09/04/2009

Iceland’s leading distributor of domestic films, Sena Film, has been acquired by Jon Dirik Jonsson and Magnus Bjarnason, owners of Nordic consultancy and research group Capacent.

Sena’s previous owner was the Baugur Group, which filed for bankruptcy mid-March. Under its new management, the distribution company – also active in music publishing, distribution of music videos and computer games, and owner of four cinemas – should keep its current structure and staff of 40, according to Konstantín Mikaelsson, manager of the film division.

Apart from acquiring local films, Sena is also the Icelandic distributor for product from 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Focus Features, The Weinstein Company and UK/US group Icon Productions.

Last year, the company’s theatrical market share was 30%, thanks mostly to local hits White Night Wedding [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Baltasar Kormákur and Óskar Jónasson’s Reykjavik Rotterdam [+see also:
trailer
film profile], both produced by Kormákur’s Blueeyes Productions. The films were respectively number three and seven in Iceland’s top ten chart of 2008.

Upcoming Icelandic releases on Sena’s line up include the documentaries Dreamland by Thorfinnur Gudnason (which opened yesterday) and Saemundur Pálsson’s Me & Bobby Fischer (April 17).

Julius Kemp’s slasher movie Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre, co-produced with the UK’s F&ME, will be released later in the year, as will the thriller Undercurrent by Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson (Thicker than Water [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Fridrik Thor Fridriksson’s autobiographical Mamma Gogo, Hátid i Bae by Hilmar Odsson (Cold Light) and Bjarnfredarson by Ragnar Bragason (Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).