writer, director, and producer currently in development on her first feature, BENSON. She served as a writer, co-executive producer, and director on two seasons of the half hour comedy, Strays (CBC) and was a writer and producer on three seasons of the hit series Kim’s Convenience (CBC). She directed the digital series Off Kilter (CBC GEM) and has written and directed a number of short films that have received international festival recognition.

Ahmet Faruk Arslan is a Turkish independent filmmaker who focused on Sufism and Islamic arts to create a unique cinematic language, making “low-budget” short films which have screened with international acclaim. He started making films at the age of 13, when he was in high school. He’s the youngest alumni of 37th Fajr International Film Festival‘s Talent Campus 2019 and he was invited to the Talent Lab of the 19th Reykjavik Film Festival in Iceland. He received support from various institutions with the scripts he developed. His first feature film project was supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. He works as an original series production specialist on the “TRT tabii” platform. He supervises the processes of many TV series and films produced within TRT. He is currently working on his first feature-length project.

MILDA BAGINSKAITE

Milda Baginskaitė is an Eastern European screenwriter and director based in the UK. She has received several directing awards for her short films, music videos and micro shorts. Milda is a Berlinale Talents 2023 participant and a selected member of BAFTA Connect and Directors UK. A comedy TV series that Milda has co-created has recently been optioned by a Warner Bros Discovery production company. Milda also directs theatre. Her hybrid theatre and film production has toured UK theatres in 2021.

AHMET FARUK ARSLAN

DEVON BAIN

HINRIK BERGSSON

Devon is a Canadian female writer/director. She wrote the upcoming feature PRECIOUS CARGO (LevelFilm, Brightlight Pictures, and Rocket Science). Her other upcoming feature is THE GREATEST, which she is also directing and creative producing (alongside A Token Entertainment Company and Free Bird Productions). Devon has directed 2 short films and written an additional 8 produced shorts. She was a recent quarterfinalist for the prestigious ScreenCraft Feature Competition in 2022.

I grew up in Hafnarfjörður in a home that was characterized by history and joy. I practice basketball and have done so since the age of twelve. Moved to Grindavík two years ago and still live there. I have a strong and youthful interest in films and everything related to them, and thus am drawn to wanting to express myself through my own filmmaking. My goal is to direct a full-length film.

ERIC BIZZARRI

Eric Bizzarri is an award winning Canadian director and producer based in Toronto. Primarily interested in the nuances of human relationships, Eric’s work investigates toxic masculinity, malemale abuse, friendships and intimacy. His films have been distributed by CBC, Super Channel, Revry and Amazon Prime (US, UK, Germany).

His most recent producing credits include DIASPORA (TIFF, Palm Springs International ShortFest), DESI STANDARD TIME TRAVEL (Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, Tallgrass Film Festival, Canadian Film Fest) and GREAT SEEING YOU (Miami International Film Festival, Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival).His most recent directing credits include MEA CULPA (Toronto Black Film Festival, Reykjavik International Film Festival), PRESSURE PLAY (Canadian Film Fest, Halifax Black Film Festival), I WANNA MAKE A MOVIE, OR I WANNA DIE TRYING (TIFF Next Wave, Whistler Film Festival) and a commercial for BEN AND JERRY’S, with Label 428. In 2023, he was recently selected for the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab, an incubator for emerging filmmakers making their debut feature film.

Eric is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Future of Film Showcase, an annual film festival based in Toronto fostering the future of emerging Canadian filmmakers, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Breakthroughs Film Festival. He is a graduate of York University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Film Production with Honours.

TALENT LAB PARTICIPANTS 2023

BUSRA CODUROGLU

GANA COMAGIC

Busra is a Turkish-American filmmaker and educator whose work often portrays historically marginalized characters, not as victims but as complex characters with dignity. Her short film, Asylum, which premiered at the 2022 Brooklyn Film Festival, was inspired by her experiences translating for Turkish refugees seeking political asylum in the US. The film is a contemplation on the thin line between offering to help someone in need and speaking for them.Busra holds an MFA in Directing from Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and teaches filmmaking at the University of Connecticut. Her current work explores the intersection of movement and intergenerational trauma.

Gana Comagic is a screenwriter, director and producer based in Podgorica, Montenegro. Leading her production company Evil Ideas in Montenegro, she creates short, feature films and documentaries. Notably, her short film “Crna Dama” (Lady in Black, 2023), a captivating blend of black comedy and drama, just premiered at FEST - New Directors, New Films Festival 2023 in Portugal. Gana was chosen this year for the Sarajevo Talents 2023 programme for Pack and Pitch with “Tranfer” in development.

FANY DE LA CHICA

GRETA GRINIŪTĖ

Her films and documentaries have been selected in more than one hundred film festivals, received ten awards, and have been broadcast in Denmark and Spain. Her film, Something to Believe in, was presented at the Academy, won an Emmy at the College Awards from the Television Academy Foundation, and was selected at Oscar-qualifying festivals like Telluride. Round Trip, was shortlisted for the Academy Awards in Spain and received a funding award from the Culture Ministry.

Greta Griniūtė was born in Lithuania, but after school she spread her wings to the UK, passing through Italy to fly to LA. Her films have won awards at renowned film festivals and now she’s working hard on her debut feature film ‘Independent Child’. With a highly contagious positive energy, she loves comedy and with her unique color palette and characters, she reflects on her inner child.

SARAKLARA HELLSTRÖM

MIKE HENEGHAN

SaraKlara Hellström is an up-and-coming scriptwriter and director. With a background in casting and scriptwriting she started to work with her own films. “Bromance” is her second film and won the prestigious Dragon award for best Swedish short at Gothenburg film festival 2022.”Massacre of the Innocents” is her third film and her first collaboration with Pine. Together with Pine, she’s now working on her first feature film called ”The art of enjoyment”.

I’m an award-winning Irish writer who grounds supernatural and fantastic ideas in fallible characters to explore universal truths about human experience (and sometimes that’s funny). I love to collaborate and to work as part of a team.

I graduated from Ireland’s National Film School with The Award for Academic Excellence before working in a variety of media with the likes of Disney, SyFy, RTÉ, Zodiak, and Telegael.

JOSHUA JÁDI

THEO JOHNSON

Joshua Jádi is a German-Hungarian film director. He studies at the Filmakademie Wien in the class of Jessica Hausner. His short films have been screened and awarded internationally. He is currently participating in Torino ScriptLab and has been invited to prestigious industry events such as the Sarajevo Talents and the Locarno Academy Summer School.

My philosophy and aims as a filmmaker are grounded in the belief that a good film can be a piece of art that sustains, whereas an entertaining film is an ‘in the moment’ experience. My particular interest lies in films that explore human emotion at its most raw, when everything else has been stripped away, to see the world not through a utopian lens but in all its messy, ugly, beautiful glory.

TALENT LAB PARTICIPANTS

MICHÈLE KAYE

Michèle Kaye is an actor, director, producer, and musician based in Tkaronto. In much of her work as a director, she has explored denial, trauma, and desire through an anticapitalist, anti-patriarchal lens. Michèle has won multiple awards for her films, and has been awarded grants from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts. Her most recent film, a short horror/ dance film called “3pm Thursdays” was also supported though the CFC/Netflix calling card accelerator program. She has been mentored by Tracey Deer, and is an alumni of the Blood In the Snow Horror Lab. She is currently working on her first feature which has development funding from Canada Council and Telefilm. She loves folk music, traveling, reading, learning, dismantling the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, and spending time with her two delightful kids.

ANNE KMETYKO

Born in Montreal, Anne Kmetyko is a first-generation CanadianHungarian filmmaker whose films explore the themes of identity and memory. Her films have screened on the festival circuit locally and internationally. In 2020 she obtained her master’s degree in film studies from the University of Montreal. She recently completed Si seulement...peut-être.... her latest short film.

TALIA LEVIN

SIMON LONDON

Talia is a Director, Writer, and Producer for film, theater, and virtual reality. In her narrative and dance film work she creates new worlds that reveal the deepest truths of our own. Her short film NEXT TIME won an Audience Award at the Academy AwardQualifying Nashville Film Festival and her dance films have been featured across international platforms including Short of the Week and NOWNESS. She holds a degree in Drama (Directing) and Screenwriting from Carnegie Mellon University.

Simon grew up in a volcano crater in New Zealand. Before finding filmmaking he worked as an actor, writer and photographer and has lived his life between New Zealand, Australia and the UK. His first film, THE CALF, premiered in competition at Odense IFF 2022 and his second, THAT WORKMAN’S ARM, at ClermontFerrand ISFF 2022. In March 2023 he graduated with an MA in Directing Fiction from The National Film and Television School.

SOUSANA MARAGKOU

CURTIS MATZKE

Sousana Maragkou is a passionate filmmaker and digital specialist. She has been involved in the production (video concept, script, shooting and editing) of short documentaries and videos for social causes including living conditions in Africa, refugees and women’s rights. In 2018-2019, she studied filmmaking at Stavrakos Film School in Athens and attended courses in screenwriting and film production at The New School and New York University in 2021.

Curtis Matzke is a director, screenwriter, and producer based in Chicago, IL. His work has been recognized at dozens of film festivals, including Athens International, Cinequest, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, and Chicago International. Curtis was recently mentored by the legendary Werner Herzog and nominated for two regional Emmys. Curtis holds a B.A. and M.A. in Media Arts and Technology from Michigan State University with a concentration in Television, Cinema, & Radio and a minor in Film Studies.

TAHIEL JIMENEZ MEDINA

Tahiel Jimenez Medina (he, they) is a Queer Colombian immigrant director. In dedication to his mother and immigrant mamas who escape generational violence, he presents Colombian immigrant narratives through a lens that celebrates ever-evolving emotional and ancestral journeys, memories, and dreams. His visions about immigrant and Colombian identity are culture catalysts to decolonize, remember and heal ancestral cycles. Medina premiered films at national and international film festivals.

GISELLE MILLER

Giselle Miller is a Jamaican-Canadian writer, actor and filmmaker living in Vancouver. After completing an MFA in Creative Writing at UBC, she went on to write, produce and direct two seasons of the Leo award-nominated web series Young, Single and Black. Giselle’s productions have been featured in the Women of African Descent Film Festival, the Big Apple Film Festival, the Reel Q: Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival and the Roma Shorts Film Festival. She is currently in development on her first feature film Sweet Plantain and is a participant in the 2023 Whistler Screenwriters Lab. Giselle is the founder of Orange Rose Productions, a company dedicated to telling stories that center black people.

Suri Parmar is a Toronto-based filmmaker, professor, and writer who graduated from the Canadian Film Centre’s Writers’ Lab and the Stonecoast MFA Program. As a studio producer and coordinator, her portfolio includes branded content for Yahoo Life and Yahoo Entertainment, In The Know, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and New York Fashion Week 2022. Her short films have screened at Canadian Film Fest and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and her fiction has appeared in New Haven Review and The Spectacle. Suri uses her creative output to analyze and dissect the human condition in all its messiness, alongside ghosts and mermaids and demons. Her stories are for people who still believe in fairies ... and monsters under their bed. Feel free to follow her at @_hoodlumrock on Instagram and check out her portfolio at suriparmar.com

AISHA EVELYNA

Born to Canadian parents of Caribbean descent, AISHA EVELYNA is a Toronto-based actor and filmmaker passionate about bringing stories of the underrepresented to the forefront of our social consciousness. In 2022 Aisha was named a Screenwriter to Watch by MovieMaker Magazine. Her short film ALEX which she wrote, directed, and starred was also named a Vimeo Staff Pick upon its online release. Currently, she is developing her Telefilm funded feature debut SEAHORSE, set to shoot in Summer 2022.

SURI PARMAR

GIOVANNI RAHMADEVA

Giovanni Rahmadeva is a film producer based in Indonesia. His latest works include Night Bus (2017 FFI Best Film) & Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017 Directors’ Fortnight Cannes & 2018 FFI Best Film). In 2018 he also co-produced Koji Fukada’s The Man From The Sea. His newest film ORPA; the only feature directed by a native Papuan, won the Best Performance Awards at Jaff-NETPAC 2022.

ALEXANDER SELTZER

KIT WEYMAN

Alexander is a Slamdance-winning and Blacklist-recommended writer and director, whose scripts have won numerous accolades including winning Killer Shorts. He is a two-time Austin Film Festival second-rounder and ScreenCraft Film Fund Finalist. His work focuses on characters facing complex emotional dilemmas and uses symbolically rich, elevated genre conceits to explore contemporary issues. His first short 10-33 premiered at Fantasia, won Best Short at Terror Mollins, and played at many festivals.

Before becoming a filmmaker-lecturer at Binus Film Department, Devina Sofiyanti studied cinema at Jakarta Institute of the Arts and New York Film Academy. Devina has participated in various film labs, including Full Circle Lab LOCK and Busan FLY Film Lab. Her debut feature project, The Heirlooms was selected in Torino Film Lab Extented 2022, Seapitch Bangkok ASEAN Film Festival 2022, and Produire Au Sud x TAICCA 2023. She is also a cowriter for “Our Son” (Locarno Open Doors 2021).

Kit Weyman is a writer, director, and actor from Toronto. He was exposed to film making and storytelling from an early age, growing up in front of the camera on various lead and supporting roles in film and television. His visuals capture movement and moments, merging the mundane with the magical, and expanding the mythology of the city.

DEVINA SOFIYANTI

DANIEL BUTLER

Daniel is an Irish-speaking writer and director from the Donegal Gaeltacht whose short film Bean Feasa, co-written with Mike Heneghan, premiered at Screamfest before winning ‘Best Irish Short Film’ at the Oscar-Qualifying Foyle Film Festival. He was nominated for a ‘Discovery Award’ at this year’s Dublin Int. Film Festival and selected for the National Talent Academy’s inaugural ‘Director’s Lab’. He is currently developing the feature film Bean Feasa with his talented co-writer Mike Heneghan.

KYLE WILKINSON

Kyle Wilkinson is a versatile Canadian filmmaker with extensive experience in various roles on film and television sets. In addition to his practical experience, Kyle has pursued formal education in filmmaking at several renowned institutions, including the New York Film Academy, the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, and Second City. As a filmmaker, Kyle Wilkinson is committed to creating irreverent films that connect with audiences.

ANTHONY MIZZI

Maltese/Icelandic national, Anthony became involved in theater from a young age and acted in his first short film when he was 13 years old. Anthony went on to study Liberal Arts at King’s College London where he earned a first class merit on his thesis on the history of ideas. From there he returned to Malta and with a cinematographer Andrew Randon and French Director Angelique Muller, he went on to accumulate experience working in various technical departments until founding Blank Canvas.

THE TALENT LAB TEAM

Eva Sigurdardottir

Artistic Director

evamargret@gmail.com +354 823 0004

Sol Berruezo Pichon-Riviére Project Coordinator talentlab@riff.is +354 765 4835

Adéla Hašková Graphic designer +420 725 119 000

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

www.facebook.com/rvkfilmfest/

Instagram @reykjavikfilmfestival

Industry Days Instagram @riffindustrydays

#RIFFTalentLab

WHAT TO PACK

Make sure to bring good shoes as well as warm wind-and-rain-friendly clothes for the Industry Trip. A big part of Icelandic culture revolves around outdoor swimming pools, which offer saunas, steam baths and hot tubs. Vesturbæjarlaug (West Side Swimming Pool) is only a few minutes walking distance from our main cinema venue Háskólabíó, and we encourage you to take advantage. And don’t forget your dancing shoes for the closing ceremony after party!

WEATHER

The weather can be quite unpredictable, so please be prepared for sunshine, rain and lots of rainbows! You can check the weather forecast (as well as the Northern lights forecast!) here: https://en.vedur.is/

GETTING AROUND

Reykjavik is a relatively small city, and everything is within walking distance.

SCOOTERS

Did you bring your helmet? RIFF offers it’s staff and the Talent Lab participants FREE RIDES (yes free!) with our partners at ZOLO scooter rental. Make sure to download their app and use the discount code: RIFF2810

https://www.zoloiceland.is/

BUS

The Reykjavik city bus Stræto is another convenient way to travel within the city. You can purchase the bus ticket through the Klapp app, by cash on the bus (note that Bus drivers do not carry any change), or at various vendors. We highly recommend that you download the apps before you arrive. Each ticket costs 560 ISK.

https://straeto.is

https://klappid.is

TAXI

There are several 24-hour taxi companies in Reykjavik.

HREYFILL - Tel: +354 588 5522 or via their App

BSR - Tel: +354 561 0000

ACCREDITATION & TICKETS

Free Time? Included in your accreditation is a RIFF Festival Pass which grants you access to any regular film screening, even if not in your Talent Lab official schedule. You should have received your pass information already, but let us know if you have any questions. Book your tickets here: https://riff23.eventive.org/

FOOD & DRINK

Breakfast is included for participants staying at KEX Hostel, and is served between 07:30-10:00. Coffee and other drinks can be purchased at the KEX Bar (15% discount), but basic complimentary coffee/water will be supplied during our longer sessions on Wednesday and Friday.

Food trucks will be parked outside of Háskólabíói during the cinema’s opening hours, and we encourage you to grab dinner there. You will also be able to buy drinks and snacks at the Háskólabíó concession stand at a discount. At KEX Hostel you can buy food and drink at a discount when showing your TL badge - their pizzas are great and their beer is the cheapest in town!

There are several supermarkets around the city and close to KEX. If you are thinking about buying bottled water - think again! Iceland has the purest water, even from the bathroom sink!

15% Discount with your TL badge at the following locations:

KEX

Haskólabíó Cinema

Slippbarinn

Röntgen

15% of food and beer at KEX HOSTEL + Pizza for 1.500 kr and Beer for 850