RIFF 2023 - INDUSTRY DAYS BROCHURE

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CONTENT 2 2 4 18 28 35

WELCOME/MISSION LOCATIONS WORK IN PROGRESS INDUSTRY PANELS HONORARY MASTERCLASSES AND EXTENDED TALKS EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATIONS

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BIODICE EVENT RIFF TALKS A DIFFERENT TOMORROW OTHER EVENTS SPONSORS TEAM SCHEDULE

WELCOME Welcome to the Reykjavik International Film Festival! We are delighted to welcome you to RIFF 2023, whether you are local or inter­nat­ ional, a returning friend or a first-timer, whether you work in front or behind the camera, in docu­mentaries or fiction. RIFF brings together pro­fession­a ls from around the world and all branches of the film industry. We are proud to present to you the 2023 Industry program. The Industry program consists of the Industry Days, 3-7 of October, and selected screen­ings and events throughout the festival. The Industry Days are designed to create new spaces for the exchange of ideas between Icelandic and Inter­national film professionals.

RIFF aims to facilitate a meeting place for the film industry and offer a platform for the present­ation of new works and thoughts. In this booklet you will find the full program and information about each event. On the back of this book­let you find the schedule and the date, time and locations are also mentioned on the page of each event. Make sure to check out our festival brochure as well which contains the details of the incredible selection of films screen­ing at RIFF from the 28th of September until the 8th of October. Please keep in mind that last minute changes are par t of the business, so make sure to check our website for the latest information: www.riff.is

MISSION RIFF Industry Days are a series of events, panels, masterclasses and talks held during the festival. Their prime objective is to create a platform for the exchange and circulation of ideas. Industry Days aim to connect Icelandic filmmakers to the rest of the world and vice versa. The Icelandic film industry is thriving and we want to introduce inter­n ational pro­ fessionals to all it has to offer.

Films from t he section A DIFFERENT TOMORROW shake up conversations and focus on shaping our perspective while evoking diverse emotions. After each film will be a special IMPACT TALK with a selection of professionals in the topic of the film.

LOCATIONS 1. Ráðhús Reykjavíkur (Reykjavik City Hall), Tjarnargata 11, 101 Reykjavik 2. Háskólabíó (University Cinema), Hagatorg, 107 Reykjavik 3. Nordic House, Sæmundargata 11, 102 Reykjavík 4. Slippbar/bíó, Mýrargata 2, 101 Reykjavík

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HRÖNN MARINÓSDÓTTIR FOUNDER AND FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Hrönn Marinósdóttir studied Political Science in Berlin. Founder and festival Director of the annual Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF). Previously a journalist in Iceland and a news correspondent from Berlin. G ives lectures on cinema and film related subjects.

FRÉDÉRIC BOYER PROGRAM DIRECTOR Frédéric Boyer is the Program Dir­ ector of RIFF since 2020. Artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival since 2012 and of the Les Arcs European Film Festival since 2009.

Prior to that he was the Artistic Director for two years and Head of Programming for six years of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.

Boyer’s infatuation with cinema began when he frequented the Cinematheque Française in his youth. He attended the master classes of critics of French New Wave cinema at the Uni­vers­ities of La Sorbonne and Censier.

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WIP — WORK IN PROGRESS

Date 06.10.23 Time 09:30-13:00 Venue Ráðhús/City Hall INVITATION ONLY

The annual WIP showcase is held in collab­ oration with the Icelandic Film Centre showing excerpts from upcoming Icelandic film and TV productions.

Since 2021, the WIP is open to projects from Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the High North Territories. WIP is curated and mod­ erated by Fréderic Boyer and Hrönn Marinós­ dóttir - RIFF Program Director.

SPECIAL THANKS RIFF industry days want to give thanks to the Icelandic Film Centre for their help and contribution to the Industry Days events, and a special thanks to Christof Wehmeier who has consulted on the project throughout the process.

CHRISTOF WEHMEIER Head of International & Festival Promotion at the Icelandic Film Centre, promoting Icelandic feature films, docs, shorts and TV series alsoover­seeing international relations and film coordination. Before his job at the Icelandic Film Centre, he did movie marketing & promotion, overseeing films from Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures from 1995-2000 and from 20012007 was Marketing Label Manager for UIP (Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and

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Paramount Pictures). This he did for territory Iceland, and repor ting to L A and London Offices. Christof also did film acquisition and man­a ged local film festivals in Iceland from 2001-2007, and worked for the Icelandic Film Fund, 1999-2002, approving budgets and giving production support to feature films, docs and short films. From 1991-1995 he worked as a film journalist and has also done film jury duties for various international film festivals.

BIG DREAMS IN A SMALL TOWN DOCUMENTARY/ IN DEVELOPMENT COUNTRY: ICELAND

DIRECTOR Árni Gunnarsson is a filmmaker who has specialized in making documentaries. He has directed and produced 10 docu­mentaries since 2005, all of which are based on con­t emp­o rary Icelandic reality. Árni’s films have been shown at many film festi­vals around the world, but he is best known for the film “Kraftur The Last Ride” which came out in 2009. Árni draws his inspir­a tion from the Icelandic narrative tradition, where the individual and human emotions lead the visual narrative.

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WORK IN PROGRESS

In the small town of Sauðárkrókur in northern Iceland, everything revolves around basketball. For decades, Tinda­stóll’s championship basketball team has dreamed of an Ice­landic championship, but to achieve that goal they must have the right coach, a lot of money and a little bit of luck. Up to fifteen hundred people, or about half of the town’s residents, follow the basketball team on away games. Before games, they warm up with songs, beer and spirited drumming, creating an atmosphere that has not been witnessed before in the stands of Icelandic basket­ball. In 2022, the basketball team came in second place in the Icelandic championship behind Valur’s champ­ ion­ship team in Reykjavík. Tindastóll’s basketball team and the fans are convinced that in 2023 they will win the title, but as the season progresses, more and more games are lost and morale deteriorates. The coach is fired and replaced with a new coach, the former captain of Valur’s winning team. A difficult task awaits him, to lead his former archenemy to victory.

PRODUCER Helga Sól Árnadóttir was born in 1998. She graduated as a student in business and economics and filmmaking from the Polytechnic School of Norðurlands-Vestra (FNV) in Sauðárkrókur, Iceland. She completed a 60-credit course in business administration from the University of Iceland in 2020 and a BA degree in economics from the same school in 2022. Helga Sól works as an expert at the Pension Fund for State Employees in Iceland (LSR). The film “Big Dreams in a Small Town” is the first full length movie produced by Helga Sól, but she has considerable experience in video recording and editing video content. Helga Sól has been active in social work and, among other things, has worked as an exhibition dir­ector in school plays and an enter­ tain­m ent director. Helga Sól is meticulous and con­ scien­tious, she is punctual, deter­­m ined, organ­­i sed, imagina ­­ t i ve a n d h a s a strong sense of justice.

She is passionate about film­­making, acting, climate change, green in­v est­i ng and dogs.

ICELAND

SISTERS DOCUMENTARY/ PRE-PRODUCTION COUNTRY: ICELAND In the creative documentary “SISTERS,” we delve into the tumultuous 1960s and witness the profound impact of political polarization on the lives and artistic journeys of two sisters. One, a fiery radical activist who defied societal norms and ultimately self-destructed, while the other, overshadowed but resilient, navigates her own artistic path. The film explores the dichotomy of masculine and feminine art, revealing value systems that have shaped their artistic endeavors. As we uncover their complex relationship, filled with jealousy, love, hate, lies, and suppression, the documentary also poses a thoughtprovoking question: Does today’s political divide reflect the struggles of the past?

DIRECTOR Ósk Vilhjálmsdóttir studied at the Icelandic Academy of Art and Crafts and Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. Her work stems from her sense of political commitment, often add­ress­ing tension between the public and the private and investigating the poten­tial that art holds as a mecha­n ism for dialogue and social change. Seeking to critic­ally challenge con­ sum­er­ism, globalization, the exploit­ation of the environ­ ment, and the needs of in­d i­­v iduals to navigate an in­creas­­ingly complex daily exi­s tence. Sisters is her first documentary film.

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PRODUCER Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir is a well known filmmaker in Iceland. She has worked extens­i vely in docu­m ent­ ary film and TV as a pro­ ducer, director and director of photog ­ r a p hy. W i t h many docu­­m entaries, TV pro­g rams and TV series under the belt her most recent work includes the six-part series Ímynd and Sveppa­ríkið and her magnum opus Svona fólk – People Like That. Docu­ment­ary films include credits as producer and director for the following films: The Farmer and the Factory (to be released) The Day Iceland Stood Still (to be released), Fjaðrafok – Glitter Storm, The Vasulka Effect, Kitchen Sink Revolution, etc.

MINISTER II SERIES/ IN PRODUCTION COUNTRY: ICELAND When Benedikt returns to politics after taking leave due to bipolar disorder, he is met with prejudice from the society.

While his personal life crumbles, there are members inside his own party that plot to capitalize from his forth­right­ ness with his mental condition, eventually by dethroning him.

DIRECTOR Arnór Pálmi has directed works such as The Minister I, Ligeglad and Eurogarðurinn.

Katrínar Björgvins has, among other things, directed episodes of Trapped and written, together with others, episodes of the TV series Afturelding.

PRODUCER Hlín Jóhannesdóttir has, among other things, produced the films Driving Mum, Quake and Shadowtown.

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TRAPPED IN ICE DOCUMENTARY/DEVELOPMENT COUNTRY: ICELAND, SPAIN, AUSTRALIA Trapped in Ice is about an artist’s descent into hell, imprisoned for an act of self-defence. Iceland tops the list of the most gender-equal countries for the 13th time, however, it becomes the scene of a blatant assault on women’s rights and an ice jail for Nara Walker. As a woman and a foreigner, Walker faces rejection by the justice system, the incomprehension of a society that wonders why she did not report the abuse or why she stayed with her husband, and the disdain of the tabloids.

Nevertheless, Nara also gets to know sorority in the women’s shelter where she lives while she awaits her trial.

An intimate portrait of a story of great political impact. If the state that comes closest to parity, thanks to the high participation of women in politics, neglects the measures adopted at the Istanbul Convention, what can we expect from others?

The night that changed her life, Nara started a diary.

Although she was missing her partner, she understood that she had inhabited a toxic and abusive relationship.

The palette of vibrant colours that had outlined her inner world, was then covered by thick, dark strokes, defining her confinement and captivity in Iceland. She needed to face the truth and heal. Her only hope lies with Strasbourg European Court of Human Rights where she filed a lawsuit against the Icelandic state. She is not the only one.

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DIRECTOR Alexia Muiños Ruiz is a film­ maker and Gender Equality ex­p ert. Enthus­i astic and creative, Alexia is a hard work­ing and self-motivated in­divi­dual with 15+ years of experience in the Audio­ visual in­d ustry, both on the creative side, as writerdirector and also on the in­ dustry backstage, as a teacher in seminars, member of juries, pro­grammer or as a speaker in numerous panels.

Highly knowledgeable in the Euro­pean gender arena with a strong dedication to the cause.

PRODUCER Lea Ævars graduated from New York Film Academy with an MFA in film- and TV producing in 2016 and has been very focused on films that concentrate on human rights and climate change.

She established the RVK Feminist Film Festival in 2020 where only films by women are in the limelight among panels around societal obstacles. Lea’s film pursuit is to educate and create awareness about challenging subjects in everyday life.

BLACK SANDS 2 DRAMA, CRIME SERIES / IN PRODUCTION COUNTRY: ICELAND,BELGIUM

DIRECTORS: Baldvin Z, Álfheiður Marta Kjartansdóttir, Erlendur Sveinsson Award winning Baldvin Z has been one of the most pro­ minent directors in Iceland. He directed all 9 episodes of the critically acclaimed “Case”, 3 episodes of the hit TV series “Trapped” and with 3 feature films under his belt (Let Me Fall, Life In a Fishbowl, Jitters) Baldvin Z is one of the most exciting and productive directors in the industry.

His work has accumulated over 40 film awards, both international as well as 18 Edda awards (the Icelandic Film and Television Academy Awards). “Let Me Fall”, his latest film, released at Toronto Film Festival, became the second highest grossing film in Iceland’s histor y and “Life in a Fishbowl” accumulated a record winning 12 Ice­ landic Academy Awards in 2015.

Since then, he has directed “Island Songs” for Universal Studios, “Beyond Strength”,

PRODUCERS Andri Ómarsson, Andri Óttarsson, Arnbjörg Hafliðadóttir, Baldvin Z SCREENWRITERS Baldvin Z, Aldís Amah Hamilton, Ragnar Jónsson, Elías Kofoed Hansen Aldís Amah Hamilton is an actress of Icelandic and African-American descent. She is fluent in both Icelandic and English. Hailing from a family of artists, she dabbled in dance and singing before eventually settling on acting.

She got her first acting opportunity at the age of ten when she was chosen to perform in a commercial for the television network Showtime. Her next major acting oppor tunity came at the age of 15, when she was cast as Maria in her school production of West Side Story. The production garnered a fair bit of media attention and received glowing reviews, playing to an audience of several hundred people over a handful of evenings. Aldís received coaching from professional singers to prepare for the role, and afterward continued her vocal training with private tutors.

Aldís is the first person of color to headline a TV series in Iceland, the first person of color to co-write a television series, and the first person of Black heritage to be admitted to the acting programme at Iceland’s Academy of the Arts. She made history when she became the first woman of color chosen by Iceland’s prime minister to embody Iceland’s Fjallkona, or Lady of the Mountain. The Fjallkona is a symbol of the Republic of Iceland and is a highly prestigious role enacted by an actress each year on Iceland’s National Day. As per tradition, she recited a poem before an audience of national leaders and diplomats, that was broadcast live to the entire nation.

Aldís is proud of the progress being made to show the diversity of Iceland’s population, and considers herself privileged to be an active participant in that movement.

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WORK IN PROGRESS

The bleak arctic winter has swallowed our town of Glerársandar whole. With a mere two hours of daylight each day, dark clouds often cover the once blue skies.

Fourteen months have passed since the Black Sands tragedy of season one and the only source of light is found in the fresh white snow, but even that doesn’t last long. Our surviving characters are still dealing with the aftermath of the previous season, desperately trying to understand how one of their most loved and trusted inhabitants could have turned out to be a necrophile and serial killer. Surely, there must be a reason? Those questions are about to be answered. It turns out Salomon’s death was not a catalyst that will eventually bring the town’s darkest secrets into light.

It begins when Helena, an elderly woman, is found dead under extremely strange circumstances. Nothing implies that her death is connected to Salomon or the previous events but when Aníta’s maternal uncle Davíð (who has returned to town to claim his inheritance) is found murdered, the pieces start to fall into place. Soon, our characters are forced to face Glerársandar’s dark history - stained with horrible abuse,depravity and negligence and the entire town will discover that their serial killer was perhaps not the only insidious thing to happen there.

an independent documentary and “The Journey” a 6-episode drama series. His latest directing project, Black Sands prem­iered last year and he’s currently in pre-prod­ uction of the second instalment of the series .

ICE, WIND, MUSIC DOCUMENTARY/ DEVELOPMENT COUNTRY: Iceland, France, Finland A large percentage of the Icelandic population has, at some point, taken part in a choir or a rock band. At the source of this creative abundance is a tradition of musical instruction in schools right from a very early age. Different generations meet at parties where many sing or play an instru­ment. What is so unique about Icelandic music? How does this volcanic island with its breathtaking landscapes and difficult climate influence composers and poets? This topic raises two more general questions: What is music?

Why is it so powerful and popular?

The narrative approach of this documentary is to enter the lives of several characters who pursue music with passion. Three distinct chapters will present to the audi­ ence: musical education and the early steps from ages 2 to 17, musical creation among adult professional musicians and music practice among older individuals.

Music is an essential topic but its quintessence, its evan­ escent origins and its concrete and spiritual aspects are rarely brought to the screen.

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DIRECTOR Jean Michel Roux is an a u t o­d i d a c t f i l m - m a ke r.

He began his career with films in the fantasy genre and science fiction films.

Passion­ate about the anc­­ ient spiritual trad­itions, he went on to direct docu­ ment­a ry films in Nordic countries. Since 1984, he has written and directed nine films of which three are long features for cinema. Most of his films have been dis­t ribut­e d inter­n ationally and screened as part of the official selection of Inter­national film festivals. Recently, Angel of the North, a docu­ment­ ary on the human soul, teenagers, angels and the beyond, was released in theaters in Finland.

PRODUCER Friðrik Þór Friðriksson star ted his filmmaking career with experi­m ental films and documentaries in the early 1980s. In 1987, he founded The Icelandic Film Corporation that became Iceland’s most important film production com­p any.

The company produces his films and works with other Icelandic directors as well as producers. Friðriksson‘s films are both deeply personal and have a strong root­ing in Icelandic culture at the crossroads of tradition and modernity.

VISITORS

The man-child ADAM (22) resides at home with his mother and struggles day by day to make ends meet.

After a family outing, he locks himself in his room one night with nothing but his phone and matches with EYDÍS (24) on a dating app. Adam and Eydís meet up on the outskirts of Reykjavík where they find out that they are polar opposites but they share the same goal of selfdiscovery.

In the midst of an awkward kiss, they hear a loud bang and the sky lights up, only for them to find themselves having switched bodies the morning after with no further explanation. They develop an explosive dynamic where their only goal is to figure out what happened while attempting to go about their regular lives without jeopardizing each other’s reputations or way of life. They learn new things about themselves, dark family secrets, and an unexpected past as they try to deal with each other’s lives.

DIRECTOR Ásgeir Sigurðsson is an Ice­landic-born actor/writer/ director and one of the found­­ers of LJÓS Films.

At 20 years old, he made his first mini-series for the National Television in Iceland called “Bömmer” or “Bummer” in English, which went on to be popular with the younger generation.

That same year, he directed his debut-feature Come to Harm (2021) which he starred in, wrote and directed.

The film won awards abroad, including the Directorial Discovery Award at the Rhode Island Film Festival, and went on to be nominated at the Icelandic Academy awards.

PRODUCER Anton Karl Kristensen is a Producer, Director, Cin­em­ a­tographer and one of the founders of LJÓS Films. In 2020, Anton earned his AFA (Associate of Fine Ar ts) degree in film­making from The New York Film Aca­­ demy in Los Angeles. He went on to shoot and direct his first feature film, “Come to Harm,” which pre­miered at the Oldenburg International Film Festival in 2021. In 2022, Anton was nominated at the Icelandic Aca­­demy Awards for his outstanding cinematography in “Come to Harm”.

Halldór Ísak Ólafsson is an up and coming producer.

Having worked in the film industry from 2019 in various pro­d uction roles. In 2021 he founded LJÓS Films and began producing feature films, short films and tele­ vision series, Including the award winning film “Come to Harm”.

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WORK IN PROGRESS

DRAMA, SCI-FI SERIES / POST-PRODUCTION COUNTRY: ICELAND

TOP 10 MUST

DARK COMEDY/ POST PRODUCTION COUNTRY: ICELAND Story of two very different women who both have been lost in their life for some time and how they dramatically decide to take control again. Arna is a middle aged female struggling artist and has no real sense of purpose anymore. Mjöll is a young troublemaker, in and out of prison since her teen years, with no ambition to get herself straight. After Arna’s miserable attempt to end her life she must step up and make something more out of her pre-planned death, so she writes down a list of top 10 things she must do before she kills herself. Her only real plan is to end at the Eastfjords as she never got the chance to go there with her father before he passed. At the same time, in prison, Mjöll receives news about her ex, who is also the father of their child, that he wants his new wife to adopt their daughter and they will live happily ever after in Egilsstaðir. So Mjöll escapes prison to confront him. Finding herself a getaway car to hide in, as fate will have it, owned by Arna heading out of town as well. Under the wildest of circumstances the duo travels across the country, ends up in all sorts of trouble, adventures and a life changing journey begins for both of them as they slowly but surely fill out the top 10 must do list.

DIRECTOR Ólöf B. Torfa is an Icelandic writer and director. She graduated from Film School in the spring of 2016 as her graduation film “Last Summer ” won best film from her class and went o n to w i n b e s t fo re i g n film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and was accepted by many others worldwide. After her graduation she started a small group called MyrkvaMyndir with a few of her fellow students from film school. Together they did two shorts “Split” and “Little Rock” as well as producing “Everything

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Nice”, which Ólöf also directed, and “I Draw Inside a Sheep” which both have already been shown at several festivals worldwide. In spring 2019 MyrkvaMyndir became a legit production company for her first feature film “How To Be a Classy Tramp” which was then shown in theatres all over Iceland in March of 2021. She just recently finished shooting her second feature called “Top 10 Must ‘’, which is planned for screening in theatres fall 2024. In Ólöf’s work, comedy and women play the leading force of the story.

PRODUCER Óskar Hinrik Long was born in 1984. Óskar’s interest in cinema started at a young age and when he was 13 years old he made his first short film in the parking garage of his home. From there on there was no turning back and his interest for theatre and cinema only grew and drove him towards where he is today, a producer and owner of MyrkvaMyndir. Throughout his young years he tried many other jobs but nothing could catch his interest as much as filmmaking did. So eventually he went to school to study filmmaking in 2016 and graduated in 2019.

It was after graduation that he created his company MyrkvaMyndir and started producing movies. The first movie he produced was shown in cinemas in Iceland the year of 2021. In the beginning the idea was to only produce that one movie and then go do more film studies elsewhere but fate took the reins and a new movie started in production in 2022. The production is going well and the film Top 10 Must is the second full length movie that Óskar produces and will premiere i n 2 0 24 i n t h e a t re s a l l around Iceland.

PRODUCER Ingvar Þórðarson Mr. Þórðarson has produced 27 features, also tv-series, and docu­mentaries, which have accumulated multi­ple awards all over the world and been commercially success­ful.

Among them: The Discovery Award at the Toronto Inter­ national Film Festival (TIFF), The Critics Award at Cannes Film Festival. Various titles include: 101 REYKJAVÍK, THE BOTHER­SOME MAN, LIFE IN A FISHBOWL; the winner of a record 12 awards at the Icelandic Edda Film Awards and THE GRUMP, Finland’s highest- grossing film in 2014. Also, the award-winning TOM OF FINLAND and the box-office champion 2017 UNKNOWN SOLDIER, sold over one million tickets in Finland alone.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Þórðarson has had 5 times the biggest box office movie of the year in Iceland and 3 times in Finland. In 2021 he just finished shooting in Finland and Germany THE GRUMP SEARCHING FOR THE ESCORT Directed by Mika Kaurismäki. Within the industry, Mr. Þórðarson is known for produc­ing in the most inclement of arctic environ­ments.

Mr. Þórðarson is also a guest lecturer at the London Film School and the University of Exeter, where he contributes to the MA International Film Business courses.

PRODUCER Júlíus Kemp studied film directing at West Surrey Institute of Art & Design in The UK. He has made a number of music videos and saw them as a springboard to full-length films. His first feature film; WALLPAPER: AN EROTIC LOVE STORY, dealt with music, words, and the lives of young people in Reykjavík in the 1990s.

In 1991 Júlíus Kemp founded The Icelandic Film Company/ Kisi Production (kisi.is) and is one of the oldest and respected film production companies in Iceland. Kisi has both produced films that have had a great deal of success on the festival circuit and dominated the Icelandic box office. The aim of the company is to make ambitious, demanding and entertaining features for a wide audience.

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SKINNY LOVE COMEDY DRAMA/ POST PRODUTION COUNTRY: ICELAND Emilý is a twenty-five-year-old “content creator” who pro­ duces erotic images for the Internet. To make ends meet, she works in a record store in the center of town together with Marísa, a 15-year-old teenage girl who was placed to work in the record store by a child protection committee.

Emilý tries to guide her with both work and life, but Marísa finds it difficult to come to terms with her situation and day­dreams about having a “sugar daddy” to escape them.

She is happy in an open long-distance relationship with Katinka, a Polish geochemist, who visits her in Iceland and spends a weekend with her. After her visit, Katinka calls Emilý and tells her about a job opportunity that was offered to her in Iceland for a whole year. However, Katinka does not want to take the job and move to Iceland un­less they change the conditions of the relationship and stop seeing other people.

This forces Emilý to face the anxiety that lives inside her about the future and what she wants with Katinka. At the same time, she meets Kría, a 20-year-old girl who also works in porn, and they strike up a friendship.

At the record store, Emilý learns that Marísa is telling her friends and strangers that Emilý is producing porn. It’s not a secret, but she wants to keep it from the manager of the record store and the Children’s Protection Committee.

Marísa tells Emilý that she has been talking to a 46-yearold man from Louisiana who wants to meet her at a luxury hotel later this summer when he comes to visit Iceland.

The worries continue to pile up on her life when Yrsa, the accountant and Emilý’s mother, informs her that Emily owes taxes, causing new financial problems.

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DIRECTOR Sigurður Anton has been making films, shows and internet content for the last decade. Most notably the theatrically released films “Webcam” (2015), “Snow and Salóme” (2017) and “Mentor” (2020).

PRODUCER Júlíus Kemp studied film directing at West Surrey Institute of Art & Design in The UK. He has made a number of music videos and saw them as a springboard to fulllength films. His first feature film; WALLPAPER: AN EROTIC LOVE STORY, dealt with music, words, and the lives of young people in Reykjavík in the 1990s.

In 1991 Júlíus Kemp founded The Icelandic Film Company/ Kisi Production (kisi.is) and is one of the oldest and respected film production companies in Iceland. Kisi has both produced films that have had a great deal of success on the festival circuit and dominated the Icelandic box office. The aim of the company is to make ambitious, demanding and entertaining features for a wide audience.

Camera is rolling… and action!

We are ready for filming. The props have been arranged, the extras are in position, so you just show up with your screenplay and make magic happen.

Happy film festival!

The RIFF cocktail Last Bird

Special RIFF menu

is going for Best Supporting Act

at Slippbarinn 4 appetizers + 2 cocktails for ISK 11,900

WORK IN PROGRESS

Reservations on dineout.is/slippbarinn

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GREENLAND OQALUTTUAMIK DOCUMENTARY SERIES / IN DEVELOPMENT As the earliest cultures in Greenland see their last sunset, the sun starts shining on the newcomers from Canada: the Thule-culture. Even though the Thule-culture has survived until today by adjusting to new conditions, the path has not always been easy - or noble. However, another world view from the South is on its way. With Danish and German missionaries and The Royal Greenland Trading Company, Greenland is forever changed.

For the next 200 years life with the newcomers became more and more intertwined. But parallel to and in sym­ biosis with the good Greenlandic Christian life, traditional living continues developing in this new context.

But there was a quiet battle in the early 1900’s. More and more Greenlanders want to become equals with the Danes in Greenland. While the second World War is

O Q A L U T T UA M I K in the land of humans - with a story

Documentary series of 8 episodes each 45 minutes KaNOq ApS Nivi Pedersen Nuuk, Greenland

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terrorizing the rest of the world, Greenlanders thrive as the war has given Greenland an opportunity to “see” the world beyond Denmark. And a new era begins: the modernization of Greenland... And the consequences thereof.

DIRECTOR Nivi Pedersen is a multi­faceted creator as a dir­e ctor, screenwriter, pro­d ucer and actress. In add­ition to her credited work, Nivi has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greenlandic Lang­u age, Literature & Media from the University of Greenland.

PRODUCER Mudi Kramer is behind numerous Greenlandic initiatives of television, podcasts and films ranging from being the producer, director, mediator and actress, and is driven by dissemination of knowledge through entertainment and narratives.

FAROE ISLANDS

DOCUMENTARY / EDITING PROCESS COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS “A Disappearing Act” portrays the journey of a theatre director as he endeavours to stage a play with his own mother in the lead role, an actress suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who is incapable of remembering even a single line or following a basic direction. Behind this seem­ingly insurmountable endeavour lies a desire to re­establish a bond of communication and emotion with a mother who has lost all memory of her son´s identity.

As his journey unfolds, he wrestles with uncooperative producers, challenging actors, sceptical journalists, the prejudices of a small-town society and persistent ethical dilemmas. On a more profound level, the film aims to unearth a deeper understanding of the meaning of memory loss.

DIRECTOR Búi Dam is a director, actor and musician who grew up in the Faroe Islands in a family of actors and music­ ians. He studied at The Danish National School of Drama­t ic Art, The London School of Dramatic Ar t and Musicians Union Music School in Iceland (FIH). He was under the mentorship

of American jazz saxophonist John Purcell and Indian poet and playwright H.S Shivaprakash. He won the M.A. Jacobsen award in 2009 and 2022, the Geytin film award in 2020 and the Best Actor award at the Winter Film Awards in New York in 2021.

PRODUCER Jón Hammer began his film career at Zentropa in Copen­ hagen in 2012. In 2017 he released his first feature film as lead pro­ducer and founded the Faroese production com­ pany kykmyndir / KYK Pictures. The same year he became a board member of the newly established Faroese Film Institute. In 2019 he participated in Rotter­dam Lab and completed EAVE Producers Workshop and became a member of Euro­pean Audio­visual Entre­preneurs (EAVE). In addition to produc­ing films, series and docu­­m ent­­a ries in his own company and for Adomeit Film in Copen­ hagen, he moon­lights as a production manager and line producer on inter­ national projects shoot­ing on the Faroe Islands and in Denmark.

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WORK IN PROGRESS

A DISAPPEARING ACT

PANELS

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Date 04.10.23

Time 09:30 - 11:00

Animating the Future: Exploring the Convergence of Technology in Animation This exciting animation panel explores the convergence of technology and creativity and how the latter is reshaping the animation industry.

Moderator: Guðrún Helga Jónasdóttir Guðrún Helga Jónasdóttir is a project manager at the Icelandic Film Centre, responsible for film education, film festivals and events.

Her background is in programme acquisition and scheduling both for RIFF and for RÚV - Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, where she served as Head of Programme Acquisition from 2010-2018.

Guðrún Helga has also consulted for companies such as Aardman Animation, Cake Entertainment, Tulipop and LungA.

Sara Gunnarsdóttir Sara Gunnarsdóttir (1982) is a director and artist who has created animation, music videos, and original artwork for film and television, including Marielle Heller’s celebrated debut feature “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” and HBO’s Emmy-nominated “The Case Against Adnan Sayed.”

Sara was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland, where she received her BFA from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, while creating and performing with the electro punk band Donna Mess. She received her MFA in Experimental Animation from CalArts, and her thesis animated documentary short, “The Pirate of Love,” was nominated for “Best Alternative” in The Academy’s Student Academy Awards.

Sara most recently directed the animated comedy “My Year of Dicks,” created by Pamela Ribon (Moana, My Boyfriend is a Bear), for FX Network. The show won Special Jury Awards at SXSW for Unique Vision in Writing and Directing and took home the Crystal for TV Production at Annecy Animation Film Festival, its top prize.

Her work has been showcased at New Directors / New Films, AFI Fest, SXSW, Annecy and the Telluride Film Festival.

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Gísli Darri Halldórson Icelandic director and animator Gísli Darri Halldórsson graduated with a BA (hons) from the Irish School of Animation (Dublin). He has been a professional animator since 2007. His animated short film YES-PEOPLE premiered in 2020 and was Oscar® Nominated for the 93rd Academy Awards® in the Animated Short Film category.

Notable films he worked on include the Oscar nominated short GRANNY O’GRIMM’S SLEEPING BEAUTY, the Oscar nominated short THE ROOM ON THE BROOM and Bafta award winning TV-series THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL. Gísli has also worked in live-action doing storyboards for Nordic noir series TRAPPED Series 1 and Icelandic feature films such as VULTURES and I REMEMBER YOU. His narrative music videos such as WHATEVER

by Leaves, received a nomination for best music video at the EDDA Awards (The Icelandic Film & TV Academy) and THE GREAT UNREST by Mugison received best music video of the year at the Icelandic Music Awards.

Vladimir Leščiov born in 1970, in Daugavpils, Latvia. In 1989 he graduated from the J.Rozenthal Ar t School in Riga. In 2002 he graduated from the Depar tment of Animation of the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design in Sweden. Artist, animator, film director, producer, and teacher. Founder of the LUNOHOD animation studio in Riga, in 2007. His animated short films were awarded at festivals in France, Poland, Japan, Germany, Canada, Portugal, Argentina, USA, Croatia, and other.

Sigvaldi J. Kárason Sigvaldi J. Kárason is the director of the Tulipop Tales TV series, a 2D animated series for kids (52 episodes x 7 minutes), which is based on the celebrated Icelandic fantasy world called Tulipop. Sigvaldi is also an experienced editor and film producer, having edited numerous movies and TV series, such as Trapped and Katla, in addition having directed and edited episodes of the Lazytown TV series.

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INDUSTRY PANELS

Vladimir Leščiov

PANELS

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Date 04.10.23

Time 11:30 - 13:00

Stories With Impact: Urgent Topics Through the Cinema Lens A thought-provoking panel merging the art of cinema with societal impact. Witness filmmakers approach topics that matter through the art of storytelling.

Moderator: Lilja Björk Guðmundsdóttir Lilja Björk Guðmundsdóttir works for the Federation of Icelandic Industries. She is the Key Account Manager for the Association of Icelandic Film Producers (SÍK) working closely with the board as well as members towards the best possible economic, legislative, and regulatory environ­ment for the Icelandic film industry.

Luc Jacquet French documentary filmmaker Luc Jacquet (b. 1967) is the recipient of RIFF’s Green Puffin environ­mental award. With an unwavering focus on showcasing the wonders of our planet, Jacquet’s films take the audience on fantastic journeys exploring nature’s wildest ecosystems.

Jacquet’s early interests in nature and animal life led him to obtain a master’s degree in animal biology and ecology. These studies paved the way for numerous expeditions to Antarctica, where he delved deep into the ecology of earth’s least populated continent. During one of his expeditions he took on the role of a cameraman for Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf’s film The Congress of Penguins (1993). This marked the beginning of Jacquet’s passion for filmmaking, setting him on a path to bring the wonders of the natural world to the silver screen. Since then, Jacquet’s dedication to environmental issues has been evident in his acclaimed documentaries, including Once Upon A Forest (2015), Ice and the Sky (2015), and March of the Penguins (2005), winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. His films not only present the planet’s beauty but also illuminate it with joy and wonder, leaving a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.

Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir Hrafnhildur Gunnars­dóttir is a well-known Icelandic docu­mentary film­ maker and activist. She has both directed and produced several awardwinning docs and TV series. Recently she completed her “magnum opus” six-part series chronicling the 40 year struggle for equal rights for homosexuals in Iceland titled “People Like That”. In 2020 The Vasulka Effect premiered at Rotterdam International film festival about pioneers of video art: Czech national Woody Vasulka and Icelandic Steina. Her company Krumma films has produced and co-produced several docs.

Currently The Day Iceland Stood Still is ready for launch, a documentary directed by Pamela Hogan about the Women’s Day Off in Iceland 1975.

She resided for over 15 years in San Francisco where she worked on many important documentary films such as “Alive in Limbo” (ITVS) with Erica Marcus and Tina Naccache and “Senorita Extraviada” by Lourdes Portillo. She has also served as the chairman for the Icelandic Filmmakers Association and Nordisk Panorama.

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Emile Hertling Péronard Emile Hertling Péronard is an Oscar-nominated Greenlandic film producer based in Denmark with production company Ánorâk Film operating out of both Nuuk and Copenhagen. Working to build bridges between Europe and the Arctic through films, Emile focuses on documentaries and fiction projects. In 2020, he launched Greenland’s first production service company, Polarama Greenland, to advance the Greenlandic film industry and pave the way for more Greenlandic screen content. He is the Chair of Arctic Indigenous Film Fund, is on the Board of Directors at ARTEF - the Anti-Racism Taskforce for European Film, and his films have screened at Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Sundance and more.

Benjamin Shapiro

Alexia Muiños Ruiz Alexia Muiños Ruiz is a filmmaker and Gender Equality expert. Enthus­ iast­ic and creative, Alexia is a hard working and self-motivated individual with 15+ years of experience in the Audiovisual industry, both on the creative side, as writer-director and also on the industry backstage, as a teacher in seminars, member of juries, programmer or as a speaker in numerous panels. Highly knowledgeable in the European gender arena and strong dedication to the cause. Alexia is the director of the film “Trapped in Ice” that is participating in the Work in Progress event, about the case of Nara Walker.

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INDUSTRY PANELS

Co-Director/Co-Producer/Cinematographer Ben Shapiro is a filmmaker and audio producer whose work over more than 25 years has received awards including two Peabodys and an Emmy. His feature documentary “Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” about the noted photographer, premiered at SXSW and had an international theatrical release. As a director he has been commissioned for projects by HBO, PBS, BBC, and as a cinematographer worked with Barbara Kopple, Albert Maysles, Katy Chevigny, Sam Pollard, Ben Hedin, among others. He is editor and producer at Radio Diaries, creating numerous audio pieces airing on NPR’s All Things Considered. Shapiro teaches at the School of Journalism at Columbia University.

PANELS

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Date 04.10.23

Time 14:00 - 15:30

AI & Cinematic sounds: Blessing or the devil in disguise?

An innovative panel exploring the boundaries between creativity and technology and the impact of AI on music composition.

Moderator: Colm O’Herlihy Colm O’Herlihy is the co-founder of INNI. He began his journey in the music industry when Morrissey, the frontman of The Smiths, signed his band to his own signature label, Attack Records. Since then, Colm has toured the globe as a guitarist for artists such as Joan Shelley and Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü). In 2014, he relocated to Reykjavik and embarked on managing two local labels. It was there that he identified a niche for a specialized music publishing company in the heart of Iceland’s vibrant music scene. In 2019, he officially launched the company in partnership with film composer Atli Örvarsson.

In 2022, they inaugurated INNI House, which boasts 9 recording studios.

Currently, they are actively involved in projects for renowned platforms such as Apple, HBO, Netflix, Disney, and more. Colm is a member of the Nordic Publishers Sync Reference Group and a participant in the inaugural edition of the European Music Business Task Force (EMBTF) within the Music Cities Network.

Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson is an Icelandic composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He’s always been drawn to the instruments that pull at the heartstrings, the harmonica and the pedal steel guitar at the forefront.

Growing up in Iceland he got to play with the top musicians around and learned his craft on the stage. In 2015 Þorleifur was awarded a full-scholarship to Berklee College of Music and is one of a handful of students that has graduated with an artist diploma in the history of the college. This diploma was specifically designed for an artist with a well established career in music.

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Herdís Stefánsdóttir

Inga Weisshappel Inga is a composer, music editor, music publisher and music supervisor who is deeply embedded in the world of film. She has been involved in the creation of numerous scores for movies and television, including Katla, Deliver Us, Against the Ice and, most recently, Touch. As well as being involved with score production, Inga has actively been expanding the position of music supervision in Iceland and placing it on a global playing field. As a music supervisor, Inga is responsible for overseeing all music related aspects of a film or television project, from licensing to maintaining cue sheets, with projects such as Black Beach and Natatorium. Additionally, in 2022 Inga launched the first international music publishing office in Iceland in collaboration with Wise Music Group.

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INDUSTRY PANELS

Herdís Stefánsdóttir is a film composer, a songwriter, and producer.

Herdís Stefánsdóttir graduated with an M.A. degree in film scoring from New York University in 2017. Since graduation she has scored multiple TV series and three feature films, the most recent one is M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at The Cabin” which earned her a World Soundtrack nomination. She has won multiple Icelandic music Awards for her scores, including for recent work The Essex Serpent on Apple TV+ and “Y: The Last Man” on Hulu. Herdís interned for the Oscar nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson in Berlin while he was working on the film “Arrival” (2016) and she has scored numerous short films that have premiered at top-tier festivals around the world like Berlinale, TIFF, Sundance and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Herdís releases and produces her solo work under artist name Kongulo, she is currently working on her first record. Previous art projects include electro-pop duo East of My Youth. East of My Youth’s music has been described as sensual and addictive as getting your tongue frozen to a glacier of pure honey (jajajamusic). The duo has showcased at SXSW, Eurosonic Noorderslag, KEXP, Sonar Reykjavík and Iceland Airwaves.Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, Herdís currently lives between Los Angeles and Reykjavík.

PANELS

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Date 05.10.23

Time 9:30 - 11:00

Sound-Camera-DISTRIBUTION: Festival strategy & Distribution for First Time Filmmakers Moderator: Jason Gorber Jason Gorber is a film journalist and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, OFCS and the Critics Choice Association. He is the Editorin-Chief/Chief Critic at That Shelf, CBC Radio Metro Morning’s Film Correspondent, and regularly contributes to POV Magazine, RogerEbert. com and CBC Radio’s programme. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Screen Anarchy (aka TwitchFilm), SlashFilm,HighDefDigest, Birth.Movies.

Death, IndieWire and more. He has appeared on CTV NewsChannel, CP24, and many other broadcasters. He has been a jury member at the Reykjavik International Film Festival, Calgary Underground Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, TIFF Canada’s Top 10, Reel Asian, Festival Regard andFantasia’s New Flesh Award. Jason has been a Tomatometerapproved critic for over 20 years.

Christian Jeune Christian Jeune was born on May 29 in 1961 in Toulon (France) He started at Cannes festival as a local intern in 1983 while pursuing his studies, then joined the Paris office in 1995 at the film Department.

Since 1999 he is director of the Film Department and in 2003 he became Deputy to the General Delegate, Thierry Fremaux. His position implies he takes care of the selection process, in connection with the different players. He has been also travelling for the last 20 years mainly in Asia to scout films and visiting the different players in the world industry. He has served as jury member in many festivals (Busan, Tokyo, Adelaide, Taipei, Bangkok, Macao…) He has also translated over 100 films from English to French, including three films of the Bourne series, the three Kingsman films, and many more.

Maud Amson After completing her studies in common law and public business law in Paris, Maud Amson started her career with Le Film Français, the main French trade publication, where she has been in charge of international advertising sales. Following several years of work there, she began to collaborate with the Marché du Film of the Festival de Cannes, as well as with other international film festivals, including Venice Days, Abu Dhabi Film Festival and Doha-Tribeca Film Festival, focusing mostly on the industry aspects of these events.

Over the past few years, Maud has dedicated herself entirely to the Marché du Film, where she currently serves as the Director of Sales & Operations. In this capacity, she engages with international sales agents and institutions, overseeing the commercial and exhibition aspects of the market. Additionally, Maud is part of the core team of Ventana Sur since 2019.

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Frédéric Boyer

Alessandro Raja Alessandro Raja (CEO and Co-founder of Festival Scope & Festival Scope Pro). Alessandro Raja is a film professional and, in 2010, cofounded FESTIVAL SCOPE PRO (pro.festival scope.com) the B2B streaming platform for film professionals, allowing programming of selected festivals to be viewed online. Festival Scope Pro partners with a network of more than 120 festivals and markets. In 2016, he also cofounded FESTIVAL SCOPE (www.festivalscope.com), the B2C streaming platform for film lovers.

Since 2012, he programs for the SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL’s Kinoscope section, focusing on emerging filmmakers from around the world. His professional experience covers other segments of the film industry, ranging from international sales and acquisitions at CELLULOID DREAMS (Paris, 2005-2009) and COPRODUCTION OFFICE (Paris, 2004), distribution at ARTIFICIAL EYE (London, 2000-2003) and exhibition at THE EVERYMAN (London, 1999-2000).

25

INDUSTRY PANELS

Frédéric Boyer is the Program Director of RIFF since 2020. Artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival since 2012 and of the Les Arcs European Film Festival since 2009. Prior to that he was the Artistic Director for two years and Head of Programming for six years of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. Boyer’s infatuation with cinema began when he frequented the Cinematheque Française in his youth. He attended the master classes of critics of French New Wave cinema at the Universities of La Sorbonne and Censier.

PANELS

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Date 05.10.23

Time 11:00 - 12:30

French-Icelandic Co-Production: Post-Pandemic Production Across the Ocean

Moderator: Jason Gorber Jason Gorber is a film journalist and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, OFCS and the Critics Choice Association. He is the Editorin-Chief/Chief Critic at That Shelf, CBC Radio Metro Morning’s Film Correspondent, and regularly contributes to POV Magazine, RogerEbert. com and CBC Radio’s programme. His writing has appeared in Esquire, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Screen Anarchy (aka TwitchFilm), SlashFilm,HighDefDigest, Birth.Movies.

Death, IndieWire and more. He has appeared on CTV NewsChannel, CP24, and many other broadcasters. He has been a jury member at the Reykjavik International Film Festival, Calgary Underground Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, TIFF Canada’s Top 10, Reel Asian, Festival Regard andFantasia’s New Flesh Award. Jason has been a Tomatometerapproved critic for over 20 years.

Michel Plazanet Graduate in business and public administration, Michel Plazanet joined the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) in 2005 as head of the territorial action department. Since 2012, he has been deputy-director of European and international affairs. He represents France at the Board of Eurimages (coproduction fund of the Council of Europe).

Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur is one of Europe‘s most prolific filmmakers, working on both sides of the Atlantic.

Following his debut feature, the highly awarded “101 Reykjavik” in the year 2000 he started his own production company and has since then been actively producing, writing and directing highly successful feature films, both domestically and abroad with original high quality TV Series, aimed for international distribution added to his slate of works since 2015 „Trapped, seasons 1-3“ and „Katla.“ His filmography as Director includes titles like: „Jar City“, „The Deep“, „Everest“, „Adrift“, and „Beast“.

He is currently in post production of his latest film „Touch“, which has been picked up by Focus Feature for distribution.

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Anton Máni Svansson Anton Máni Svansson co-founded Join Motion Pictures in 2007 with the ambition to forge close working relationships with upcoming writerdirector talents. Join Motion Pictures (JMP) is an independent, boutique production company that has produced mainly director- driven feature films for cinema with high artistic quality and international appeal.

Over the last 15 years, he has worked as a producer and CEO of the company, and his productions have sold worldwide and been selected for many of the most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, San Sebastian, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, BFI London, IDFA, Telluride, and Toronto.These films have collected over 230 awards, received three nominations for the European Film Awards, four nominations for the Nordic Council Film Prize, and been Iceland’s contribution to the International Feature Award at the Oscars in 2020, 2023 and 2024.

His credits include “Whale Valley”, “Heartstone”, “A White, White Day”, “Beautiful Beings”, “Nest”, and “Godland”.

Gísli Snær Erlingsson Gísli Snær is the director of the Icelandic Film Centre, but he has worked as a director and filmmaker for years. He directed, among other films, “Benjamín the Dove and Ikingut”. Later he was the head principal of the Puttnam School of Film in Singapore, and the head manager of London Film School.

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INDUSTRY PANELS

Anton, an EAVE and EAVE+ graduate, was Iceland’s 2017 Producer on the Move in Cannes, and won a Lorens Award for Best Producer at Goteborg Film Festival the same year. He is currently the chairman of both SÍK – Association of Icelandic Film Producers, and of ÍKSA – the Icelandic Film & TV Academy.

HONORARY MASTERCLASSES and EXTENDED TALKS RIFF Masterclasses are a series of carefully curated educational events aiming to provide attendees with the unique opportunity to gain insights from the life and the work of accomplished filmmakers and actors.

NICOLAS PHILIBERT - HONORARY GUEST MASTERCLASS Date 29.09.2023 Time 10.30-12.00 Venue SLIPPBÍÓ Moderator Helga Rakel Rafnsdóttir

EXTENDED TALK after ON THE ADAMANT Date 29.9.2023 Time 18.50-19.50 Venue Háskólabíó 1 Moderator Helga Rakel Rafnsdóttir

One of the most celebrated figures in French documentary filmmaking, Nicolas Philibert (b. 1951), is known for his artful and patient exploration of everyday humanity. Philibert’s cinematic journey found its genesis in the 1970s, when he assisted esteemed directors such as René Allio and Alain Tanner. Over the ensuing decades, his career evolved from television productions into feature documentaries. Just before the new millennium, he crafted remarkable works such as La Ville Louvre (1990), In the Land of the Deaf (1992), and Every Little Thing (1997).

One of Philibert’s most successful films, To Be and to Have (2002), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Prix Louis Delluc before achieving remarkable success internationally. In his latest masterpiece, On the Adamant (2023), which won the top prize at this year’s Berlinale, Philibert offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities. On the 20th edition of RIFF we will be celebrating Nicolas Philibert’s remarkable career and cinematic legacy – one that has consistently portrayed the world with a sincere and inquisitive lens.

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HONORARY MASTERCLASSES AND EXTENDED TALKS

VICKY KRIEPS - HONORARY GUEST MASTERCLASS Date 4.10.2023 Time 15.30-17.00 Venue Ráðhús Moderator Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir

EXTENDED TALK Date 4.10.2023 Time 19.20-20.20 Venue Háskólabíó 1 Moderator Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir

Vicky Krieps gained international recognition for her role in “Phantom Thread” opposite Daniel Day Lewis, earning critical acclaim. She also received accolades for her performance in “Corsage,” including awards at Cannes and the European Film Awards. “Corsage” was shortlisted for an Oscar and nominated for a BAFTA. She starred in “More Than Ever” at Cannes 2022, playing a woman with a rare lung disease on a European journey. In 2023, she will appear in “The Dead Don’t Hurt” and “The Three Musketeers” series alongside Eva Green and Vincent Cassel.

Vicky is set to star in “Ingeborg Bachmann: Journey Into the Desert” and is currently filming “Hot Milk” alongside Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw. Her diverse filmography includes “Bergman Island,” “Moi Fort (Hold Me Tight),” “The Survivor,” “Old,” “Beckett,” “Gutland,” and more.

She studied at Zurich University of Arts, was part of the Schauspielhaus Zurich ensemble, and gained recognition for “La Nuit Passée.” Vicky has also appeared in “Before the Winter Chill,” “Measuring the World,” and “Two Lives,” an Academy Award-nominated film. Other credits include “The Chambermaid,” “Brotherhood of Tears,” “Mobius,” and “Tied.”

An open talk with the talented actress Vicky Krieps. Known for her remarkable performance in movies like Phantom Thread, Old and Corsage, Vicky will share insights of her journey and creative process into the world of cinema.

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ISABELLE HUPPERT- Honorary Guest MASTERCLASS Date 5.10.23 Time 17.00-18.30 Venue Nordic House Moderator Þóra Karítas Árnadóttir

EXTENDED TALK Date 6.10.23 Time 18.30-19.30 Venue Háskólabíó 1 Moderator Vera Wonder Sölvadóttir

With a prolific career spanning more than 50 years and nearly 150 film and TV productions, Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (b. 1953) is a luminous figure in French cinema. Huppert’s career has been adorned with a constellation of accolades that reflect her exceptional talent.

In 1978, her remarkable performance in The Lacemaker (1977) earned her the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer and her ascent continued with two Best Actress awards at the Cannes Film Festival for Violette Nozière (1978) and The Piano Teacher (2001). Huppert garnered international acclaim for her performance in Elle (2016), which earned her a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award Nomination. As a testament to her enduring influence, in 2020 The New York Times heralded Isabelle Huppert as the second greatest actor of the 21st century, and at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival in 2022, she was graced with the Honorary Golden Bear, a testament to her lifelong dedication to the craft of acting. With Huppert’s name etched among the luminaries, we are excited to have her legacy and unceasing source of mastery celebrated at RIFF 2023.

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HONORARY MASTERCLASSES AND EXTENDED TALKS

LUC JACQUET- Honorary Guest MASTERCLASS during Biodice Symposium Date 3.10.2023 Time 16.00-18.00 Venue Ráðhús Moderator Sverrir Norland

EXTENDED TALK after the screening of Antarctica Calling Date 3.10.2023 Time 20.30-21.30 Venue Háskólabíó 1 Moderator Andri Snær Magnason

French documentary filmmaker Luc Jacquet (b. 1967) is the recipient of RIFF’s Green Puffin environmental award. With an unwavering focus on showcasing the wonders of our planet, Jacquet’s films take the audience on fantastic journeys exploring nature’s wildest ecosystems.

Jacquet’s early interests in nature and animal life led him to obtain a master’s degree in animal biology and ecology. These studies paved the way for numerous expeditions to Antarctica, where he delved deep into the ecology of earth’s least populated continent. During one of his expeditions he took on the role of a cameraman for Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf’s film The Congress of Penguins (1993). This marked the beginning of Jacquet’s passion for filmmaking, setting him on a path to bring the wonders of the natural world to the silver screen. Since then, Jacquet’s dedication to environmental issues has been evident in his acclaimed documentaries, including Once Upon A Forest (2015), Ice and the Sky (2015), and March of the Penguins (2005), winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. His films not only present the planet’s beauty but also illuminate it with joy and wonder, leaving a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.

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CATHERINE BREILLAT EXTENDED TALK after the screening of L’été Dernier Date 1.10.23 Time 17.45-18.45 Venue Háskólabíó 1 Catherine Breillat (b. 1948), a Parisian filmmaker and accomplished novelist, is celebrated for her intimate and thought-provoking works that explore sexuality, gender dynamics, and familial conflicts.

Throughout her long-spanning career, her defiance of conventional eroticism led to frequent challenges. She embarked on her professional career with a role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris (1972) and made her directorial debut with A Real Young Girl (1976), based on her novel Le Soupirail. The film was banned in several countries because of its depiction of sex scenes and wasn’t released in theatres until 2000.

Some of Breillat’s later works, like Nocturnal Uproar (1979) and Romance (1999), underwent a similar journey too. With over 20 works, including daring ones like Fat Girl (2001) and Anatomy of Hell (2004), her most recent film, Last Summer (2023), premiered at Cannes after a ten year hiatus and is presented now at RIFF. Catherine Breillat’s reputation extends far beyond provocation, delving into overlooked themes.

Enigmatic characters illuminate women’s inner worlds, challenging norms. Fearlessly unearthing taboos and liberating desires, Breillat’s legacy is celebrated at RIFF’s 20th edition—an homage to an audacious cinematic visionary unafraid of the unspoken.

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HONORARY MASTERCLASSES AND EXTENDED TALKS

LUCA GUADAGNINO EXTENDED TALK after the screening of Call Me By Your Name Date 5.10.23 Time 19.10-20.10 Venue Háskólabíó 2 Moderator Frederic Boyer Luca Guadagnino (b. 1971) is an Italian filmmaker known for his intimate, heartfelt and artistic films. Guadagnino made his mark with the romantic drama I Am Love (2009), starring Tilda Swinton, which received an impressive 14 major awards. This marked the beginning of a successful collaboration between the two, which continued with acclaimed titles like A Bigger Splash (2015) and a remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria (2018). One of Guadagnino’s most celebrated works is the coming-ofage romance Call Me By Your Name (2017), winner of the 2018 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film played a pivotal role in elevating the career of its lead actor, Timothée Chalamet, with whom Guadagnino collaborated on his latest feature, Bones and All (2022).

Continuing his streak of captivating storytelling, Guadagnino’s recently completed film, Challengers, starring Zendaya, is set to be released next year. In the meantime, he is currently finalising Queer, featuring Daniel Craig, in Italy.

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VLADIMIR LEŠČIOV ANIMATION MASTERCLASS Date 4.10.2023 Time 14.00-16.00 Venue Slippbíó Vladimir Leščiov was born in 1970, in Daugav­ pils, Latvia. In 1989 he graduated from the J.Rozen­t hal Art School in Riga. In 2002 he grad­uated from the Department of Animation of the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design in Sweden. Artist, animator, film dir­ ector, producer, and teacher. Founder of the LUNOHOD animation studio in Riga, in 2007.

His animated short films were awarded at festivals in France, Poland, Japan, Germany, Canada, Portugal, Argentina, USA, Croatia, and others.

In this masterclass Vladimir will share some of his animation methodo­logies and share his knowledge that he has acquired during his extensive career.

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Filmography The Letter, animated short film, 2002, Sweden Grandad’s honey, animated short film, 2002, Sweden Insomnia, animated short film, 2004, Latvia Lost in Snow, animated short film, 2007, Latvia, Sweden Wings and Oars, animated short film, 2009, Latvia Villa Antropoff, animated short film, 2012, Latvia, Estonia Rainy Days, animated short film, 2014, Latvia, Canada Waiting For the New Year, animated short film, 2016, Latvia Electrician’s Day, animated short film, 2018, Latvia Comeback, animated short film, 2021, Latvia, Lithuania

EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH THE ICELANDIC FILM CENTRE DIRECTOR GÍSLI SNÆR ERLINGSSON

Time 16.00-18.00

Venue Nordic House

Free event

On October 2nd RIFF will host a private conversation with the new director of the Icelandic Film Center, Gísli Snær Erlingsson.

The discussion will be moderated by representatives from the film associations in Iceland, Anton Máni Svansson, María Reyndal, Ragnar Bragason and Steingrímur Dúi Másson. After the conversation attendees will have the opportunity to network over drinks an possibly have a word with Gísli.

Director of The Icelandic Film Centre Gísli Snær is the director of the Icelandic Film Centre, but he has worked as a director and filmmaker for years. He directed, among other films, “Benjamín the Dove and Ikingut”. Later he was the head principal of the Puttnam School of Film in Singapore, and the head manager of London Film School.

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EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION

Date 2.10.23

RIFF & BIODICE SYMPOSIUM ON BIODIVERSITY AND IMPACT OF FILM Date 3.10.23

Time 16.00-18.00

Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

FREE EVENT

RIFF is participating in the Biodiversity Festival 2023, hosted by BIODICE. A series of films will be screened that all contribute to raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity. Its loss is now happening at an unprecedented rate and is part of our global environmental crisis.

The program includes, a symposium featuring experts and enthusiasts who discuss climate change, biodiversity, and how influential medium movies are.

The symposium will begin with a masterclass with world-renowned French filmmaker and biologist Luc Jacquet, whose documentaries on climate change and life in Antarctica have touched audiences worldwide and helped open the eyes of many to the serious consequences that humans are having on nature.

The symposium will focus on Jacquet’s work in the Antarctic and put it in the context of melting ice and the loss of biodiversity in the Arctic.

Two films by Jacquet will be shown at this year’s RIFF: his newest film Antarctica Calling and the classic Academy Award-winner March of the Penguins.

Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate, will present Luc Jacquet with the Green Puffin environmental award for his contribution to biodiversity and climate issues, after the masterclass. Andri Snær Magnason will host a thank you speech to Luc for the occasion.

The symposium is in collaboration with The Institute for Sustainability Studies. BIODICE will also host thought-provoking discussions after selected film screenings.

BIODICE is a network of organisations and individuals who want to promote greater awareness of the importance of biodiversity, both globally and in Iceland.

Moderator: Sverrir Norland 16:00 The moderator opens the symposium 16:05 Masterclass with Luc Jacquet 16:50 The Minister of the Environment awards Luc Jacquet the Green Puffin 17:00 Panel discussions 17:55 The symposium finishes MASTERCLASS with Luc Jacquet In the framework of cooperation between RIFF and BIODICE, the esteem­e d documentarist with a master’s degree in Biology and Ecology, Luc Jacquet, will participate in this OPEN TALK about biodiversity con­tri­buting to this Symposium with his love and knowledge about nature’s wildest ecosystems.

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PANELISTS

Moderator: Sverrir Norland Sverrir Norland is the author of more than ten books, including critically-acclaimed essays and novels such as Kletturinn (2023), Stríð og kliður (2021), and Fyrir allra augum (2016). He is also a publisher, and works in both TV and radio production, as well as being a scriptwriter.

Andri Snær Magnason

BIODICE EVENT

Andri Snær Magnason is a writer and director. He has written poetry, plays, science fiction, and works on con­ ser­v­a­tion. His latest book - On Time and Water has been pub­lished in more than 30 languages ​​and deals with the challenge climate change poses to our perception and lang­uage. His film The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole – A Bipolar Musical Documentary with Elephants was the open­ing film of RIFF in 2020.

Unnur Björnsdóttir Unnur Björnsdóttir is a member of The Icelandic Youth Environ­m entalist Association. She has a background in visual arts and recently graduated in art education. Unnur is a nature lover and strongly believes in art and activism to move social and environmental issues.

Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir is the Director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of Iceland. Prior to her current role, she served for over a decade as the Director of an international post-graduate level capa­c ity development programme on land restoration and sustainable land management, for specialists from developing countries. She holds a PhD in Plant Ecology and is an alumna of Homeward Bound, a ground-breaking, global leadership initiative, set against the backdrop of Antarctica, which aims to heighten the influence and impact of women in making decisions that shape our planet. Hafdís Hanna has an extensive experience in global sustainability, environmental education and science communication.

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RIFF TALKS Young and promising filmmakers as well as seasoned ones, come forward and give short talks in the vein of TedX Talks, with the aim of inspiring film students and young filmmakers, but welcoming everyone who is curious or interested in the filmmakers journey.

Date 6.10.23

Time 16.00-18.00 Venue Ráðhús/City Hall

Moderator: Niels Thibaut Girerd

Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière Director & Screenwriter Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière (1996) is a film director and scriptwriter born in Argentina and based in Iceland.

“Mamá, mamá, mamá” is her first feature film, shot only by women: both cast and crew. Her debut film premiered at the Berlinale in 2020 in the Generation K Plus Competition, where it was awarded with the Special Mention of the Jury.

She was also the youngest director of the 70th Berlinale.

The movie was theatrically released in France, China and Argentina. At the beginning of 2021, with the support of Biennale College Cinema she shot her second film : “Nuestros días más felices”. The film premiered in La Mostra Internazionale d’A rte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia 78. She’s currently developing her future projects and living and working in Iceland, her favourite country in the world.

Kári Úlfsson Producer Kári Úlfsson is an award-winning film producer. Kári has worked in production in Iceland for various companies in roles from coordinator to line producing and recently finished shooting his first feature in August 2023. He has gained much success with his prior, having his thesis short win special mention at Cannes film festival. Kári graduated from Columbia University in 2020 where he did his Film MFA in creative producing.

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Arndís Ey Costume Designer Arndís Ey is a Reykjavik based costume designer and super­v isor that has worked on many Icelandic films as well as American, British and Scandinavian films. Arndís Ey started her film career in 2009 after a diverse education of arts, textiles, fashion, styling, graphic design and tailoring.

She also studied psychology and social science at the uni­versity and, according to her, having studied human behavior like that really helps with the design process and is a useful add to the design education to create characters and bring them to life with clothing. Arndís Ey has been artistic and creative all her life and started making artistic drawings as soon as she could hold a pencil. She always knew she would be an artist of some kind. For example Arndís Ey designed the costumes for the opening movie of Riff “Solitude” and is now working on the Icelanding movie “Vikings of light” that’s being filmed in Ísafjordur in October.

Magga Vala Cinematographer

Ólöf B. Torfadóttir Director & Screenwriter Ólöf B. Torfa is an Icelandic writer and director. She graduated from Film School in the spring of 2016 as her graduation film “Last Summer” won best film from her class and went on to win best foreign film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and was accepted by many others worldwide. After her graduation she started a small group called MyrkvaMyndir with a few of her fellow students from film school. Together they did two shorts “Split” and “Little Rock” as well as producing “Everything Nice”, which Ólöf also directed, and “I Draw Inside a Sheep” which both have already been shown at several festivals worldwide. In spring 2019 MyrkvaMyndir became a legit production company for her first feature film “How To Be a Classy Tramp” which was then shown in theatres all over Iceland in March of 2021. She just recently finished shooting her second feature called “Top 10 Must ‘’, which is planned for screening in theatres fall 2024. In Ólöf’s work, comedy and women play the leading force of the story.

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RIFF TALKS

Magga Vala is a cinematographer based in Reykjavik, Iceland. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in cinematography from the Norwegian Film School in 2018.

Her thesis film, “SHE-PACK,” premiered at the Berlinale in 2019 and received international recognition, including the Amanda Award for Best Norwegian Short Film. Notably, Magga Vala received a nomination for Best Student Cinematography at the IMAGO International Awards in 2020, for her work on “SHE-PACK.” She has a diverse portfolio, spanning TV shows, music videos, documentaries, commercials, and short films, many of which have received awards and global recognition. One of her recent works is the tv show “Húsó”, scheduled for release this October.

Magga Vala wants to explore as many different approaches to realism as possible through her work as a DP and always places story over technical achievements.

RIFF TALKS Sunneva Ása Weisshappel Production Designer N i n n a P á l m a d ó t t i r i s a n a w a rd - w i n n i n g I c e l a n d i c Sunneva Ása Weisshappel is an Icelandic artist whose work interrogates the multifaceted nature of the human experience. Born in 1989, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2013. Currently, she is pursuing a joint MFA in Fine Arts at the Goldsmith University in London and the Iceland University of the Arts. In her work, she draws upon her own experiences to challenge herself and her audiences.

Through strange and forceful combinations of materials, she transforms collections of found objects into complex, multi-layered canvases. From delicate textiles conjuring ghostly shapes of female bodies to hair, teeth and wax evoking the texture of human skin, her works extend beyond the two-dimensional canvas, loaded with cultural and symbolic meaning. She compares her paintings to human beings: ‘complex, beautiful, ugly, multifaceted, full of contrasts, mistakes, feelings, and contradictions’.

Weisshappel’s highly personal artistic practice touches upon universal and autobiographical themes. As well as working with installation and video art, the artist primarily focuses on painting and performance, which combine in her present body of work to explore what is possible in the act of painting. In addition, she has had a career as a production designer for projects produced by studios such as RVK Studios, Netflix and Focus Films, and won awards for her costume design in the theatre production of Njála, which ran at the Reykjavik City Theatre.

Þorsteinn Sturla Gunnarsson Director & Screenwriter Þorsteinn Sturla Gunnarsson made his first feature film in high school, a documentary called ARE WE ROLLING?, which was later picked up by streaming service Sjónvarp Símans.

He graduated from the Icelandic Film School’s screenwriting and directing branch in 2021. His award-winning graduation film VOID has been to festivals around the world. Þorsteinn is currently part of a writers room for the TV show MAMMA KLIKK! which has received two grants from The Icelandic Film Centre, as well as working as a script consultant for the Icelandic National Theatre.

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Ninna Pálmadóttir Director & Screenwriter

Páll Grímsson Director & Screenwriter A native of Iceland, Páll Grímsson has a BA degree in Media Studies from Fresno State University and a Diploma from New York University’s Film-Intensive program. After graduating he joined Propaganda Films in Hollywood and later established himself as director with numerous assignments for clients such as Red Bull, Nissan, Samskip and Diesel among others. Grímsson wrote and directed t he shor t film, THE PENSION GANG and MERMAN, an imaginative long-form music video which inspired the opening sequence for David Milch’s HBO series DEADWOOD, where Grímsson served as shadow director and mentored under Milch. Grímsson optioned the classic award winning novel Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Robert C. O’Brien and developed the screenplay with writer Nissar Modi. The screenplay appeared on The Hollywood Black List in 2009 and the feature, starring: Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine, premiered in the dramatic competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Grímsson also optioned the critically acclaimed novel AFTERLANDS

by Steven Heighton, which was a New York Times Book Review - Editors’ Choice, about the ill-fated Polaris expedition to the north pole. The screenplay, written by Grímsson, was selected to participate in the prestigious Producers Guild of America - Power of Diversity Master Workshop in 2018. Currently, Grímsson is in development as a writer, director, and executive producer on a TV series based on the novel SVARTFUGL by Nobel-nominated writer Gunnar Gunnarsson.

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RIFF TALKS

N i n n a P á l m a d ó t t i r i s a n a w a rd - w i n n i n g I c e l a n d i c filmmaker. She graduated with an M.F.A in film directing / screenwriting from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2019, and holds a B.A in film studies & literature from the University of Iceland. Her short film “Paperboy” (2019) has screened at various film festivals around the world, premiering at the 45th Seattle International Film Festival.

In 2019 “Paperboy” won the Best Icelandic Short award at the Reykjavík International Film Festival, was invited to the César Award’s Les Nuits en Or short program and selected to screen at TIFF’s Short Cuts: Share Her Journey Shorts, event. “Paperboy” was awarded Short of the Year at the 2020 Icelandic Film & Television Academy Awards, Eddan.

Ninna was a participant of European Short Pitch 2019 with her thesis script “All Dogs Die” and is a 2019 recipient of the Spike Lee Production Fund for the same project. “All Dogs Die” premiered at Reykjavík International Film Festival 2020, Zagreb Film Festival 2020 as well as being one of 10 chosen projects for Karlovy Vary’s & EFP’s Future Frames program 2021. Ninna’s directoral debut feature film, Solitude, written by filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson, premiered at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and is the opening film for the 20th Reykjavík Film Festival 2023.

A DIFFERENT TOMORROW Our future has always been unknown, but never so unsafe. The planet will not handle our abuse any longer. We turn against one another. But we are learning. In A Different Tomorrow a light is shed on environmental and humanitarian topics. Cinema can change the world.

Queendom 21-year old Gena is a queer artist from a small town in Russia. She dresses in otherworldly costumes and stages otherworldly per­form­ances to protest against the way LGBTQ+ people are treated in Putin‘s Russia. In a mix of docu­mentary and fiction, director Agniia Galdanova extends Gena‘s inner world and her struggles to create something truly unique.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 29.09.23 Time 18.00-20.20 Venue Haskolabio 3

Knit’s Island Somewhere on the internet is a land where communities pretend to live out a survivalist fiction. The avatars of the directors of Knit’s Island spent 963 hours there, creating a fascin­a ting film resulting from their encounter with these communities. The “players” reveal their fears and fantasies, in an at times un­settling blurring of the real and the virtual.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 30.09.23 Time 17.00-19.15 Venue Haskolabio 3

Youth (Spring) Zhili, 150 km from Shanghai. In this city dedicated to textile manufacturing, young workers come from all the rural regions crossed by the Yangtze River. They are in their early twenties, share dormitories and snack in the corridors. They work tirelessly to be able one day to raise a child, buy a house or set up their own workshop.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 01.10.23 Time 13.00-17.15 Venue Haskolabio 3

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Here Stefan, a Romanian construction worker living in Brussels, is on the verge of moving back home. He cooks up a big pot of soup with leftovers as a goodbye gift for friends and family. As he is about to leave, he meets a young Belgian-Chinese woman who is working in a little restaurant while researching her doctorate on mosses.

Her attention to the near-invisible stops him in his tracks.

Orlando, My Political Biography The French director Paul B. Preciado brings together 26 trans or nonbinary people in order to try and bring out Orlando, the titular character in Virginia Woolf‘s 1928 novel Orlando: A Biography where the main character changes genders midway through the story. A striking satire on how people’s genders have become a subject of political debate.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 03.10.23 Time 17.00-19.20 Venue Haskolabio 3

Motherland A harrowing look at the culture of cruelty within the PostSoviet Belarusian army. Svetlana sets out to investigate her son’s death. She never imagined that losing her child was a possibility in peace time and is asking for fair investigation into crimes within the Belarusian army.

What she comes up against is an establishment rife with corruption and cruelty that seems only intent on keeping Alexander Lukashenko in power.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 04.10.23 Time 17.00-19.15 Venue Haskolabio 3

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A DIFFERENT TOMORROW

Screening & Impact Talk Date 02.10.23 Time 18.00-20.00 Venue Haskolabio 3

Twice Colonised Renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter has led a lifelong fight for the rights of her people. When her son dies by suicide, Aaju embarks on a highly personal journey to bring her colonizers in both Canada and Denmark to justice. But is it possible to change the world and mend your own wounds at the same time?

Screening & Impact Talk Date 4.10.23 Time 17.30-19.45

Theater of Thought Through the lens of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, Theater of Thought takes audiences on a provocative journey into the study of the mind and consciousness, daring us to question whether we truly have autonomy over our thoughts, or if our brains will inevitably become infused with mind-controlling technology in the not so distant future.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 06.10.23 Time 17.15-19.45

Blue Sky White Clouds “Take care of grandma when I’m gone” says the grand­ father to his 30-year-old granddaughter, Astrid. Shortly after his death, the grandmother, who suffers from dementia, is sent to a retirement home. Soon the 86-yearold claims to be lonely and Astrid decides to take her on a canoe trip to find out how to take care of her grandmother in the future.

Screening & Impact Talk Date 06.10.23 Time 20.15-22.15

Let the River Flow Ester, a young Sámi woman, hides her identity to avoid being exposed to racism. When Ester suddenly finds herself in the middle of demonstrations against a big dam development in Alta, a personal journey out of the shame she has carried so long begins.

Screening & Discussion with Ole Sandberg Date 06.10.23 Time 15.15-17.45

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A DIFFERENT TOMORROW

Acting Workshop with ERIC REIS - Closed event Venue Nordic House

Date 30.9.-01.10.2023

Time 10:00-18:00

Eric is a New York City acting coach who specialises in on-camera work. His list of clients includes multiple Emmy, Tony, Screen Actors Guild, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Teen Choice Award winners and nominees, in addition to established actors who have performed leading and supporting roles in dozens of studio films, television series and hit Broadway shows. He provides on-set coaching, audition preparation and ongoing training for qualified actors in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin and online.

This workshop is tailored for the seasoned professional looking to sharpen their skill set and the trained actor transitioning into film & television.

This workshop is taught in english.

Register on www.riff.is/seminars Price: 24.990 ISK for the day or 44.990 ISK for both days.

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OTHER EVENTS SKOTTA FILM/ Virtual reality walk in Venue Háskólabíó

Date 06.10.2023

Time 18.30 - 19:30 Experience the nature of the north through 4K 360° virtual reality glasses, The stunning Northern Lights dancing above you while you wait for our turn to step into the is­ lands of the north coast of Iceland where you find the home of the Arc­ tic Puffin.

INDUSTRY TRIP - Invite only Exclusive visit to the RIFF FILM FOREST for tree planting, UPPTEKIÐ sound studio and TRUE NORTH studios.

RIFF, Reykjavík International Film Festival 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, in partnership with Hertz, scooter rental service Hopp and the city bus line Strætó bs, RIFF aims to reduce traffic related pollution by increasing the availability of eco-friendly transport to the festival’s venues. Printed materials will be provided by the eco-certified printer Ísafold. Trees will be planted to offset the carbon-footprint of airline passengers visiting the festival. RIFF has joined together with six other film festivals to promote environmental protection. Festival events with this focus will accordingly be prioritized.

“We encourage festival visitors and film lovers to consider the environment in their travel methods and help us fulfill policy goals. “Foreign visitors will make a trip to 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. We want to build that forest and call a branch of it The RIFF forest,” says Hrönn Marinósdóttir, the festival’s director. To help compensate for the tremendous impact air travel around film festivals, has on our environment, we want to encourage guests to support Skógræktarfélag Reykjavíkur (The Reykjavik Forestry Association) by transferring voluntary support to their account: Reikningsnúmer: 301-26-4040 Kennitala: 600269-4539 IBAN: IS650301260040406002694539 SWIFT: ESJAISRE

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UPPTEKIÐ Sound Studio

OTHER EVENTS

Gunnar Árnasson was born in 1966 in Selfoss, Iceland. Bought his first mixer in 1981 and studied Electronic engineering from 1982 to 1986. He founded his sound company “Upptekid” in 1987 and it is still running. Started working as front of house mixer on concerts from 1986 to 1994 when he opened his first post-production sound studio and beside that he was front of house mixer in musicals in Icelandic theaters until 2006. In 2017, he started building his new studio in Kópavogur, with one booth, one small edit studio and in January 2021 he got Dolby Atmos Feature Certified Studio license for the big studio.

That was studio number seven in Scandinavia to have this certification. For over 40 years, Gunnar has worked in all kinds of sound departments. Answer machines, audio books, music, documentary, video games, TV drama series and feature films.

TRUENORTH Film & Television Production + Services Truenorth Iceland develops and produces internationally recognized, exciting films for both film and television markets worldwide. We offer the highest quality production services for all media, film and television industries looking to film in Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Finland, Sweden, Greece and The Canary Islands.

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SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

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RECEPTIONS Industry Reception - FRANCE IN FOCUS - Invitees and industry passes Venue Slippbarinn

Date 04.10.2023

Time 17.30 - 19.00

TROMSO IFF RECEPTION - Invitees and industry passes Venue Háskólabíó

Date 06.10.2023

Time 19.30 - 21.00

AWARD CEREMONY - Invite only Venue Háskólabíó

Date 07.10.2023

Time 17.00

TEAM Anna Sæunn Ólafsdóttir - Industry Days Manager Maria Vika Laschouli - Industry Days Assistant Adéla Hašková - Industry Days Editorial Design Margrét Weisshappel - Industry Days Editorial Design

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9:00

FRI 29.09.

10:00 11:00 12:00

10:30 - 12:00 Masterclass Nicolas Philibert Mod: Helga Rakel Rafnsd.

SAT 30.09.

SUN 1.10.

10:00 - 18:00 Acting Workshop w Eric Reis Closed event

10:00 - 18:00 Acting Workshop w Eric Reis Closed event

MON 2.10.

13:00 - 17:15 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Jeunesse (Spring)

13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 50

18:00 - 20:20 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Queendom

17:00 - 19:15 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Knit’t Island

18:50 - 19:50 Extended talk On the Adamant Nicolas Philibert Mod: Helga Rakel Rafnsd 21:00 - 23:00 Riff pub quiz Ágúst Bent & York Underwood

17:45 - 18:45 Extended talk L’été Dernier Catherine Breillat

16:00 - 18:00 Icelandic Film Center Director Open conversation Gísli Snær Erlingsson Industry professionals and students.

In Icelandic 18:00 - 20:00 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Here

TUE 3.10.

WED 4.10.

THU 5.10.

9:30 - 11:00 Panel Animating the Future Mod: Guðrún Helga Jónasd.

9:30 - 11:00 Panel Sound!

Camera!

DISTRIBUTION! Mod: Jason Gorber

11:30 - 13:00 Panel Stories with Impact Mod: Lilja Björk Guðmundsd.

14:00 - 15:30 Panel AI & Cinematic sounds Mod: Colm O’Herlihy

11:00 - 12:30 Panel FrenchIcelandic Co-Production Mod: Jason Gorber

14:00 - 16:00 Animation masterclass Vladimir Leščiov 16:00 - 18:00 Masterclass and symposium RIFF & BIODICE Open event Masterclass w.

Luc Jacquet and Symp­osium on Biodiversity Mod: Sverrir Norland 17:00 - 19:20 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Orlando My Political Biography 20:20 - 21:20 Extended talk Antarctica calling Luc Jacquet Mod: Andri Snær Magnason

15:30 - 17:00 Masterclass Vicky Krieps Mod: Arndís Hrönn Egilsd 17:00 - 19:15 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Motherland 17:30 - 19:00 French Industry reception 19:20 - 20:20 Extended talk Corsage, Vicky Krieps Mod: Arndís H. Egilsd 21:00 - 23:00 Riff stand-up comedy night York Underwood

FRI 6.10.

SAT 7.10.

16:00 - 18:00 Riff talks Mod: Níels Thibau 15:15 - 17:45 Screening & Discussion After the film Let the River Flow 17:15 - 19:45 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Theater of Thought

17:00 - 18:30 Masterclsss Isabelle Huppert, Mod: Þóra Karítas Árnadóttir 17:30 - 19:45 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Twice Colonised 19:10 - 21:10 Extended talk Call me by your Name Luca Guadagnino Mod: Frederic Boyer

18:30 - 19:30 Extended talk Sidonie in Japan Isabelle Huppert Mod: Vera Sölvadóttir 19:30 - 21:30 Reception w.

Tromso FF

17:00 - 20:00 Award ceremony Screening Poor Things & RIFF Closing party

20:15 - 22:15 A Different Tomorrow Screening & Impact Talk Blue Sky White Clouds Locations:

Ráðhús Nordic House Slippbar/bíó Háskólabíó Other 51

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