Iceland at Cannes
Valdimar Jóhannsson's debut feature, Lamb, leads Iceland's contribution to this year's Official Selection, which also includes participation in two shorts and the work of celebrated editor Valdís Óskarsdóttir.
Un Certain Regard
An Icelandic couple live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. This unexpected development, and the prospects of a new family, brings them much joy before ultimately destroying them.
Director Valdimar Jóhannsson
Screenwriters Sjón, Valdimar Jóhannsson
Produced by Hrönn Kristinsdóttir, Sara Nassim
Producers Piodor Gustafsson, Erik Rydell, Klaudia
Smieja-Rostworowska, Jan Naszewski
Production companies Go to Sheep, Black Spark Film & TV, Madants
Coproducers Film i Väst, Chimney Sweden, Chimney Poland,
Rabbit Hole Productions, Helgi Jóhannsson
Cast Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Gudnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson,
Ingvar E. Sigurdsson
Premiere: Tuesday, July 13 at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Genre Supernatural drama
Iceland/Sweden/Poland
2021, 106 min., DCP
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International sales New Europe Film Sales (jan@neweuropefilmsales.com)
Short Film Competition
The Brazilian/Icelandic short film Céu de Agosto (or August Sky) will compete for the Short Film Palme d'Or. The film was directed by Jasmin Tenucci and features two Icelanders among its key crew: producer Kári Úlfsson and editor Brúsi Ólason. Continuing a collaboration between the three that began when they were students together at the Columbia University School of the Arts in New York, Céu de Agosto is about a nurse in Sao Paulo who is seven months pregnant and finds herself drawn to a neo-Pentecostal church.
Premiere: Friday, July 16 at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Cinéfondation
Frie Mænd (or Free Men), Icelandic director Óskar Kristinn Vignisson's graduation film from the National Film School of Denmark, has been selected for Cinéfondation, which honors the best films from film schools. The film is a comedy about two good friends who get into trouble at work, which forces them to rethink what freedom is really about. In addition to directing the film, Vignisson co-wrote the screenplay along with Sune Kofod Maglegaard.
Premiere: Wednesday, July 14 at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Valdís Óskarsdóttir, editor of Flag Day
In her celebrated career as an editor, Valdís Óskarsdóttir has worked with many of the leading directors of our time. She has worked with the likes of Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration and Submarino), Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for which she won a BAFTA), Harmony Korine (Mister Lonely and Julien Donkey Boy), Gus Van Sant (Finding Forrester) and Sergei Bodrov (Mongol). Now she returns to Cannes as editor of Sean Penn's competition drama, Flag Day .
Short Film Corner
The following three Icelandic short films can be seen in the Short Film Corner as part of the Scandinavian Films program, Cool Shorts from the North.
Margrét wakes to see cows walking around downtown Reykjavík. When she arrives at her office, she realizes that she's the only one who can see them. Chaos ensues when a cow appears in the cafeteria.
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Steini is a recovering alcoholic who quit drinking when he had a son with his girlfriend. He works two jobs to make ends meet, but when he's fired from one of the jobs, he goes on a journey with a dangerous dance partner.
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A young couple live in a society in which people are assigned new spouses by lottery every seven years. When it comes time for them to get new spouses, they are full of heartache, anxiety, and fear.
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Coming soon
Iceland's film and TV production is gathering steam after the slowdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, and a variety of new projects – features, docs, and TV series – are being readied for autumn and beyond.
The Icelandic Film Centre runs a database containing information on Icelandic films and Icelandic filmmakers. Check out the latest Icelandic films here.
Works currently in production can be found here.
Works currently in development can be found here .