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PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE 2018

Birgitta Björnsdóttir • Producer

"We really depend on our film fund"

by 

- Iceland's Birgitta Björnsdóttir, a producer for Vintage Pictures, talks to us about being selected as a 2018 Producer on the Move

Birgitta Björnsdóttir • Producer

After graduating with a MA in Filmmaking from the London Film School in 2009, Iceland's Birgitta Björnsdóttir started working for the Icelandic production company Zik Zak Filmworks. In 2011, she co-founded Vintage Pictures and has since produced such films as Ása Helga Hjörleifsdottir's award-winning film The Swan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir
interview: Thorvaldur Kristjánsson
film profile
]
and Benedikt Erlingsson's second feature Woman at War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
interview: Benedikt Erlingsson
film profile
]
, which is now premiering in Cannes' Critics' Week. Björnsdóttir talks to us about being selected as a 2018 Producer on the Move at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.

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Cineuropa: Which is the film you are most proud of and why?
Birgitta Björnsdóttir: The Swan is the film I am most proud of. The film was in development since 2011 and getting it made and having it received so well was wonderful. It was made by a first-time director so it was challenging to finance it, but we always believed in it and we were very happy with the results.

What are the challenges and merits of producing in Iceland?
We are a small country, so we really depend on our film fund. But so does everyone, and the competition for funding is harsh, and that is a challenge. But the merits are also that, being a small country, it's easy to manoeuvre and get in touch with the right people, sometimes making production easier than perhaps in a larger country.

What are your expectations in Cannes as one of the "Producers on the Move"?
My expectations are to meet likeminded people and hopefully build lasting partnerships.

What are your next projects?
We have just received funding from the Icelandic Film Centre for a film called Agnes Cho, and we are shooting that this fall. I'm also in development on several projects, including The Swan director's next film, A Reply to Helga's Letter. We hope to shoot that in 2019/20.

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