24/04/2007 - Laufey Guðjónsdóttir • Winds of change in Icelandic film

The Icelandic film industry was boosted at the end of last year when the government agreed to double its annual financial support from approximately €4m to €8m by 2010. Laufey Guðjónsdóttir, director of the Icelandic Film Centre, details the new governmental measures favouring cinema.

Cineuropa: Can you update us on the latest major changes in the Icelandic film industry?
Laufey Guðjónsdóttir: Last November, a new Film Agreement was signed with the Ministry of Culture for the next five years, providing us with increased funding for feature films and TV dramas. The annual budget for feature film will be raised gradually from €2m to €4.5m and for TV dramas from €150,000 to €1m. The other positive measure from the government was the increase of the reimbursement of all film and TV production expenses incurred in Iceland from 12% to 14%. This tax incentive has attracted major Hollywood productions, such as Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, so this is excellent for the local production and post-production sector.

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More recently, a new law was passed through Parliament in March on Icelandic National Radio and Television company RUV. Based on the new law, the Ministry of Culture came to an agreement with the company so that, among other things, it would increase Icelandic programmes on primetime television and produce and buy more local productions, including feature films from independent producers.

How will you use the increased funding for feature film production?
We will provide better support for each project and, for the first time, we will earmark €300,000 towards a new co-production fund. This will give more flexibility for Icelandic producers. Co-productions with Europe are increasing and there is a lot of competition for the same money. We want to support producers so that they have better control of co-productions, because too many co-producers on one single project can also be negative for the artistic quality of a project.

What new Icelandic talents should we be watching out for?
There is the first feature film by Gunnar B. Gudmundsson, Dorks & Damsels, produced by the Icelandic Film Company, which produced Robert Douglas’ Eleven Men Out. The film is still in post-production and is a co-production with Finland (Solar Films) and the UK (F&ME). Also interesting is the 30-minute animated film Anna & the Moods by Gunnar Karlsson with Björk voicing the main character.

As for other directors, let’s not forget Baltasar Kormakur’s new film Jar City [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was seen by one-third of the nation in 2006, and Ragnar Bragason’s twin features Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Parents.