RIFF 2019 - INDUSTRY DAY BROCHURE

RIFF Industry Days

The RIFF Industry Days are back with an exciting program of masterclasses, panels, workshops and bespoke events. Highlights include a masterclass with renowned director Claire Denis, a retrospective of Oscar-nominated actor John Hawkes’ work and a workshop with casting director Nancy Bishop. This year we are also introducing RIFF Talks, a series of inspiring talks by industry professionals for industry professionals.

Industry Days Schedule and Venues

Iðnó Vonarstræti 3, 101 Reykjavík tel: +354 537 8800

Bíó Paradís Cinema Hverfisgata 52, 101 Reykjavík tel: +354 412 7711 midasala@bioparadis.is

The Nordic House Sæmundargata 11, 101 Reykjavík tel: +354 5517030 info@nordichouse.is

Miami Hverfisgata Hverfisgata 33, 101 Reykjavík barmiami@barmiami.is tel: +354 699 1250

Detailed Schedule

Opening Party

By Invitation Only Date: Thursday 26.09.2019 Please join us for the RIFF Grand Opening at the historic Iðnó theatre, where we will toast to our 16th anniversary. The annual “festival splash” will be performed, and then our black tie opening bash will be kicked into birthday gear with a foot hopping performance from Sturla Atlas, Logi Pedro and Dj Vikingur.

Meet you on the dance floor!

A Retrospective of The Artist John Hawkes Date: Friday 27.09.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 16.00 - 17.30 Industry Guests: John Hawkes & Elfar Aðalsteins.

The artist John Hawkes has a long and successful acting career. He will give an overview over his journey, showing clips from films and sharing his unique experience in a conversation with the director Elfar Aðalsteins.

This event is free, reserve your seat here.

The Green Puffin Award and Landvernd Photo Exhibition Date: Friday 27.09.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 18.00 - 19:30 RIFF honours Ómar Ragnarsson with its Green Puffin Award in recognition of his lifelong dedication to defending the natural environment of Iceland through film. The award will be presented at a ceremony in connection with the opening of the Landvernd (Icelandic Environment Association) photo exhibition “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone” in honour of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

The documentary The Last Tour by Ólafur Sveinsson, which is part of RIFF Icelandic Panorama, will be screened at the Nordic House on the 30th of September at 17:00 followed by an open panel discussion hosted by the director and members of Landvernd.

Ómar Ragnarsson Ómar Ragnarsson is well known in Iceland as a prominent television figure. For decades he has filmed nature from his airplane, to include in his television series. He is also well known as a comedian and has often made the nation laugh with his singing and comedy.

For many years he has dedicated himself to the fight for nature protection and has altruistically offered unmeasured work to the cause. Icelanders owe thanks to Ómar, because without his work it is not certain that we would realize the value of untouched nature.

NANCY BISHOP International Marketing Seminar for Actors Date: Sunday 29.09.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 1. VISUAL PRESENTATION

By Registration Only 12.00 - 13.30 Taught by Nancy Bishop, followed by Q+A. 80 pax Get useful tips from the point of view of an international casting director. The seminar will focus on strategies for actors to promote themselves and procure work in the international market. Specific examples will be provided from a power point presentation. Topics will include how to -

Cultivate international relationships with casting directors and other industry professionals Organize a professional CV Choose an optimal headshot, Produce an effective show reel, Use social media Take advantage of pro databases Shoot a self taped audition

Please register for this event here.

2. Case Studies: Self Tape Casting Intensive Private Event 14.30 - 17.00 Actors are increasingly asked to tape their own auditions and send them in to casting directors. Actors who master the skills of self-audition have a crucial advantage in booking the role. In the workshop, participants will be assigned material in advance, prepare a self-taped casting. On the day, Nancy will give a critique of the material.

Nancy Bishop, CSA, is an American born, Emmy-nominated casting director, who works internationally from offices in London and Prague.

She is a founding member and Head of Casting Society of America’s European branch. With nearly 100 major feature film and television projects among her credits, including work with all of the major networks and studios, Nancy has cast hundreds of actors throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Nancy has been retained as casting director by dozens of major screen producers and directors, including Brad Bird, (Mission Impossible IV), Roman Polanski (Oliver), Matthew Weiner (The Romanoffs) and Guillermo del Toro (the original Hellboy).Recent credits include Netflix’s up-and-coming series The Liberator, Whiskey Cavalier (ABC/ Warner Bros) Knightfall (A&E).

She founded the Acting for Film program at the Prague Film School and has penned two acting books, the second of which, “Auditioning for Film and Television,” will be available at the event.

LUX Prize Reception Date: Sunday 29.09.2019 Venue: Bíó Paradís.

19:00 Offered by the Delegation of the European Union to Iceland RIFF screens the three films that compete for the LUX Prize this year. Cold Case Hammarskjöld by Mads Brüger, The Realm by Rodrigo Sorogoyen & God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya by Teona Strugar Mitevska.

Since 2007, the European Parliament LUX FILM PRIZE casts an annual spotlight on films that hit at the heart of European public debate. The Parliament believes that cinema, a mass cultural medium, can be an ideal vehicle for debate and reflection on Europe and its future.

THE LAST TOUR + PANEL Date: Monday 30.09.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 17:00 -18:15 Veröld Sem Var - Screening 18:15 -19:30 Panel The documentary The Last Tour by Ólafur Sveinsson which is part of RIFF Icelandic Panorama (premiered at Bíó Paradís, September 28) will be screened at the Nordic House September 30 at 17:00. Following that Ólafur and Landvernd will have an open panel discussion on the subject of the film.

This event is free, reserve your seat here.

Austrian Focus Reception Date: Tuesday 01.10.2019 Venue: Bíó Paradís 18:45 - 19:00 Reception 19:15 Screening Industry Guest: Karl Markovics, Kelly Copper, Pavol Liska, Sara Fattahi, Sebastian Brameshuber, Clifford Agu. Austria is in focus this year! The Austrian embassy will provide light refreshments in Bíó Paradís on Tuesday evening to start the Austrian Focus at this year’s RIFF. After the reception, a selected Austrian film will be shown at Bió Paradís. The Austrian Focus at this year’s Reykjavik International Film Festival is a very welcome opportunity to demonstrate that Austrian films come in all shapes and sizes. As dramas and documentaries, as genre films, essays and comedies, some add a bitter twist with relish, others clearly signal cult potential. The majority of RIFF’s rich sample of Austrian films are clearly trying to lure you out of your comfort zone, to surprise and challenge you. At any rate, expect to be served some serious food for thought.

WIP- Work in Progress

By Invitation Only Date: Wednesday 02.10.2019 KMÍ - The Icelandic Film Centre promotes the regional film business by hosting a WIP session where the spotlight and excerpts of selected work in progress of new Icelandic projects will be screened.

International Press & Industry Guests invited.

“Filmmaking in the High North” Panel Discussion on Cultural Presentations of The Arctic Region Date: Wednesday 02.10.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 16.00 - 17:30 Panel discussion about the Arctic north where there will be a screening of the short film The Yukon Kings directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. The film is set in the remote Alaskan Yukon Delta and follows Yup’ik fisherman Ray Waska as he teaches his grandkids how to fish during the summer salmon run. Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the director of the film, and Adam Baldwin which is the Chief Programs Officer and Director at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska will have a discussion about the issues of the arctic region along with Jay Bulckaert and Pablo Saravanja from Dead North Film festival. Hlín Johannesdottir & Vilborg Einarsdottir will also join the panel representing JONAA-Journal for the North Atlantic & Arctic.

Reserve your seat to this free event here.

MARGRÉT CELA [Moderator] Margrét Cela is a Project Manager at the Centre for Arctic Policy Studies. She holds a B.A. degree in political science from the University of Iceland and an M.A. degree in International Relations from the same university. Currently she is working on a PhD thesis at the University of Lapland. She was the project manager of a new master programme in West Nordic Studies now taught in five universities (www.westnordicstudies.net). She has also been a part time teacher at the University of Iceland, teaching on security matters and the Arctic.

She is the project manager of a NATO funded project housed within the Centre for Small State Studies looking at the defence and foreign policy choices and challenges of small states in NATO and its partner small states in Eastern Europe, MENA, and Oceania. Her main research interests include, foreign policy and policy making, security of small states and security in the High North.

JAY BULCKAERT [Dead North Film festival] Jay Bulckaert is a writer, producer and director based out of Yellowknife in Canada’s great white North. Jay runs one of the most unique production studios in Northern Canada called Artless Collective and is also the creator and president of The Dead North Film Festival which is responsible for over 160 short circumpolar genre films.

PABLO SARAVANJA [Dead North Film festival] Pablo is the resident Director of Photography at aRTLeSS Collective Inc.Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, Pablo is an active member of the media-arts community with 20 years of production experience. A sought after Northern expert in documentary and factual TV, photojournalism, arts advocacy, and education, Pablo is personally interested in developing a healthy film and television scene and thriving art-filled North. Pablo is working to develop a sustainable and culturally significant film/TV industry in Canada’s arctic and to turn the fledgling Yellowknife Film Festival into the world’s premier stage for circumpolar films.

EMMANUEL VAUGHAN-LEE [Director of the film] Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an award winning filmmaker and composer. His work has been featured on National Geographic, PBS, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, Outside Magazine, exhibited at The Smithsonian and screened at festivals and theaters worldwide. He has directed numerous films including Earthrise, Sanctuaries of Silence, Marie’s Dictionary, Isle de Jean Charles, Yukon Kings, Soleá, Elemental, Barrio de Paz and What Would it Look Like. In 2005 he founded The Global Oneness Project, an award winning educational multimedia platform. He is currently the executive editor of Emergence Magazine, a quarterly publication founded in 2018. Prior to his work in film, Emmanuel performed with some of the biggest names in Jazz, as well as releasing two critically acclaimed records Previous Misconceptions and Borrowed Time. He lives in a small coastal town in Northern California with his wife and two children.

ADAM BALDWIN Adam Baldwin is the Chief Programs Officer and Director at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska.

HLÍN JÓHANNESDÓTTIR [Head of JONAA Productions] Hlín Jóhannesdóttir is an anthropology and media graduate from University of Iceland. She has worked in film production since 2000, as associate producer, producer, co-producer, production manager, line producer and partner at Zik Zak Filmworks, a production company with more than a hundred international awards including Oscar nominations on its credit list. As a producer Hlín has worked with many of Iceland´s most successful directors on feature films and documentaries. She has also worked as a freelance writer for magazines and online news medium and one of two founders of Vintage Pictures in Iceland and owns the Culture & Art Production House Ursus Parvus with Vilborg Einarsdottir in Iceland.

VILBORG EINARSDÓTTIR [Editor-In-Chief of JONAA] Background is 30 years diverse work as a High North Media Producer, specialising since 1996 in film/photography on extreme, Arctic locations in Greenland. Productions. incl. feature films, commercials, documentaries and photography projects by e.g.

Alfonso & Jonas Cuaron, Peter Lindbergh, Larry Fink, Rax, Jared Leto. Producer of Arctic exhibitions. Photography book editor “Ammassalik - A Jewel in the Arctic Crown” (K.Fridriksson ‘97) and “Thomasines World” (in process).

Founded Ursus Parvus with prod. Hlin Johannesdottir 2011.

Creative producers of Nordisk Ljus, Official Nordic Cultural Event 2014 / Nordic Culture Fund. Headed media production of the ATP project with awarded international journalists and documentarists. Founder and head of development of JONAA since 2015.

PABBAHELGI (Happily Never After) A TV Series by Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir In collaboration with RÚV. X2 episodes + Q/A Icelandic Panorama Date: Wednesday 02.10.2019 Venue: Bíó Paradís.

17.00 Salur 1 Karen, a 38-year-old couples counselor and mother of three, has her life turned upside down when she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Suddenly single, she must say good-bye to the utopian vision of the perfect nuclear family, and the professional advice she gives her clients now seem absurd.

Every other weekend, the so-called “daddy weekends”, are what Karen now fears most. These new television programs are screened in collaboration with RÚV, The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.

You can buy the ticket to this screening here.

CLAIRE DENIS MASTERCLASS Date: Thursday 03.10.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 11:00 -12:00 A masterclass with Claire Denis, the acclaimed French auteur director. Moderated by the Icelandic author Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir.

This event is free, please reserve a seat to the masterclass here.

Claire Denis was born in Paris in 1946. However, she spent most of her childhood in the French colonies of West-Africa, where her parents worked. Her childhood had a great influence on her art, as is apparent in her first feature film, Chocolat (1988), a very personal piece about a French woman that returns to her childhood home in Cameroon. The film was selected for the Cannes film festival and was praised as a remarkable debut film. In her successful carrier, Denis has made thirteen feature films, many of which are considered classics of art-cinema. Beau Travail, perhaps her best known film, is regarded by many as the best film of the nineties. Her most recent film, High Life, received praise all over the world and was awarded the prestigious FIPRESCI award at the San Sebastián film festival 2018.

In her films Claire Denis grapples with issues of immigration and ostracism, the ravages of colonialism, and the mysteries of love in a profound manner. She is a magnificent artist who proves with each new work that she is one of the world’s greatest living filmmakers.

Breaking and Entering Film Scoring Symposium Date: Thursday, 03.10. 2019 Time: 13.00 - 16.00 Venue: The Nordic House An afternoon where professionals share their experience on how to break into the industry of composing music for films. Professional film composers as well as agents in the business will share their advice and have a meet and greet with guests at the event.

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in scoring film and in films in general. The event is a collaboration with Iceland Music (ÚTÓN), STEF (Composers Rights Society of Iceland) and Iceland Music Information Center.

13:00 - Welcome Symposiarch: Valgerður G. Halldórsdóttir, Managing Director of IMIC 13:10 - 13:50 Talk and Short Q&A Annette Gentz, agent (Annette Gentz Music and Film Arts, Germany) 14:00 - 14:45 Talk and Short Q&A Benedikt Erlingsson & Davíð Þór Jónsson Moderator: Elísabet Indra Ragnarsdóttir This event is free, please register to this event here.

Free Event Date: Friday 04.10.2019 Venue: The Nordic House 16.00 - 19.00 Co-hosted by :

RIFF TALKS

WHAT ARE RIFF TALKS? RIFF TALKS are a series of concise and polished presentations by established creative film professionals who are willing to share their knowledge of how to break through. RIFF Talks are held in the spirit of TED Talks, but focus on filmmaking. Each talk is given by speakers who have oversight on the issues and realize the current trends in the world of films. The talks aim to educate, inspire and motivate creatives, as well as challenge decision makers and those in power to rethink and reflect. The RIFF Talks will end with an open discussion.

Please reserve your seat to the RIFF talks here.

ÍSOLD UGGADÓTTIR [RIFF TALKS host/moderator] Ísold Uggadóttir is an award-winning director and screenwriter from Iceland. Her feature film debut, “And Breathe Normally” premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where Ísold received the Directing Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. “And Breathe Normally” has gone on to win over a dozen international awards and was sold to multiple territories worldwide, including Netflix. Ísold’s four short films have premiered at such festivals as Sundance, Karlovy Vary, Telluride, New Directors/New Films & MoMA, in addition to over 100 others. Her short films were honored with 6 nominations for the Icelandic Academy Awards, winning Best Short Film in both 2010 and 2011, as well as receiving numerous international festival awards. Ísold earned her M.F.A in directing and screenwriting from Columbia University’s Film Program in New York City.Screen International named her “one of the rising stars of Icelandic film”. Ísold is on the board of the Icelandic Film Director’s Guild.

“Emerging Media is For Everyone”

An introduction to emerging media from transmedia to immersive storytelling, and how technology is impacting the way we tell and experience stories. This workshop will focus on the history of emerging media, the current state of the industry and where it is heading.

ZEINA ABI ASSY Zeina Abi Assy is a writer and media artist from Lebanon. She is the Director of Interactive Programs at Tribeca Film Institute where she blends her background in graphic design, digital media and creative writing to create programs that focus on the power of incubation in emerging media.

With experience in the Middle East and North America, her work moves between cultural criticism and fictional poetry to investigate the complexity of culture, technology and politics and their effects on our lived experiences. Her work has appeared in the printed anthology “Arab Women Voice New Realities.” She is a mentor at NEW INC, The New Museum’s cultural incubator.

“Unconventional Distribution” KATJA ADOMEIT Katja Adomeit is a German producer, based in Denmark and Germany.

She loves the creative and financial side of producing and is in a constant search of new ideas that matter and different processes during development and production, that allow for new and different results. Katja is known for, just to name a few, Wolf and Sheep, The Orphanage, The Weight of Elephants, Pine Ridge, Loving Pia, Force Majeure, Team Hurricane and The Square and many more, and have worked in numerous countries including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine and New Zealand.

She established and owns Adomeit Film in Denmark and in Germany, where she produces international fiction films, focusing on arthouse projects by young filmmakers from all over the world. For the future, Katja wants to combine arthouse with entertainment.

“How to Take Your Company to the Next Level”

An inspirational talk about how Mystery Productions has evolved over 13 years DAVID ÓSKAR ÓLAFSSON Producer / Director Davíð is an established Icelandic producer and director. He started young and worked his way up to becoming one of Iceland’s leading producers.

Since he established Mystery Productions in 2006 he has produced 6 features and 2 TV series.

His films have travelled the world and premiered at some of the biggest festivals such as TIFF, Sundance, Berlinale, San Sebastian, Busan and Locarno just to name a few. The TV series Fangar was one of the most watched TV in Iceland and was nominated for a record breaking 16 Edda awards. His latest TV series The Valhalla Murders is the first Netflix Original series coming out of Iceland and will premier in Iceland this Christmas and will be released worldwide through Netflix early next year.

David has directed one feature film Bakk and he also directed two episodes of The Valhalla Murders and aims to balance his producing and directing in the future.

“Multi-talented or Efficient Multitasker?”

NANNA KRISTÍN MAGNÚSDÓTTIR Writer / Director /Actress / Producer Nanna Kristín is an Icelandic writer-director, producer and one of Iceland’s most well known actresses (Heartstone, Paris of the North, XL). She is the founder and owner of CUBS Productions. Nanna Kristín graduated from the Vancouver FilmSchool in scriptwriting for film and television. In 2014 her debut short Playing with Balls premiered at TIFF. Cubs her second short film as a writer/director won Best Short Film at RIFF, the Icelandic Edda, Flickerfest, ÉCU and many more. Nanna Kristín has been nominated for The 2018 Nordisk Film and TV Fund Prize for outstanding writing for Stella Blómkvist.

“From Pitch Idea to Reality”

A journey in which director Thordur Palsson will guide us through the process of creating a TV series from an idea proposal.

THORDUR PALSSON Thordur Palsson graduated from the prestigious National Film and Television School with an MA in Directing Fiction in 2015. His graduation film BROTHERS has won numerous awards, most notably at the 2015 Palms Springs ShortFest.

Since graduation Thordur won the coveted 2015 Nordic Talents pitch prize with his project STUCK IN DUNDALK. In 2016 his project THE DAMNED was chosen to take part in the Nordic Genre Boost, held by Nordisk Film and TV Fond. It is currently in development with FilmBros Productions AS and Elation Pictures.

Thordur is in post-production on his first TV series called THE VALHALLA MURDERS which is being produced by True North, Mystery and RUV. It is part of a new partnership between DR Sales and RUV. The series is set to premiere on RUV in winter of 2019.

“Environment And Cinema” ÓMAR RAGNARSSON Awarded RIFF 2019 Green Puffin.

Ómar Ragnarsson is well known in Iceland as a prominent television figure. For decades he has filmed nature from his airplane, to include in his television series. He is also well known as a comedian and has often made the nation laugh with his singing and comedy.

For many years he has dedicated himself to the fight for nature protection and has altruistically offered unmeasured work to the cause.

Icelanders owe thanks to Ómar, because without his work it is not certain that we would realize the value of untouched nature.

“Open Discussion / Distribution Matters” JAKUB DUSZYNSKI Mr. Duszynski is a film distributor, festival programmer and co-president of Europa Distribution. For the past 11 years, he’s been head of acquisitions and the creative director for Gutek Film, Poland’s leading art house company. He was also for many years Programme Director of Poland’s major film festival New Horizons.

GABOR GREINER Gabor Greiner is a sales agent from Films Boutique. He studied Cultural Management in Vienna, Birmingham and Chicago and firstly worked as a journalist and film critic. From 2003 to 2009 he worked at the MEDIA program at the European Commission’s Film Fund, which was created to support the European audiovisual sector. In 2009 Gabor moved to Match Factory where he handled acquisitions. The films he supervised received two Golden Bears, a Golden Palm and two Oscars abroad. Since September 2010, he has been responsible for the acquisition of new projects for Films Boutique in Berlin. Founded in 2008, the company specializes in sophisticated art-house films that have won numerous awards from international film festivals including the Golden Lion, Golden Bear and Camera d’Or.

After this event, there will be Industry Reception for all the RIFF Talks and industry guests.

Awards and Closing Ceremony

By Invitation Only Date: Saturday 05.10.2019

*** There is Happy Hour everyday from 4-6pm at Center Hotel Plaza, and from 6 - 8pm at Miami Hvervisgata.

From 7 - 9 pm there will be standy-up comedy events and Happy Hour at Center Hotel plaza for all the industry guests.

Additional Information

Tickets to movies and events If you have a festival accreditation, you can pick up your badge at the RIFF Guest Office located at Center Hotel Plaza, Aðalstræti 4-6, from September 24th to October 4th between 11:00-18:00 every day.

You are entitled to one ticket for each screening. To reserve a ticket from up to 24 hours in advance, simply log in on www.riff.is/dagskra with your eventival credentials that you used to apply for your accreditation, browse the schedule and add tickets to your digital festival pass. In the cinema, just have your badge scanned at the screening room and be prepared to show your ID. If you have any questions, the Guest Office will inform you how to reserve your tickets online.

Accommodation If you are looking for accommodation in Reykjavík, we have special prices from 19.000 ISK per night at Center Hotel Plaza. For bookings, please contact at guests@riff.is.

For directions and the festival program, please visit our website www.riff.is. For information about Reykjavik you may check http://www.visitreykjavik.is. For any questions concerning your stay please contact us at guests@riff.is or call at +354 411 7055.

Contact Information

Contact informati Carolina Salas

Industry coordinator and Talent Lab project manager industry@riff.is +354 771 6781

Juan Mateo Menendez Guest office Coordinator guests@riff.is +1 912 272 6335

Malwina Bieniawska Industry assistant industryassist@riff.is +354 623 0574

Sihan Yang

Festival Assistant Festivalassist1@riff.is +354 781 2128

Don’t forget to follow us for the latest #RIFF2019 news: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rvkfilmfest/ Instagram @reykjavikfilmfestival

Look forward to meeting you soon!