REYKJAVIK TALENT LAB
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DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIATIVE & PURPOSE Velkominn til Reykjavíkur! We are thrilled to have you as participants of the 18th edition of the Reykjavik International Film Festival. We hope that you will make the best out 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.
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EFNISYFIRLIT / CONTENT 1 Description of the Initiative & Purpose 3 RIFF Talent Lab 4 Schedule 5 RIFF 2021 Venues 6 Social Events & Screenings 7 Introduction 8 The Art of the Pitch 9 The Pitch Workshop 10 Golden Egg Jury 11 Masterclasses 13 Alma 15 Producers Day 16 Dutch Delegation 20 Icelandic Delegation 23 International & Nordic Delegation 26 RIFF TALKS 31 Practical Information & Transportation 32 Accreditation & Tickets 33 Contact Information & Social Media 34 Talent Lab Participants
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RIFF TALENT LAB The RIFF Talent Lab is for talents who want to meet up with other like-minded individuals in Reykjavík and make first-hand contact with film producers and other professionals for help and consulting on their first feature film. This year’s Talent Lab will run from the 5th of October until the 9th of October. Four action-packed days during which you will participate in master classes and discussions with well-established names in the film industry. Education and entertainment will go hand in hand. The schedule is stuffed with great films, workshops, events and seminars.
THE GOLDEN EGG Participants have the opportunity of submitting their short films to The Golden Egg competition. The Golden Egg is an award given to young and aspiring talents. The films selected for The Golden Egg competition will be screened in the festival’s official program.
THE PROCESS The threefold motto of the Reykjavík International Film Festival (Innovation – Networking – 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 net- working necessary to promote their work to buyers and distributors. Further, the attendees gain the opportunity to participate in dialogue and exchange ideas and thoughts with young people from across the world.
THE PROGRAM The program of Reykjavik Talent Lab varies between years. We have a good combination of masterclasses, panels, workshops and fun. Among the ones who will talk in this edition are acclaimed Trine Dyrholm, Kristín Jóhannesdóttir, Grímar Jónsson, Rob Tasker and Wendy Mitchell. The participants of the 2021 Reykjavik Talent Lab will get guidance on how to promote their works in the international market by holding pitching sessions. This year Talent Lab will host 20 participants from 13 different nationalities all over the globe.
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SCHEDULE
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RIFF 2021 VENUES Loft Hostel / Talent Lab Hub - Bankastræti 7, 101 Reykjavík Hannesarholt / Talent Lab Hub - Grundarstíg 10, 101 Reykjavík The Nordic House /Industry Venue/Talent Lab - Sæmundargata 11, 101 Reykjavík Bíó Paradís Cinema / Main Screening Hall - Hverfisgata 52, 101 Reykjavík Hús máls & menningar / Cultural House - Laugarvegur 18b, 101 Reykjavík
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SOCIAL EVENTS & SCREENING
Happy Hour everday from 4pm - 8pm in Loft Hostel
MEET & GREET TALENT LAB // KICK OFF PARTY Hús Máls & Menningar - Cultural House 16:30 - 18:30
TALENT LAB INTRODUCTION - LOFT HOSTEL Participants in RIFF Talent Lab introduce their projects for guests. A night of Karaoke follows the introductions. Wednesday October 6th. 20:00-22:00 @ Loft Hostel
SCREENING - GOLDEN EGG PROGRAM 1 & 2 + Q/A Wednesday 6th 13:00 - 16:00 @ Bíó Paradís
CLOSING CEREMONY & PARTY TBC
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INTRODUCTION BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MARGRÉT ÖRNÓLFSDÓTTIR Wednesday October 6th. 08:30 - 09:00 @ HANNESARHOLT ABOUT MARGRÉT ÖRNÓLFSDÓTTIR Margrét is one of the most prominent screenwriters in Iceland, primarily known for the musical feature Regina and TV series Fangar (aka Prisoners), Trapped 2 and The Flatey Enigma. She is a composer and has written a long list of soundtracks for films and theatre. In 1988–1992 Margrét was the keyboard player of the renowned pop band The Sugarcubes. Few words from Margrét! People gather together for many different reasons – to have fun, to meet friends and family, to meet strangers, to network and make new friends, to dance and get drunk (or dance sober or simply get drunk), to exchange information, to discuss issues, to be inspired, to solve problems, to cause trouble... the list goes on perpetually. We’re going to spend a week together in Reykjavík and we can do all of that. And more. Or less. In other words, you may have different reasons for partaking in The Talent Lab, but it proves that you are searching and seeking new experience (experiment?) – the key ingredient for forward motion and the road to discovery. Hopefully the tightly knit and action packed program, bustling with interesting talks and events and activities will meet your aspirations, or even better, exceed them. I’m looking very much forward to getting to know all of you and working with you, so be very welcome and let’s have a lot of fun!
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R I F F 2021 ÞÓRÐUR PÁLSSON - THE ART OF THE PITCH Wednesday October 6th. 09:00-10:00 @ HANNESARHOLT ABOUT THORDUR PALSSON Thordur Palsson is an Icelandic filmmaker, who graduated from the prestigious National Film and Television School with an MA in Directing Fiction in 2015. He is the creator and lead director of The Valhalla Murders, which premiered in the UK in 2020 on BBC4 and is available on Netflix in over 190 countries. Thordur’s debut feature film The Damned is currently in development with Elation Pictures/Protagonist. Thordur is represented in the UK by Sayle Screen and in the US by CAA.
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PITCH WORKSHOP SATURDAY OCTOBER 9TH 13:00 - 1700 @ LOFT HOSTEL In this workshop, talent lab participants have the opportunity to present their ideas and upcoming projects to these film professionals and receive valuable feedback from them. HEATHER MILLARD, PRODUCER
Co-founder of Compass Films, Iceland, Heather Millard has produced a variety of internationally award-winning documentary films, feature films and service produced international television series. Heather has been working in the film & television industry in the UK since 2005 and relocated to Iceland in 2009 where she continues to produce international content.
ABOUT RAGNAR BRAGASON
Ragnar Bragason is one of Iceland’s most popular and critically acclaimed writerdirectors. His extensive body of work has been nominated numerous times for The Icelandic Film & TV Awards and received 42 awards. Ragnar served as the president of The Association of Icelandic Film Directors between 2010 and 2014 ABOUT WENDY MITCHELL
ABOUT MARÍA REYNDAL
Maria Reyndal is a director and a writer, for film and theatre. Her TV series Manners won the Edda Awards for best TV drama in 2018 and she is one of three directors of the upcoming TV series Blackport, that will premiere on RÚV in December this year.
Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian and a consultant for the International Film Festival Rotterdam and Zurich Film Festival. She has also been a speaker, mentor or consultant for Berlinale EFM, Cannes Marche, EAVE, First Cut Lab, The National Filmand TV School and more.
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R I F F 2021 GOLDEN EGG JURY ABOUT VINCENT BOY KARS
ABOUT RÚNAR RÚNARSSON Vincent Boy Kars is a Rotterdam-based filmmaker currently working on his millennial trilogy, in which he experiments with the borders between fiction and reality. ABOUT HALLDÓRA GEIRHARÐSDÓTTIR
Rúnar Rúnarsson is a well established Icelandic director. Rúnar burst into the scene with the Oscar-nominated short film, The Last Farm.
Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir is a celebrated Icelandic actress, a theatre director and a Professor of drama studies at the Arts University of Iceland.
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MASTERCLASSES WENDY MITCHELL - FESTIVAL STRATEGY Saturday 9th 09:00-09:45 @ The Nordic House ABOUT WENDY MITCHELL Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian and a consultant for the International Film Festival Rotterdam and Zurich Film Festival. She has also been a speaker, mentor or consultant for Berlinale EFM, Cannes Marche, EAVE, First Cut Lab, The National Filmand TV School and more.
TALENT LAB MEETS TRINE DYRHOLM Saturday 9th 10:00-11:00 @ The Nordic House ABOUT TRINE DYRHOLM Trine Dyrholm is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm has won the Bodil Award for Best Actress five times and a Bodil award for Best Supporting Actress twice as well as six Robert Awards in her acting career. Margrete: Queen of the North, staring Trine is RIFF 2021 Closing Film.
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R I F F 2021 TALENT LAB MEETS THE PRODUCER GRÍMAR JÓNSSON Wednesday 6th 10:30 - 11:10 @ HANNESARHOLT ABOUT GRÍMAR JÓNSSON
IN CONVERSATION WITH ROB TASKER Thursday 7th 12:30 - 13:30 @ HANNESARHOLT Grímar started working for Zik Zak Filmworks in 2006, then moved to Oslo working as Project Manager for fiction at the Nordisk Film & TV Fund in 2010. In 2013 Grimar left his job at the Nordisk Film & TV Fund to pursue his career as an independent producer to make great content for the discerning viewer. Netop Films was established in 2013 by producer Grímar Jónsson. Mr. Jónsson’s vision was to establish a company that places emphasis on coproducing quality art house projects with auteur driven directors. Mr. Jónsson’s mantra is 100% dedication to one project at a time to ensure that each project reaches its full potential. Netop Films has produced three critically acclaimed feature films – Rams (2015), Under the Tree (2017) and The County (2019) – that respectively premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Together, the films have won more than 50 international film awards, including Un Certain Regard in Cannes (Rams) and Best Narrative Feature Film at the Hamptons International Film Festival (Under the Tree). 12
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ABOUT ROB TASKER
Rob has worked in film, television and advertising since 2008. With over 40 titles in his career, Rob has been nominated several times for his work including a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for the television series “Hannibal” and twice nominated for the Canadian Screen Award for the film “Wet Bum” and for the TV series “Copper”. He has worked on productions for various companies such as SagaFilm, Universal Pictures, NBC, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures, SyFy and many more.
SCREENING OF THE ICELANDIC MOVIE ALMA Thursday 7th 08:30 - 10:00 @ Bíó Paradís
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R I F F 2021 TALENT LAB MEETS THE DIRECTOR OF THE FILM, KRISTÍN JÓHANNESDÓTTIR Thursday 7th 10:15 - 11:30 @ Bíó Paradís Moderated by Dögg Móses ABOUT KRISTÍN JÓHANNESDÓTTIR
ABOUT DÖGG MÓSES
Kristín studied film direction and theory of cinema in France.
Dögg studied directing in Barcelona, Spain and has since directed award winning short films as well as documentaries, music videos, video art, animated web series, commercials and tv series. She co-founded the production company Freyja Filmwork in 2016 and has worked as a director, writer and producer since for the company. Dögg is also the founder and director of the Northern Wave International Short Film Festival and was the president of Wift (Women in Film and Television) Iceland from 2011 - 2018. Dögg is an alumna of Berlinale Talent Campus and Idfa Academy.
Kristín directed her first feature film “Rainbow’s End” in 1982 and her second feature film “As in Heaven” in 1991. The film was part of the Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival in 1992, out of competition. As in Heaven was awarded of numerous film prizes in Europe and in Canada. Kristín has also directed number of works for TV Kristín received the honorary prize of the Icelandic Film Academy and was one of the founder of the Association of Nordic Film Directors and on the board of the Nordic Film and TV Fund. In 2015 Kristín was made Knight of the Order of the Falcon and the same year honoured as the Artist of the City of Reykjavík.
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THE PRODUCERS DAY Venue: The Nordic House. Sæmundargata 11, 101 Reykjavík. Date: Thursday 7TH OCTOBER TIME: 14.00 -17.00 PM 14.00- 14.40 Dutch Delegation 14.40-14.55 Coffee break. 14.55-15.40 Icelandic Producers 15.40-15.50 Record Iceland- presentation 15.50-16.05 Coffee break. 16.05-16.25 Baltasar Kormákur. RKV Studios 16.25-17.00 International & Nordic Producerst + Q/A 17.00 Professionals only. Strictly under registration. Recorded and live-streamed. Moderated by Wendy Mitchell. https://riff.is/industry-days/market-forum/ Iceland is naturally geolocated between the US & Europe making it a perfect place to link continents, industries and professionals. Riff Industry days reflect on this fact and wants to create an innovative space for the creative exchange and partnerships from a cross-sectoral industry perspective. The producers day aims to be an event to build a bridge between regions as a point of
reference in the promotion of the film industry. Focussed on Nordic and EU Co-Productions as well as original productions coming from the US, relevant producers who are inspirational and experienced in their own chosen field will be invited to talk about the opportunities and challenges they have embraced over their journeys.
ABOUT WENDY MITCHELL Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the Nordic scout for San Sebastian and a consultant for the International Film Festival Rotterdam and Zurich Film Festival. She has also been a speaker, mentor or consultant for Berlinale EFM, Cannes Marche, EAVE, First Cut Lab, The National Filmand TV School and more.
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SPEAKERS
DUTCH DELEGATION
Floor Onrust – Family Affair Films Gijs Kerbosch – Halal Erik Glijnis – Lemming Film Frank Hoeve – Baldr Dirk Rijneke – Rotterdam Films Mildred Van Leeuwaarden – Rotterdam Films Maaike Neve – Bind Ilse Ronteltap – SEE NL/ Netherlands Film Fund Ido Abram – SEE NL / Eye Filmmuseum Marit van den Elshout - IFFR/CineMart Nathalie Mierop - SEE NL / Eye Filmmuseum
ABOUT FLOOR ONRUST
Family Affair Films is an Amsterdam based production company founded by Floor Onrust. We produce urgent and contemporary feature films, television drama and documentaries of high artistic quality with a strong author driven vision. We develop projects with new talent and we continue our relation with established filmmakers. Our latest production, documentary THREE MINUTES - A LENGTHENING (2021) was selected for Venice, Telluride and Toronto. Our slate included features such as BLOODY MARIE (Rotterdam 2019), BINTI (Sundance 2019) LIGHT AS FEATHERS (Toronto 2018) and BEYOND WORDS (San Sebastian & Toronto 2017). ABOUT GIJS KERBOSCH Gijs Kerbosch is the founder of international production company and photography agency HALAL. He set up the agency in 2005 with the aim to bring visual storytelling to the next level by creating an artist-centric business taking a holistic approach to content creation. Fast forward 16
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and the award-winning company is run by four partners consisting of a fiction, commercial, photography and documentary department based in Amsterdam and Berlin. The work is consistently recognized for pushing the boundaries, visually breaking the rules, entertaining and offering a different perspective on culture. As Head of Fiction, Gijs’ productions have received appraisals globally from the likes of Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, Tribeca Film Festival, San Sebastian Film Festival and BFI (to mention some). One of his earliest successes is the infamous Dutch TV-series New Kids, which was reworked into two major box-office hit feature films in The Netherlands and Germany. Other benchmark productions are the feature films Necktie Youth (2015), Cargo (2017) and Prince (2015). The latter gained a cultlike following globally, becoming a huge international success, released in theatres across both the USA and Mexico. Gijs is currently developing several feature films and series as a producer, in addition to managing a staff of 25 people at HALAL, playing with his kids and constantly thinking about new stories to develop and write. His restless and forward-thinking spirit taking HALAL from its infancy in the Netherlands to adulthood as a player on the international field.
ABOUT ERIK GLIJNIS
Erik graduated as bachelor of economics in Haarlem before studying for producer at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam. Erik loves to work on projects that are unique in storytelling and cinematography; films he produced so far have been classified as experimental and groundbreaking but also reached a wide audience. Since 2016 he’s working as producer at the renowned production company Lemming Film. In 2018 Erik was listed by Screendaily as future leader producer. Titles finished include; documentary STRANGER IN PARADISE from director Guido Hendrikx (the film opened IDFA ’16 and was nominated for a European Film Award – best documentary 2017), PLEASURE by Ninja Thyberg, (official selection Cannes, Sundance competition 2021), DO NOT HESITATE by Shariff Korver (in competition Tribeca 2021), DEAD & BEAUTIFUL by David Verbeek (IFFR, Fantastic Fest, Sitges 2021) and BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ from director Burhan Qurbani (premiered on the Berlinale 2020
ABOUT FRANK HOEVE
Frank Hoeve is founder and producer at BALDR Film (2012), an Amsterdam-based production company. They focus on developing and (co-)producing challenging, director-driven features of a select number of filmmakers with a distinctive personal signature. BALDR Film offers a lot of support in matters of content, focussing not only on urgent content but also on form and originality. In this they don’t fear to take risks, always aiming for a high artistic value, visually intriguing style and an international audience. BALDR’s credits include THOSE WHO FEEL THE FIRE BURNING by Morgan Knibbe (2014, Dutch Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary, IDFA Nomination Best Feature Documentary), ETGAR KERET:BASED ON A TRUE STORY by Stephane Kaas (2017, International Emmy Award, Prix Italia) and BROTHERS by Bram Schouw (2017, Premiers Plans d’Angers, Hollywood Film Festival Silver Screen Prize). Our recent (co-)productions have screened at major festivals; SICK, SICK, SICK by Alice Furtado (Cannes Directors Fortnight 2019, KVIFF), HEARBOUND by Janus Metz (TIFF, IDFA) , GOLD by Rogier Hesp (IFFR 2020), WINDOWBOY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE A SUBMARINE by Alex Piperno (Berlinale Forum 2020) and MITRA by Kaweh Modiri (IFFR 2021)
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT MAAIKE NEVE
much-praised and award winning feature film My Extraordinary Summer with Tess and the golden calf-winning film Jungle (see CV). ABOUT ILSE RONTELTAP
BIND’s objective is to tell striking, unique stories that move and inspire, that open eyes and take root. BIND develops and produces genuine, provocative films about real people and the quest for their identity. Films that have proven to be a powerful way to portray contemporary topics in an intriguing or surprising manner. Our aim is to create an effective connection between engaged filmmakers and their audience. BIND productions are awarded with International Emmy Award, Silver Bear, TIFF awards, Prix Jeunesse, several Golden Calves including Best Film. And nominated for IFFR Tiger Award, SXSW Grand Jury award, Chrystal Bear etc. My extraordinary Summer with Tess was awarded the Special Mention by Generation jury at Berlinale 2019. Maaike Neve graduated from the University of Amsterdam in Media & Culture. She wrote her thesis on Dutch Children movies and did a lot of research on the image and representation of children in the medium Film. In 2014 she did an internship at BIND and her passion for films and stories got even bigger. After her internship she worked as assistant production manager for diverse films and series. Since 2016 she is working at BIND as junior producer where she is also closely involved in the development of new films. In 2018 she was part of LIM (Less is More) as a script development trainee. At Cinekid 2018 she was part of the producers program and in in 2020 Maaike was part of Rotterdam Lab at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Recently she participated at the ACE training days. She produced among other things the 18
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Ilse Ronteltap is Head of International at the Netherlands Film Fund. The Fund is the national agency responsible for supporting film production and film related activities in the Netherlands. Its focus is to develop and strengthen Dutch cinema and film culture both domestically and internationally. The Film Fund offers various selective support schemes on production and distribution for minority Dutch co-productions. It also runs the Film Production Incentive as well as its division the Netherlands Film Commission
ABOUT DIRK RIJNEKE
Dirk ‘Dick’ Rijneke is a cinematographer, director and producer. He studied with Frans Zwartjes at the Free Academy in the Netherlands and made a range of experimental films. Several highly acclaimed and award-winning documentaries followed such as Living One’s Life and Pinkel, which were successfully screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and traveled the international festival circuit.
MARIT VAN DEN ELSHOUT
Marit van den Elshout is part of the IFFR management since 2008 and in that capacity heads the Industry department of the festival and is responsible for CineMart, the international co-production market, the Rotterdam Lab and industry related services and events. Marit acted and acts on several selection committees, including for the Rotterdam Media Fund, the Hubert Bals Fund of the IFFR, the Netherlands Film Fund (the feature film and co-productions committees) and the Dutch Cultural Media Fund. She is an EAVE 2009 graduate, has served on several juries for project markets and is member of the International Advisory Board for the Jerusalem Filmlab and a member of the European Film Academy. Besides the IFFR, she was industry liaison for the Melbourne International Film Festival and has worked as advisor and international liaison on the development of Durban FilmMart which had its inaugural edition in 2010.
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R I F F 2021 ICELANDIC DELEGATION
Anton Máni- JMP Ragnheiður Erlendsdóttir - ZIK ZAK Hordur Rúnarsson - Glassriver Hilmar Sigurðsson - Sagafilm Bryndís Jónatansdóttir - Record Iceland
Baltasar Kormákur - RVK Studios ABOUT ANTON MÁNI SVANSSON
Hordur Runarsson producer and co-owner of Glassriver has long-standing experience in the industry as a producer, specialising in international co-productions, sales and financing. Spearheading and driving the international finance- sales- and marketing advance of the company, he has also participated in the development of several projects and served as a producer or executive producer on all Glassriver’s productions e.g. Black Sands, Journey, Fractures, Ordinary People (season 1-4), My Funeral and Manners. ABOUT HILMAR SIGURÐSSON
Anton Máni Svansson co-founded Join Motion Pictures in 2007 with the goal of forging close working relationships with talented writer-directors, a dynamic that has resulted in over 160 international awards for films which have been sold to over 60 countries and premiered in competition at A festivals around the world, including Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Toronto and IDFA. Titles include HEARTSTONE, WINTER BROTHERS, and A WHITE, WHITE DAY. Svansson is an EAVE 2014 graduate, was Iceland’s 2017 Producer on the Move in Cannes, and won a Lorens Award for Best Producer in Goteborg Film Festival the same year. ABOUT HORDUR RUNARSSON
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Hilmar Sigurðsson is the CEO of Sagafilm. He has a wealth of experience in management in the creative industries in Iceland, Italy and Denmark. Most recent projects include The Minister, The Flatey Enigma and two of the largest cinematic projects to be done in Iceland, the animated feature films Legends of Valhalla– Thor and Ploey–You Never Fly Alone. Hilmar long served as Chairman of the Icelandic Film & TV Academy and SÍK, the Association of Icelandic Film Producers.
ABOUT RAGNHEIÐUR ERLINGSDÓTTIR
Ragnheiður Erlingsdóttir is CEO of Zik Zak Filmworks. She previously oversaw legal and business affairs for the London-based sales, production and finance company Rocket Science where she worked on such films as Mothering Sunday, At Eternity’s Gate and The Trial of the Chicago Seven. Prior to moving to London she worked as a producer in her native Iceland. ABOUT BRYNDÍS JÓNATANSDÓTTIR
ABOUT BALTASAR KORMÁKUR
Baltasar Kormákur is an actor, producer and director whose work spans theater, movies and television. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, he graduated as an actor from Iceland’s National Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. He was immediately signed on by the National Theatre of Iceland, where he worked as one of the leading young performing artists until 1997. During the last two years of his assignment, he also directed several ambitious works, after having produced and directed highly popular, independent stage productions alongside his projects with the National Theatre. In 2000, he wrote, directed, acted in and produced the feature film “101 Reykjavik,” which became an international hit and earned the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Subsequently, Variety selected him as one of the “10 Directors to Watch,” along with Alejandro González Iñárritu, Lukas
Bryndís Jónatansdóttir has been Project Manager for Record in Iceland since its beginning in 2019. She is also Senior Project Manager at Iceland Music and has worked on various projects including Firestarter, IA Pro and Ja Ja Ja as well as being the NOMEX Nordic Advisor for Iceland.
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT SIGURJON SIGHVATSSON
Sigurjon (Joni) Sighvatsson, a veteran producer with over 50 feature films and television series to his credit, is the principle of Palomar Pictures, an independent production company, as well as the Chairman of the Scandinavian film distributor Scanbox Entertainment. Sighvatsson has worked with some of the most successful filmmakers in the industry, including David Lynch, Kathryn Bigelow, Jim Sheridan, Julian Schnabel, and multiple Academy Award nominees and winners. Among his films are Brothers, Z for Zachariah, Killer Elite, as well as classics such as Wild at Heart, Arlington Road, and Basquiat. Sighvatsson also continues to be a significant force in the world of art films. After having paved the way for visual artists moving into feature films with Julian Schnabel’s highly acclaimed Basquiat, Sighvatsson has also produced the groundbreaking Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait as well as the controversial Destricted, a collection of short films by some of the world’s leading artists focusing on the concept of pornography. Before coming to the United States, Sighvatsson enjoyed a successful career as a musician in his native Iceland, founding the country’s first recording studio when he was 21. After finishing his B.A. from the University of Iceland, Sighvatsson came to Los Angeles on a Fulbright Scholarship to earn his MFA in the Graduate Film Studies program at USC. Sighvatsson then was invited to and joined the Director’s Program at the American Film Institute. 22
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INTERNATIONAL & NORDIC DELEGATION
ABOUT MARIE ZENITER
Guillaume Calop - Les Arcs Film Festival Marie Zeniter - Magnolia Pictures Mark Lwoff - Bufo Films Jón Hammer - Kykmyndir Pictures Pipaluk Kreutzmann Jørgensen- Polarama Aka hansen - Ului
ABOUT GUILLAUME CALOP Born in Paris, Marie lived in Japan, Germany and Canada. After a Master degree in International Business Negotiation, she worked for Canal+ within the Film department, and for the MIPTV and MIPCOM markets in Cannes. In 2012, she was selected by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop French businesses abroad and moved to New York. Shortly after, she joined US in Progress to handle filmmaker outreach and submissions before becoming Senior Programmer / Organizer of the biannual event. At IFC, she handled Midnight and repertory titles, and moved to Magnolia Pictures in 2019 where she is now Director of International Sales.
After working for the Annecy animation festival, Guillaume participated to the launching of the Animation World Network website in Los Angeles. He then worked for CANAL+ and launched his own DVD publishing company Chalet Pointu. In 2009, he co-created Les Arcs Film Festival and is the general manager since then. Guillaume is also taking part of Le Lab Femmes de Cinéma, a think tank to raise the issues of women in cinema, and is cofounder of Le Village, a software company who published FestiCiné and Coprocity, two platforms for festivals, market and the film industry.
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT MARK LWOFF Founded in 2007 and led by producers Misha Jaari and Mark Lwoff, Bufo has produced a number of films of which many have received international recognition. Based in Helsinki, the ambitious and thrill-seeking company concentrates on plot-driven and meaningful stories that can also entertain big audiences. Bufo’s films all share the elements of clear artistic vision, innovation and high quality. Bufo has produced such films as Aki Kaurismäki’s Berlinale Silver Bear Winner The Other Side of Hope (2017, co-produced with Sputnik), Academy Award winner Jörn Donner’s Armi Alive! (2015) and The Interrogation (2010), and Pirjo Honkasalo’s Concrete Night (2013). Furthermore, Bufo has been involved in a number of international co-productions, such as Eskil Vogt’s The Innocents (world premiere in Cannes’ Official Section Un Certain Regard 2021), Veiko Õunpuu’s The Last Ones (2020, Estonia’s official entry for Oscars) and Lauri Randla’s Goodbye Soviet Union (2020). Bufo’s latest production The Gravedigger’s Wife by Khadar Ayderus Ahmed will receive its world premiere in the 60th Cannes Critics’ Week. Other latest productions include documentaries about film directors Jörn Donner (Donner – Privat by John Webster, 2021) and Rauni Mollberg (Dinosaur by Veikko Aaltonen, 2021). In addition, Bufo has Akseli Tuomivaara’s mystery drama series Next of Kin and Saara Saarela’s dystopian drama Memory of Water (based on Emmi Itäranta’s successful novel) in post-production. Producers Misha Jaari (b. 1972) and Mark Lwoff (b. 1976) have both studied in Aalto University’s Film Department in Finland. They have participated in EAVE Producers Workshops and Producers on The Move. Jaari has also participated in the ACE programme. In addition to films, Jaari and Lwoff are passionate food enthusiasts and have co24
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founded a barbeque restaurant B-Smokery and B-Side Bar, both located in Helsinki.
ABOUT JÓN HAMMER
Jón Hammer began his film career at Zentropa in Copenhagen in 2012. In 2017 he released his first feature film as lead producer and founded the Faroese production company Kykmyndir. In 2019 he participated in Rotterdam Lab and completed EAVE Producer’s Workshop, becoming a member of European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE). In addition to producing films in his native Faroe Islands through his own company, he produces for Adomeit Film Denmark.
ABOUT AKA HANSEN
ABOUT PIPALUK KREUTZMANN JØRGENSEN
Pipaluk Kreutzmann Jørgensen DIRECTOR/ PRODUCER (Greenlandic Inuk) highlights:
Aka Hansen is a several times award winning Inuk filmmaker based in Nuuk, Greenland. She studied at the Danish film school Super16 (2015-18) and has a long career in filmmaking in Greenland. Hansen has mostly had her focus in documentary and TV. “You’ll be okay” is her first short drama that she directed, and is a part of this year’s programme.
Her first feature ANORI won the emerging filmmaker award at imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in 2018, a Hollywood Film Festival Silver Award as well as the People’s Choice award at Maoriland Film Festival. She was picked by the imagineNATIVE screenwriter talents lab in collaboration with Netflix in 2020, for the screenplay of THIS ROAD OF MINE. She has been the assistant director to renowned Danish director Per Fly on the set of BORGEN, the acclaimed Danish series which is currently in production for a fourth season on Netflix. She is co-writing the upcoming tv-series SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW produced by the Hollywood office of Germanys biggest production company Constantine. She started Polarama Greenland the first production service company in Greenland in 2020, while opening Unofilm Which she is producing with Redmarrow Producer Alethea Arnaquq Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald Iqaluit/Canada based company. THIS ROAD OF MINE.
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RIFF TALKS Venue: The Nordic House - Sæmundargata 11, 101 Reykjavík Date: Friday 8TH OCTOBER TIME: 16.00 - 18.00 GMT Open to the public under registration Recorded and live-streamed https://riff.is/industry-days/riff-talks/
RIFF TALKS are a series of concise and polished presentations by established creative film professionals who are willing to share their knowledge of “how to break through “ where filmmakers & audiences would be inspired.
issues and realize the current trends in the world of films. The talks aim to educate, inspire and motivate creatives, as well as challenge decision-makers and those in power to rethink and reflect.
RIFF Talks are held in the spirit of TED Talks but with a focus on filmmaking. Each talk is given by speakers who have oversight on the
The RIFF Talks end with an open discussion. We aim for a parity 50/ 50 equal gender rate for the RIFF Talks, in the belief of generating and promoting an equity state in the industry in which men and women voices are balanced.
Moderator Niels Thibaud Speakers Skuli Helgi - Production Sound Mixer Eðvarð Egilsson - Composer Erlendur Sveinsson - Cinematographer Sylvía Lovetank - Visual Artist & Costume Designer Lilja Jónsdóttir - Set Photographer Aníta Briem - Actress Sigga Regína - Script Supervisor & Filmmaker Einar Egilsson - Director & Scriptwriter
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ABOUT NIELS THIBAUD
ABOUT SKULI HELGI
Skúli Helgi is a production sound mixer working in the film/tv industry in Iceland. Recent projects include Verbúð (Blackport) - Skjálfti (Quake) - Fractures (Vitjanir) Ráðherrann (The Minister) Níels Thibaud Girerd is an actor and producer, known for Villa (2012), Feluleikur (2017) and Maria (2014). Níels started working for the Icelandic Opera in 2015 as a “hospitant” in the update on The Barber from Seville and was the curator and assistant director in the Icelandic Opera’s update on Don Giovanni. Níels continued to work as an exhibition and project manager at ÍÓ in the years 2015-2018 and was in charge of the exhibition management of Évgení Onegin, Mannsröddinn, Tosca and Brothers. Since 2018, he has studied acting at the Iceland Academy of the Arts.
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT EÐVARÐ EGILSSON
Eðvarð Egilsson is a composer of music hailing from Reykjavík, Iceland. He graduated with a B.A. degree in Classical Composition from the Iceland University of the Arts. Eðvarð’s musical focus is a combination of classical and experimental electronic music, juxtaposing complex musical narratives from soft-forming musical waves to heavier rhythmic cadences. Eðvarð has scored a number of feature films, most recently “Quake” in collaboration with renowned composer Páll Ragnar Pálsson, selected for Toronto Film Festival Industry Selects and is currently working on a documentary, “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” with support from Sundance Institute Documentary Fund. Eðvarð’s background in television includes collaboration with celebrated choreographer Sonya Tayeh for “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Líf Kviknar”, winner of the Edda Awards.
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ABOUT ERLENDUR SVEINSSON
Erlendur Sveinsson is an award winning filmmaker from Reykjavik, Iceland. He graduated from Columbia University School of the Arts in the summer of 2018 with an MFA in film directing. His thesis film Kanarí won the vimeo staff pick award at the Aspen shortsfest in 2019 and received a special mention at the film festival della Lessinia. It premiered at the Oscar qualifying FOYLE film festival and went on to play at over 30 festivals worldwide. Besides Kanarí, Erlendur has several short films under his belt including Thick Skin that premiered at the Oscar qualifying Odense film festival and had its US premier at Palm Springs shortsfest. Thick skin received a Vimeo staff pick and was one of 5 films nominated as “best drama of the year 2018” on the channel. Erlendur is a Fulbright scholar, a Berlinale talent campus alumni and was selected to attend Nordic Talents in 2019 and LES ARCS talent village.
ABOUT SYLVÍA LOVETANK
ABOUT LILJA JÓNSDÓTTIR
SYLVÍA // LOVETANK is a Costume Designer and a Visual Artist who works and lives in Reykjavík.
From working in Icelandic productions from a young age to shooting Stills for Netflix, CBS, HBO amongst others, the Icelandic photographer Lilja has touched base in most fields of the film industry. With years of various experiences behind her, mainly in Iceland and England but also while traveling the world, she has become known and respected in the film industry for capturing stills and behind the scenes material on set. Her work includes Trapped, Katla, Star Trek Discovery and many more.
In her Fine Art she explores the past with a sombre but vivid take on forgotten portraits. She often rekindles what’s overlooked with bold colours which add a twist to the macabre.
ABOUT SIGGA REGÍNA
With paint, texture and tone as her specialty she forayed into the world of Film as a Breakdown Artist for HBO’s Game of Thrones in Belfast. Soon she began Designing herself and has in a short time built an impressive slate of Award Winning Features as well as Serial Work, most notably A Woman at War (2018), Agnes Joy (2019), The Swan (2016) and more recently Sisterhood (2020) and Stella Blómkvist S02 (2021). Sigríður Regína is a script supervisor. She’s a film archivist and academic as well, with two masters degrees from New York University in cinema studies and moving image preservation. She has worked in continuity since 2014 on films and TV including Sparrows (2015), Woman at War (2018) and Lamb (2021).
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT ANÍTA BRIEM
ABOUT EINAR EGILSSON
Aníta started her career at 9 years old at the Icelandic National Theatre. She trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and subsequently appeared in plays both at the London National Theatre as well as a successful run of “Losing Louis” on the West End. Her focus then shifted to film and television and she starred in projects such as “Journey the the Center of the Earth” for Warner Bros, “The Tudors” for Showtime “Doctor Who” for BBC and “The Evidence” for ABC. She has recently moved back to her home country of Iceland following her desire to work with more European filmmakers. Last year she starred in “The Minister” (tv series) alongside Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, for which she was nominated for an Edda. Her upcoming films include “Reply to Helgas Letter” (dir. Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir), Chicken Boy (dir. Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson), Quake (dir. Tinna Hrafnsdóttir) and Villibráð (dir. Elsa María Jakobsdóttir). Aníta is also taking her first steps as a writer with her tv series “As Long as we Live”, which is being produced by GlassRiver
Einar Egilsson is an award winning director, screenwriter and cinematographer from Reykjavík, Iceland. Egilsson started to feel passion for filmmaking from an early
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stage of his childhood. By the age of 8, he started to borrow video camera equipment from his relative as he wanted to try and recreate scenes from his then most favorite films. By the time he graduated from high school, he had already created a mockumentaryshort film about the interesting lifestyle his close friend, which Egilsson shot, directed and edited by himself. Filmmaking has lived through three generations of Egilsson’s family, both his grandfather and father have become recognized as pioneers within the Icelandic filmmaking scene. Despite this fact, Egilsson is self taught throughout learning his craft rooting from the passion and love he has for this art form. Egilsson moved to Los Angeles in 2009 and immediately started to feel a sense of inspiration within the city life. While living in LA he has worked on multiple music videos, short films and short
PRACTICAL INFORMATION Reykjavik is a relatively small city, and everything is within walking distance. Make sure to bring good shoes as well as warm wind-and-rain-friendly clothes for the Industry Trip. The weather can be quite unpredictable, so please be prepared for sunshine, rain and lots of rainbows! You can check the weather forecast here: (you can also check Northern lights forecast here) https:// en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/areas/
A big part of Icelandic culture revolves around outdoor swimming pools, which offer saunas, steam baths and hot tubs. For example, Sundhöllin swimming pool is located downtown and has been the venue for the swim-in cinema events for the past years for RIFF. Make sure not to forget your bathing suit!
Sundhöllin Barónsstígur 45a, 101 Reykjavík +354 411 5350
TRANSPORTATION Transportation from the airport is not included in your Talent Lab fee. Three bus services connect Reykjavik and the airport, and are the best transport option. The bus takes approximately 45min. You may book ahead or just hop on at the airport. Reykjavik Excursion - www.re.is and www.flybus.is Discount Code: riff2021 Hopp electric scooters are the new way of city travelling. We recommend downloading the app here: https://hopp.bike/ The Reykjavik city bus Stræto is another convenient way to travel within the city. You can purchase the bus ticket through the app, by cash, or card on the bus (note that Bus drivers do not carry any change), or at various vendors. More info: https://straeto.is/ (Highly recommend to download the app before coming) There are also several 24-hour taxi companies in Reykjavik. Hreyfill Tel: +354 588 5522 BSR Tel: +354 561 0000
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ACCREDITATION & TICKETS
Accreditation and Tickets The Talent Lab accreditation grants you access to any regular film screening. With your Festival Pass you may reserve tickets online for up to 4 screenings in advance, 24 hours in advance. Entrance to special events during the Talent Lab will be covered without reservation (excluded are screenings and Q&As). The Guest Office is located at Ađalstræti 2, 101 Reykjavik. Accreditations pick up will be at 13:00, Tuesday 5th October. We will leave from Loft Hostel at 13:00 and walk together.
MEALS Meals are not provided, but there is a kitchen in Loft Hostel (where Talent Lab Participants will be staying during the festival) and it is free to use. There are several supermarkets around the city, such as Bónus, Krónan, Nettó, Super 1, Krambúð and Hagkaup.
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CONTACT INFORMATION INGA MARGRÉT JÓNSDÓTTIR PROJECT COORDINATOR PRODUCTIONASSIST@RIFF.IS +354 663-7089
MARGRÉT ÖRNÓLFSDÓTTIR TALENT LAB ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TALENTLAB@RIFF.IS
HUMAD NISAR PROJECT COORDINATOR ASSIST HUMADNISAR@GMAIL.COM +49 178 256 1531
CAROLINA SALAS INDUSTRY COORDINATOR INDUSTRY@RIFF.IS
SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/rvkfilmfest/ INSTAGRAM - @reykjavikfilmfestival INDUSTRY DAYS INSTAGRAM - @riffindustrydays
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TALENT LAB PARTICIPANTS 2021
ABOUT CAITLYN SPONHEIMER
ABOUT ALINA VITA KULESH
Caitlyn Sponheimer is a Canadian awardwinning filmmaker and actor currently working on her directorial debut feature “Wild Goat Surf” supported by Telefilm Canada. Her dark comedy short “Kitty’s Naughty Knickers” (’19), was nominated by the Directors Guild of Canada for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and is a Fantasia winner. She co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in “April in Autumn” (’18/ Sulatycky) premiering at Telefilm’s Best of New Canadian Cinema at Cannes Marché 2018. In 2020, Caitlyn produced and costarred in the multi-award winning Telefilm Canada and Alberta Media Fund feature “Jasmine Road” (’20/Sulatycky) currently on its festival run with over 23 festivals to date. Caitlyn is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre (NYC), is in development on multiple projects including the psychological thriller feature alongside producer Maddy Falle, and her work has shown around the globe at esteemed festivals. Through her work, she seeks to bring light to stigmatized and challenging female struggles through a heightened lens of genre and comedic inspired storytelling.
Alina Vita Kulesh is a Crimean-Canadian emerging filmmaker who creates empathetic work with aesthetic sensitivity. Her debut short film BABY BLUE played at festivals in Toronto, Portland and L.A, winning “Best Romance Short” and “Best Director” awards. Her sophomore short film, LITTLE SOUL, was acquired by Canada’s national broadcaster, premiering in January 2021 and is currently available to stream in Canada on CBC Gem. In July 2021, LITTLE SOUL was featured at the Festival de Cannes Short Film Market. In October 2021, LITTLE SOUL will have its European premiere at the Reykjavík International Film Festival as part of the “Golden Egg’’ competition.
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Alina is currently in pre-production on her third short film, HARD FALLS SOFT LANDS. Alina believes in the healing power of cinema.
ABOUT TOM NICOLI
ABOUT ERNA MIST
Tom Nicoll is a Scottish writer and director, whose films have screened at festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest, Tallinn Black Nights, and Edinburgh International Film Festival. He has had a short film funded through Creative Scotland’s SFTN Emerging Talent Scheme which screened on the BBC, and is in funded development for a feature film with Screen Scotland.
Erna Mist is an Icelandic artist focusing on today’s dystopia. In her paintings, articles, and works of theatre she explores the complexities of contemporary life by framing modern anxieties into unsettling metaphors. Mist is a current student at The Slade School of Fine art, and Panic Poetry (2021) is her directorial debut.
ABOUT HAKAN ÜNAL Hakan Ünal is s Turkish film director, writer, producer and script consultant. He finished his degree in screenwriting at University of Toronto in 2002 and started to write short stories. His debut short film ‘Orange’ was selected to many national and international film festivals. ‘His second film ‘Crack in the Wall’ made its world premiere at the 15th edition of Reykjavik International Film Festival. He was selected to the Reykjavik Talents in the same year. His short screenplay entitled ‘The Shell’ won the First International Screenplay Award at the 38th edition of Rhode Island International Film Festival. His feature screenplay was shortlisted at the 42nd edition of Toronto International Film Festival. He was selected as jury member to the 8th edition of Firenze Filmcorti Festival and 34th edition of International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Iran. He is currently in development for his debut feature film ‘ Hidden’.
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT JASPER WARRY
ABOUT ELEANNA SANTORINAIOU
Jasper produces scripted and unscripted film and TV through his award winning and BAFTA Cymru nominated production company Hello Deer in Wales. As a writer/director his films and screenplays have been nominated for and won awards at various international films festivals like BAFTA qualifying Carmarthen Bay FF, Lviv ISFF and the Festival Européen du Court Métrage de Bordeaux, and screened on TV networks across the world including the BBC and Russia K. He is a member of BAFTA, is an alumnus of the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival Talent Lab (as a writer/director), has tutored at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and composed and performed all the music in his films. As a documentary maker he’s directed numerous films for charities and political campaigns, and recently exec produced and directed the BAFTA Cymru nominated documentary Richard Parks – Can I Be Welsh And Black? through Hello Deer for ITV. His current short film Tweaks is screening in competition for the Golden Egg Award at RIFF 2021, and he is developing two narrative feature projects - Man Time with Dan Films (with development finance from Ffilm Cymru), and The Point through Hello Deer.
Eleanna Santorinaiou is a director who lives between London and Athens. She studied Philosophy & History of Science in the National & Kapodestrian University of Athens. In 2012 she continued her studies in London Film Academy. In her work she focuses on “microhistories’ ‘ looking behind people’s facades to find what makes them human, perhaps the traces of their childhood. Since 2014 Eleanna has worked as a freelance writer-director and editor. Her short films have participated in short film festivals. Her latest short film won a Greek Support Fund. She is now writing her first feature. It is worth noticing that Eleanna has also been collaborating for 13 years with Theatre Fournos in Athens where she has written and directed 5 children plays and two for the main stage. Being Greek and living in London, she is proud to say that she combines both English & Greek elements in her work, a hybrid of both cultures.
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ABOUT ANDRÉE-ANNE ROUSSEL
and filmmaking. He is currently an MFA Candidate at Columbia University. His films have screened at festivals including the Palm Springs International ShortFest, Nashville Film Festival, Frameline International Film Festival, and Orlando Film Festival and have premiered on NoBudge and PBS. When he was seven he tried to cut off his hair with pink child-scissors. ABOUT ZAYN ALEXANDER
Andrée-Anne Roussel is both a filmmaker and new media artist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in film production and a Masters in Communications (concentration in research-creation of experimental media) from l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Her interactive video installations and sensory short films are the result of her research on themes of ambiguity, fragility, empathy and spirituality. Her work has been shown at the Sapporo International Short Film Festival, the Musée d’art de Joliette and at LABoral Centre de Arte. ABOUT MAX TULIO
Zayn Alexander is a Lebanese film director, writer, and actor based in New York City. Alexander’s debut short film, “Abroad”, an intimate drama that explores the life of a Lebanese immigrant couple, made its world premiere at the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Alexander’s second directorial effort, “Manara”, debuted during the 76th Venice Film Festival in the Giornate degli Autori section in a special screening, and has since collected over seven jury awards. In 2020, Alexander was awarded the prestigious Khayrallah Prize for Abroad’s “deep and honest exploration of diaspora and immigration.” Most recently, Alexander was invited to participate in the highly selective TIFF Filmmaker Lab ’21 taking place during the 46th Toronto International Film Festival. Alexander is currently in development for his debut feature film, “Plus One”. zaynalexander.com
Max is a California State Arts Scholar for Film and received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in anthropology
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT GRÉTAR JÓNSSON
ABOUT BARBARA LERVIG
Grétar Jónsson graduated from the Icelandic Film School in 2018 with a degree in film production and directing. Since then he has been working on multiple projects that include production of the shorts ‘The Rock of Ages’ and ‘We the Lightingings’ both being shown at RIFF this year. Grétar has also worked on various projects in Iceland for Netflix, Amazon and Viaplay. Grétar’s first directorial short since graduating, ‘The Hitchhiker’, is currently in post production. The short is based on a feature script he is developing.
Barbara is an award winning cinematographer and director, and alumni of the Northern Film School in Leeds, UK. Growing up on the scenic Faroe Islands, surrounded by breaking waves, tall mountains and all manners of natural beauty, Barbara was compelled to start capturing it. What began as an interest in photography fast shifted into the field of cinematography, where she found her feet in filmmaking, naturally leading her to the scripted short directorial debut “Where Do We Go?”. Barbara’s work spans across many different genres including, music videos, dance videos, short scripted films and short documentaries.
ABOUT BOB KOTYK Bob Kotyk has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Arts in English from McGill University, where he studied the films of Alfred Hitchcock. He co-wrote Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and won the Rogers Prize for Best Canadian Film from the Toronto Film Critics Association and the Bildrausch Ring of Film Art. He has directed four short films, and his first feature film, The Old Country, is currently in development. His film criticism has appeared in Cinema Scope, the TIFF Review, and Stylus Magazine. 38
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ABOUT TINA GHARAVI
Born in Tehran, Gharavi is a BAFTA and Sundance-nominated writer/director and showrunner, focused on delivering authentic stories lensed with an impeccably wrought perspective. Having worked in war zones and in guerrilla filmmaking, Gharavi marries her indomitable spirit with a distinct talent to deliver performances and manage beautifully observed stories. Gharavi is also an academic, teaching filmmaking internationally, and was awarded an MIT Fellowship. She was elected into the BAFTA Academy in 2017, is represented by Independent Talent in the UK and Gersh in Los Angeles, her two home bases. Her debut feature, I Am Nasrine, was nominated for a BAFTA, she has recently completed principle photography on her second feature film, A Beirut Love Story. Her next film, a feature documentary, Tribalism is Killing Usresulted from visiting Angola State Prison, a film about difference and othering is due out in 2021 and she’s a showrunner, engaged on her first TV series, Refurinn/The Fox, an Icelandic/British detective noir with an intriguing twist.
ABOUT ANNA MARIA JOAKIMSDOTTIR-HUTRI
Born to a Danish mother and an Icelandic father, she grew up in Sweden and moved early on to Finland. For the dance film “Through the Supermarket in Five Easy Pieces” (2017), she was chosen as best short film director by Wift International in Los Angeles 2017. As a struggling female Director this award gave her some good energy. She enjoys the investigation of borders between disciplines. She combines Performance Art with Film and developed participatory theatre as well as working within strict commercial assignments. Currently in the process of developing her own episodic drama series by the work title “Cruel Town”.
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R I F F 2021 ABOUT SEBASTIAN JOHANSSON MICCI
ABOUT ALESSANDRO FARRATTINI
Sebastian Johansson Micci (Stockholm, Sweden, 01/01/1993) is a director, screenwriter and editor. He was born and raised in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and an Italian father. He started working at the Stockholm City Theatre in 2012 and then moved on to making films in 2014. Sebastian has made six short films since then that have been shown at festivals around the world. In 2020 he graduated with a Bachelor in Film from HDK-Valand Film School in Gothenburg. His films are often about human dilemmas within the social atmosphere - our tragic and comic inability to deal with different relationships and situations. He likes to mix kitchen sink realism with very surreal elements. He’s currently developing his debut feature film “The Earwig”
Born and bred in Rome, Alessandro formed the collective Goodbye Venezuela! out of university where he started refining his filmmaking skills, producing shorts and commissioned ads, before moving to London in 2014. Here, Alessandro furthers his career directing three short films (one of which is currently being developed as a TV pitch) alongside working as an assistant for top industry creatives including but not limited to Oscar-nominated producers Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and director Augustine Frizzell (Euphoria). He is currently developing his debut feature film ‘Waiting Rooms’ while working with veteran TV director SJ Clarkson on her latest series for Netflix.
ABOUT ARNIE RODRIGUEZ Arnie Rodriguez is an actor, and music composer, classically trained in St. Petersburg, Russia. Recent works touch on themes of mystery and the unknown, bending perceptions of what one might have thought impossible.
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