27/03/2025 - Rúnar Rúnarsson has been named Best Director and won the Award for Short Film of the Year with O, whilst Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s Loveable scooped the gong for Foreign Film of the Year

The annual Edda Awards, Iceland’s most prestigious accolades for film and television, were handed out last night in Reykjavík during a ceremony held at the Hilton Nordica. This year’s edition saw a strong showing for both When the Light Breaks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elín Hall
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] and Touch [+see also:
film review
film profile], two of the most talked-about productions of recent months.

When the Light Breaks, directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson, took home the coveted Film of the Year Award and secured a total of five trophies, including Best Director and two acting accolades. Elín Hall was named Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film, while her co-star Katla Njálsdóttir clinched Best Supporting Actress.

Despite not winning the top prize, Baltasar Kormákur’s Touch emerged as the evening’s most highly decorated title, collecting an impressive ten awards. These included Best Actor in a Leading Role for Egill Ólafsson, Best Supporting Actor for Pálmi Kormákur, and a sweep across several key technical categories such as Costume Design, Production Design, Sound Design and Original Score. The film also won Best Screenplay, credited to Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson and Kormákur.

The awards highlighted a strong year for Icelandic cinema, with a balance struck between established talents and emerging voices. Notably, Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter was named Breakthrough of the Year, while veteran performers Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir and the aforementioned Egill Ólafsson received honorary recognitions for their longstanding contributions to the Icelandic performing arts.

In the documentary categories, Daniel Bjarnason’s When the Mountain Roars won Best Documentary, while Kirsuberjatómatar was named Best Short Documentary. The Best Short Film Award went to another work helmed by Rúnarsson, O, and Bark! was crowned Best Children’s and Youth Production. Meanwhile, Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s Karlovy Vary Special Jury Prize-winning drama Loveable [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
film profile] was singled out as Best Foreign Film.

Here is the list of this year’s award winners:

Film of the Year
When the Light Breaks [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elín Hall
interview: Rúnar Rúnarsson
film profile] - Rúnar Rúnarsson (Iceland/Netherlands/Croatia/France)

Documentary of the Year
When the Mountain Roars - Daniel Bjarnason

Best Director
Rúnar Rúnarsson – When the Light Breaks

Children’s and Youth Production of the Year
Bark! - Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière, Sigríður Láretta Jónsdóttir

Foreign Film of the Year
Loveable [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
film profile] - Lilja Ingolfsdottir (Norway)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Elín Hall – When the Light Breaks

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Katla Njálsdóttir – When the Light Breaks

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Egill Ólafsson – Touch [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Iceland/UK/Japan)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Pálmi Kormákur – Touch

Best Costume Design
Margrét Einarsdóttir – Touch

Best Make-up
Ásta Hafþórsdóttir – Touch

Best Production Design
Sunneva Ása – Touch

Best Visual Effects
Jörundur Rafn Arnarsson, Cristian Sjöstedt – When the Light Breaks

Best Sound Design
Kjartan Kjartansson – Touch

Best Original Score
Högni Egilsson – Touch

Best Editing
Sigurður Eyþórsson – Touch

Best Cinematography
Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson – Touch

Best Screenplay
Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, Baltasar Kormákur – Touch

Short Film of the Year
O - Rúnar Rúnarsson (Iceland/Sweden)

Short Documentary of the Year
Kirsuberjatómatar – Rakel Andrésdóttir

Breakthrough of the Year
Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter

Honorary Recognitions for Longstanding Contributions to the Icelandic Performing Arts
Tinna Gunnlaugsdóttir, Egill Ólafsson