01/10/2020 - The two-day event is intended to create new spaces for the exchange of ideas and to serve as a gateway for the circulation and promotion of the Icelandic film industry

Wolka, one of the works in progress due to be presented at the Reykjavik International Film Festival Industry Days (© Sagafilm)

The Reykjavik International Film Festival Industry Days kick off today. This year, the initiative will run as a hybrid edition involving both online and on-site activities, and small, in-person events with restrictions on capacity will be available for local participants. Almost all of the proceedings will be live-streamed on the festival’s media channels to facilitate a safe environment for the guests.

The Industry Days will be opened by the Works-in-Progress section. Here, Icelandic hopefuls will showcase their new projects to sales agents and other professionals. In total, seven new productions will be presented: two features (Quake and Wolka), two documentaries (Band: This Is Not a Band and Raise the Bar), and three TV series (Sisterhood, The Journey and Trapped 3), staged by the country’s biggest outfits – namely, Ursus Parvus, Sagafilm, Compass Films and Glassriver.

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Moreover, the VoD & TV Series panel takes place today and will address how the Icelandic film sector is adapting to the new worldwide formats ofcinematic releases. The panellists include Pálmi Guðmundsson, head of Media at Síminn VOD; Þóra Björg Clausen, head of Content and Operations at Stöð 2 - VOD; Anna Vigdís Gísladóttir, producer at Sagafilm; and Hörður Rúnarsson, CEO of Glassriver. The discussion will be moderated by Ásgrímur Sverrisson, director and editor-in-chief of the film-industry website Klapptré.

The Film in Iceland panel will take place tomorrow and will demonstrate how the local film industry is ready to continue working despite the challenges thrown up by the pandemic. Furthermore, it will present the numerous attractions and incentives that the country has to offer, aside from its striking landscapes. The panel will see the participation of Leifur B Dagfinnsson, CEO of Truenorth; Einar Hansen Tómasson, the Icelandic film commissioner; and Laufey Guðjónsdóttir, director of the Icelandic Film Centre. The moderator will be Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson.

Finally, RIFF Talks is set to bring the two-day event to a close. There will be several concise and interesting presentations by established creative professionals willing to share their knowledge on how to break into the industry. The inspiring event will host contributions from Sunneva Ása Weisshappel, Ugla Hauksdóttir, Vigfús Þormar Gunnarsson and Rob Tasker.

Speaking about the initiative, Reykjavik International Film Festival director Hrönn Marinnósdóttir said: “It is an honour to show the international markets how Icelandic productions are improving year after year. In addition, we also want to point out that Iceland is a great place for international key players, with competent companies and great professionals.”

Meanwhile, Industry Days manager Carolina Salas added: “The potential of the film industry in Iceland is huge, a priceless treasure. We will continue to create innovative environments so that it evolves in the right direction. RIFF Industry Days urges film professionals to discover the talent that is here in Iceland.”