First Icelandic crime series a resounding hit locally

Anna Th. Rognvaldsdottir’s three part drama Every Colour of the Sea is Cold recently finished its run on RUV TV, Iceland’s public broadcaster. Being the first of its kind in Iceland, the crime series was eagerly awaited and turned out to be a major hit with audiences. According to a Gallup poll 49,6% of the 12-80 demographic stayed tuned. The show also received a warm welcome by the critics.

Africa United opens in Norway

The Edda award-winning documentary Africa United by Olafur Johannesson will open in Oslo on May 12th. The director will be present at the premiere and can be seen on the photograph fulfilling his promotional duties. The doc is produced by Johannesson's Poppoli Pictures and Zik Zak Filmworks. Oslo's Fidalgo distributes the film in Norway.

Ingvar Thordarson a Producer on the Move

Producer Ingvar Thordarson (Kisi Production) has been selected as one of the Producers on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival. Thordarson and his producing partner Julius Kemp, recently finished Robert Douglas' Eleven Men Out, which has been sold to various territories in Europe and America. They're also co-producing The Bothersome Man, a Norwegian comedy by Jens Lien, which has been selected for the Critic's Week.

Short Saviour heads for Cannes

The Eastman Kodak company has selected Erla B. Skuladottir's multiple award-winning short, Saviour, to be one of its five representatives at the forthcoming Cannes Film Festival. The company runs a special programme at the fest called Talent Showcase. All the directors will be present at the screenings.

Saviour has been screened at more than 50 festivals throughout the world and has received 25 awards.

Digital cinema screenings arrive in Iceland

Sambíóin cinema chain will start showing films digitally on April 27th, starting with the largest screen at their Kringlubíó site in midtown Reykjavík. According to Björn Árnason, the company's spokesman, Sambíóin aim to equip all their sites with digital projectors in the coming months. A new Sambíóin cinema in the Reykjavík suburb of Grafarvogur will be entirely outfitted with the latest digital projectors.

More awards for The Last Farm

Multiple award-winning and Oscar-nominated short The Last Farm by Rúnar Rúnarsson recently won awards at the 18th International Short Film Festival Dresden last weekend. In the International Competiton the short recieved the Golden Horse Man Youth Oscar and also the ARTE Short Film Prize.

IFC’s Schlüter talks shop with Cineuropa

Cineuropa posts an interview with Martin Schlüter, head of production at The Icelandic Film Centre. In the interview Schlüter talks about IFC's budget, forthcoming Icelandic films and the new budget negotiations with the local government. The interview can be found here.

French award for A Little Trip to Heaven

A Little Trip to Heaven, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, was awarded the critics prize (FIPRESCI) at a thriller film festival in Cognac in France last Sunday.

The Cognac International Thriller Film Festival is a prestigious french film festival with a large following. The film got a lot of attention and was very well received.  A Little Trip to Heaven also won the critic´s prize at the Gothenburg Film Festival last February.

Call for entries at Nordisk Panorama

Next Nordisk Panorama 5 cities film festival will be held in Aarhus Denmark, September 22-27. Nordisk Panorama Event is the main platform for short films and documentaries in the Nordic region, offering an annual business venue and showcase, spanning all professional focus areas from development and financing to distribution and exhibition. The deadlines for submissions to Nordisk Panorama – 5 Cities Film Festival, Nordisk Panorama Market and Nordisk Forum for Co-financing of Documentaries are quickly approaching, deadline for submission of films is May 15th.

Icelander writes an Irish film

Iceland-born but Irish-based screenwriter Marteinn Þórisson writes the screenplay of feature The Summer of the Flying Saucer, due to start shooting in Ireland in the fall. Martin Duffy directs.

The film is produced by Galway's Magma Films. The photo features writer Thorisson (right), producer Ralph Christians (left) and Horst Tappert (of Derrick fame), shown here celebrating the premiere of Inspector Derrick, an animated feature Thorisson co-wrote and Magma produced. In the film the famous German superintendent solves a mysterious murder case during the Eurovision Song Contest.

Summer of the Flying Saucer tells the story of what happens when a good Catholic boy finds first love with an alien girl. Set during the summer of 1967 in Mayo on the West of Ireland, 15 year old Dan Mullaney is stuck on the family farm. His dream of furthering his education is hindered by his father who believes he should take over the family business instead. However, when Dan befriends two strange visitors, one a beautiful girl Janis, his adventures begin.

Further info can be found at The Irish Film and Television Network website.