26/02/2019 - Benedikt Erlingsson’s feature has collected ten Eddas, while Baldvin Z’s Let Me Fall scooped four awards

This year’s Edda Awards recipients have been announced by the Icelandic Film and Television Academy. The Eddas, established in 1999, honour the biggest national film and TV successes of the season, and are the most prominent awards in the local audiovisual industry.

The 2019 edition saw the triumph of Benedikt Erlingsson’s eco-drama Woman at War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
film profile], which was also Iceland’s bid for Best Foreign-language Film at the Oscars and the recipient of the prestigious LUX Prize last November. The film will soon be adapted in the USA by Jodie Foster, and won ten Eddas in the categories of Film of the Year, Best Script, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Actress in a Starring Role, Best Set Design, Best Score, Best Special Effects and Best Director. Erlingsson’s work, an Icelandic-French-Ukrainian co-production, delivers a powerful message of civil resistance, urging us to protect the environment from industrial greed, and stars actress Halldóra Geirhardsdóttir (It Hatched, Reverse [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) in the lead role. 

The second-biggest success of the year proved to be Baldvin Z’s Let Me Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Baldvin Z
interview: Kristin Thora Haraldsdóttir
film profile], which was nominated in 12 categories but cashed in on four accolades – namely, Best Costume Design, Best Prosthetics, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. An Icelandic-Finnish-German co-production, Let Me Fall tells the story of 15-year-old Magnea (Elín Sif Halldórsdóttir) and her encounter with Stella (Eyrún Björk Jakobsdóttir), whose turbulent lifestyle drags them both into a world of drugs and shakes up their lives entirely. 

Here is the list of 2019 Edda Award winners:

Film of the Year
Woman at War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
film profile] – Benedikt Erlingsson (Iceland/France/Ukraine)

Best Director
Benedikt Erlingsson - Woman at War

Best Original Screenplay
Benedikt Erlingsson and Ólafur Egill Egilsson - Woman at War

Best Leading Actor
Gísli Örn Gardarsson – Vultures (Iceland/Denmark/Sweden)

Best Leading Actress
Halldóra Geirhardsdóttir - Woman at War

Best Supporting Actress
Kristín Thóra Haraldsdóttir - Let Me Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Baldvin Z
interview: Kristin Thora Haraldsdóttir
film profile] (Iceland/Finland/Germany)

Best Supporting Actor
Thorsteinn Bachmann - Let Me Fall

Best Documentary
UseLess - Rakel Gardarsdóttir and Ágústa M Ólafsdóttir 

Best TV Fiction
Mannasiðir - Arnbjörg Haflidadóttir

Best Short Film
Dovetail - Lárus Jónsson

Best Visual Effects
Cem Olcer, Stephane Vogel and Annabelle Zoellin - Woman at War

Best Costumes
Eva Vala Gudjónsdóttir - Let Me Fall

Best Prosthetics
Kristín Júlla Kristjánsdóttir - Let Me Fall

Best Sound
Aymeric Devoldere, Francois De Morant, Raphael Sohier and Vincent Cosson - Woman at War

Best Editing
Davíd Alexander Corno - Woman at War

Best Cinematography
Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson - Woman at War

Best Production Design
Snorri Freyr Hilmarsson - Woman at War

TV Personality of the Year
Sigrídur Halldórsdóttir - Kveikur 

Best Original Score
Davíd Thór Jónsson - Woman at War

Best Cultural TV Programme
Fullveldisöldin

Best Human Interest Programme
Líf kviknar 

Best Entertainment Programme
Áramótaskaup 2018 - Andri Ómarsson and Arnbjörg Haflidadóttir

Best TV Production (unscripted broadcasting)
Björgvin Hardarson - Páll Óskar í Höllinni

Best TV Production (public voting)
Kveikur - RÚV

ÍKSA Honorary Award
Egill Edvardsson