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- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Heiða Rún Sigurðardóttir known by her stage name Heida Reed, is an Icelandic actress and model. She is known for playing parts in One Day, Jo (2013), Silent Witness (2014) and the BBC drama Poldark. Reed was born in Iceland, the middle of three children of a music teacher father and a dental hygienist mother. She grew up in Breiðholt, Reykjavík, and attended Ölduselsskóli. Aged 18, she was recruited by an Icelandic modeling agency, and moved to Mumbai to work as a model in India for two years. When she was 19/20, she settled in London, where she studied drama at Drama Centre London, graduating in 2010.- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Anita Briem is an Icelandic actress. She is known for her role as Jane Seymour on The Tudors and her role as Hannah Ásgeirsson in Journey to the Center of the Earth. Briem was born in Reykjavík and is the daughter of drummer Gunnlaugur Briem of Mezzoforte and back-up vocalist Erna Þórarinsdóttir. She started acting when she was nine at the National Theatre of Iceland. She moved to England at the age of sixteen in 2014 she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, having received the John Barton award in Stage Fighting. As a child she studied hand-to-hand combat and is trained in a variety of weaponry including the broadsword. She is married to actor/director Constantine Paraskevopoulos.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Ingvar Sigurdsson was born on 22 November 1963 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and producer, known for Everest (2015), The Northman (2022) and A White, White Day (2019).- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actress
Born in 1965 in the Icelandic capital city of Reykjavik, the daughter of Gudmundur Gunnarsson (an electrician) and Hildur Hauksdóttir who divorced before her second birthday, Björk grew up in a hippie-type community with her mother and her seven siblings. She started to study classical music at the age of 5 and released her first album in 1977 (mainly traditional Icelandic folk songs and international hits translated to Icelandic) when she was only 11. During her teenage years Björk became involved in several bands, most of them punk: Spit & Snot (1977), Exodus (1979-80), Jam 80 (1980), Tappi Tíkarrass (1981-83) (featured the documentary Rock in Reykjavik (1982)) and Kukl (1984-86). She then formed the pop group The Sugarcubes with Einar Örn Benediktsson and Sigtryggur Baldursson and eventually other members Þór Eldon (with whom she had a son in 1986), Margrét Örnólfsdóttir and Bragi Ólafsson. The band released its first single in 1986 and its first album, "Life's Too Good", in 1988, and discovered international success, especially in UK. While touring in the US with the Sugarcubes, Björk met Boris Acosta, a music connoisseur and now a film producer and director, who told her she would be very successful in the years to come. She was shocked to hear that and gracefully thanked him for his sweet words. During her Sugarcubes years, Björk also collaborated with the Icelandic jazz group Gudmundar Ingólfssonar Trio for the album "Gling-Glo" in 1990, and featured 808 State's "Ooops", which was the start of her electronic music interest. The Sugarcubes eventually split after a few albums in 1992 and in 1993. Björk released her first solo album, "Debut", in collaboration with producer Nellee Hooper. The worldwide success of the album (nearly 3 million copies sold) made possible her second album, "Post", in 1995, also with help of not only Nellee Hooper but techno gurus Graham Massey (from 808 State), Howie B. and Tricky, followed by the remix album "Telegram" the year after. After some problems in the UK, where she lived, she decided to go to Spain to record her third album, "Homogenic", released in 1997. Her main collaborators were the 'Icelandic String Octet', Mark Bell (from LFO), Mark Stent and again Howie B, and the album may be her most electronic. After Danish director Lars von Trier discovered her in the music video of "It's Oh So Quiet", he asked her to play the main role and to compose the music for his new movie Dancer in the Dark (2000). She won the Best Actress Prize in the Cannes Festival, and said that it would be her only cinema performance (although she'd already acted in the Icelandic movie The Juniper Tree (1990)) because it was too painful for her and because she considered herself a music artist and not a cinema artist. The original soundtrack was re-worked by her before being released as an album under the title "Selmasongs" in September 2000 (including a new version of the duet song "I've Seen it All" with Thom Yorke). Her fourth album, probably the most quiet, "Vespertine", featured a chamber orchestra, an Icelandic choir and harpist Zeena Parkins, and was also a successful collaboration with Matmos. She then successively released a book of photos and texts, series of DVD, a Greatest Hits album and two special boxes ("Family Tree" and "Björk Box"). She also took time to marry artist Matthew Barney, with whom she had a daughter in 2002. In August 2004 she composed and sang "Oceania" for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens. This song was featured on her fifth album, "Medúlla", released about two weeks after the ceremony. It is mostly made with vocals and some titles are close to experimental music, featuring choirs, Inuit singer Tanya Tagaq, Japanese artist Dokaka, Robert Wyatt, Rahzel and Mike Patton, but also collaborating again with programmers Matmos, Mark Bell and Mark "Spike" Stent.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Baltasar Kormákur is an actor, producer and director whose work spans theater, movies and television. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, he graduated as an actor from Iceland's National Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. He was immediately signed on by the National Theatre of Iceland, where he worked as one of the leading young performing artists until 1997. During the last two years of his assignment, he also directed several ambitious works, after having produced and directed highly popular, independent stage productions alongside his projects with the National Theatre. In 2000, he wrote, directed, acted in and produced the feature film "101 Reykjavik," which became an international hit and earned the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Subsequently, Variety selected him as one of the "10 Directors to Watch," along with Alejandro González Iñárritu, Lukas Moodysson, Christopher Nolan and other newcomers at the time.
Soon after, Kormákur started Blueeyes Productions and since then has maintained his focus on feature film writing, producing, and directing. His films "The Sea," "A Little Trip To Heaven," "Jar City" and "White Night Wedding" have all been very successful in Iceland, and won numerous international awards. Kormákur's "The Deep," which eerily captures the tragic real-life story of the lone survivor of a capsized fishing boat off the frigid Icelandic coast, premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become Iceland's Oscar nominee and was shortlisted for the foreign language Academy Award. It opened in Iceland on September 21, 2012 and took in over 50% of the country's box office receipts that weekend and earned a record number of Edda Awards, 11 in all, including Best Film of the Year, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Kormákur has also directed features in the United States, including "Inhale," an independent film produced by the LA based 26 Films, starring Dermot Mulroney, Diane Kruger and Sam Shepard and "Contraband," starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, and Kate Beckinsale, which took first place at the US box office during its opening weekend, early January 2012. Universal Pictures released "Contraband," which was a remake of Oskar Johansson's "Reykjavik Rotterdam," that starred Kormákur and he produced with Agnes Johansen through his Blueeyes Productions, along with Working Title Films.
Kormákur's next film was the thriller "2 Guns," starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, which Universal Pictures will release in August 2013. Other projects include the HBO pilot "The Missionary," a spy thriller he will direct and Mark Wahlberg, Steve Levinson and Malcolm Gladwell will produce; "Everest," the cautionary tale and real life adventure on the mountain in 1996 when eight climbers died in the span of two days, due to a series of horrific mishaps and bad decisions. Working Title Films and Emmett/Furla Productions will produce "Everest" with Kormákur. Also, "Viking," a big budget action adventure set in the world of the famed Norse warriors, which will film in Iceland. Kormákur optioned Iceland's beloved, Nobel Prize-winning book Independent People to develop as a feature film and will produce the American remake of "Jar City" along with CEO of Lava Bear Films, David Linde. He is also producing the Icelandic drama "Rocketman," which acclaimed Icelandic filmmaker Dagur Kari is directing.- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
Darri Ingolfsson was born on 22 December 1979 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is an actor and director, known for Dexter (2006), Last Resort (2012) and Money Monster (2016).- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Rúnar Rúnarsson was born on 20 January 1977 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is a director and producer, known for Volcano (2011), Sparrows (2015) and Echo (2019).- Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Jóhann Jóhannsson was born on 19 September 1969 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He was a composer and writer, known for Last and First Men (2020), The Theory of Everything (2014) and Sicario (2015). He died on 9 February 2018 in Berlin, Germany.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Magnus Scheving is a writer, world-class athlete, entrepreneur and producer. He has been the producer and host of popular health-related children's TV shows as well as producing and acting in other TV productions and commercials. Scheving also produced and hosted his own talk show being a well-known comedian and public entertainer in his home country.
Among his many sports awards and trophies he was the two-times European Champion of aerobics in 1995 and 1994 as well as silver medalist in the World Championships of aerobics in 1994 and following that was voted "Athlete of the Year" in Iceland. Furthermore, he was five times the Nordic Champion and eight times the Icelandic Champion. He successfully built up one of the most popular health & fitness clubs in Iceland and was the manager and owner of the club for five years.
Most recently, in 2003, Scheving was voted the Marketing Man of the year 2003 by The Icelandic Marketing Association and Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 awarded by the Channel 2 Broadcaster and the Icelandic Financial Newspaper.
Scheving is in high demand as a lecturer and public speaker both as an entrepreneur, athlete and entertainer. He has traveled worldwide holding over 3800 lectures in workshops and master classes on health. After extensive public speaking around the world, Magnus realized that wherever he went, parents always asked him the same basic questions about exercise and nutrition for children. He created LazyTown in 1991 in response to those questions, to help parents raise healthy kids, and to inspire kids to lead healthier lives.
In the nine years since he introduced LazyTown by writing a bestselling book, Go, Go LazyTown!, Scheving has built LazyTown into a household name in his native Iceland, beloved by kids for its entertainment value and by parents for its healthy message. He has written a series of books for children based on his idea of LazyTown, all becoming bestsellers and selling out; these books have turned into theater musical plays written by Scheving himself.
The Company has been delivering pro-health and positive social messages in an entertaining and nonviolent way and produces only material which can stand up to scrutiny from an artistic point of view as well as an ethical one.
Magnus Scheving is the creator and spirit of LazyTown.- He was born in Reykjavik, Iceland and moved to the United States at the age of 5. Gunnar lived in Maine till he was 11, his family then moving to Texas, where he went to high school before attending the University of Texas. At the university, he did some theater work and majored in English and mathematics before going on to graduate in English and Scandinavian Studies. Despite graduating in the aforementioned fields, his first job out of high school was as a computer operator.
In the summer of 1973, he heard that Tobe Hooper and others were in town to work on a movie and decided to try out for a part. After interviewing with Tobe Hooper and the writer of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Kim Henkel, he was cast in the role of the disturbed, mentally handicapped killer, Leatherface.
After Chainsaw, Hansen went on to work as a freelance writer for magazines for several years before going on to write books, one later being set in Iceland about purported serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. He has gone on to write multiple screenplays - one co-written with his partner Gary Jones, director of Mosquito (1994)).
Gunnar also directed a documentary on Greenland and had a stint designing web pages for GTE. - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir was born on 25 February 1974 in Reykjavik, Iceland. She is an actress and writer, known for Prisoners (2017), Children (2006) and Verbúðin (2021). She is married to Gísli Örn Garðarsson. They have two children.- Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir (born 2 July 1969 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic actress, TV show host, producer and writer.
Steinunn Ólína grew up in Reykjavík with her mother, the actress Bríet Héðinsdóttir, and her father Þorsteinn Þorsteinsson, a writer and translator of dramatic literature, and first found fame with a starring stage role at the age of fifteen. At seventeen she moved to London, England to study drama at the Drama Centre London, from which she graduated in 1990 along with contemporaries like Helen McCrory and Tara FitzGerald. She subsequently moved back to Iceland to re-launch a career on the stage and television as a mature artist, making her debut at the National Theatre of Iceland in the role of Solveig in Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt.
Television and film work
Steinunn Ólina starred as detective Gabriela in Netflix original show, Case in 2015 and garnered international acclaim for her performance. She received the prestigious FIPA D'OR awards for best actress for her role as well as the Icelandic Edda Film and Television awards as actress of the year. Steinunn played the role of Aldis in series Trapped, season one. Steinunn portrayed Didda in series Fangar AKA Prisoners 2017 which won her best supporting actress Edda awards in 2018. Steinunn played lawyer Edda in season 1 of series, Stella Blomquist in 2017.
Steinunn Ólína produced, wrote, directed and hosted her own live talk show, Over My Dead Body with Steinunn Ólína, on the Icelandic State Broadcasting Television Channel 1. She has also contributed to other television shows as a comedian and writer, such as the RUV-TV's "New Year's Eve Comedy Hour Variety Show" the most preeminent annual event on National Television in Iceland, to which she has rendered her services on several occasions. Steinunn has also appeared in a numerous television plays, sitcoms and feature films, including Vargur in 2018 and Beowulf and Grendel, starring Gerard Butler, in 2005.
National Theatre and elsewhere
Steinunn Ólína was hired after graduation from Drama School as a contracted star player at the National Theatre of Iceland where she spent the next fourteen years, appearing in over 50 productions and portraying a range of leading characters in contemporary and classical plays alike. Her many significant roles at the National include Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady by Lerner and Loewe and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, also contributing to several stage productions of comedy and farce, such Ray Cooney's Two for One and in Michael Frayn's Noises Off as the misfortunate actress Dotty Otley. She has also interpreted many classical characters such as Irena, in Chekhov's Three Sisters, Aglaja in a dramatization of The Idiot by Dostoyevsky and Queen Margaret in Shakespeare's Richard III for which she garnered the prestigious "Grima awards" (The Mask) in 2004.[1] Steinunn Ólína has also been featured in numerous high-profile stage productions with several different acting companies, tackling leading roles in plays by masters of the absurd such as in Eugène Ionesco's The Lesson, her portrayal of Roxy Hart in Chicago by Kander and Ebb as a guest star with the Reykjavík Theatre Ensemble.
Personal life
Steinunn broke into the stratum of novelists with the publishing of her semi-autobiographical novella Parental Guidance which made number one bestseller in Iceland in 2006. Steinunn owns and is editor in chief of WWW.kvennabladid.is (The Women's magazine) an online newspaper in Iceland, originally founded by her great grandmother in 1895. Steinunn married actor Stefan Karl Stefansson of Lazy Town fame in 2002 and has four children. Stefan Karl passed away August 21. 2018 after battling bile duct cancer for two years. Steinunn as of 2018 resides along with their children in Reykjavik, Iceland. - Maria Ellingsen was born on 22 January 1964 in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is an actress, known for D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994), Agnes (1995) and Foxtrot (1988).
- Sólveig Eva grew up in Reykjavik, Iceland, from where she moved to London to study acting at LAMDA and Rose Bruford College.
Accepting the advice of her acting teachers she felt the need to assimilate once she began working in the UK and US and acquired the name Eva Solveig with SAG and Actor's Equity. In 2020 she dropped her stage name and embraced her birth name.
She trained physical theatre with Gardzienice in Poland, Physical Lab and Song of the Goat Theatre in London and at the International School of Theatrical Biomechanics in Italy.
She studied acting at Knickerbocker Studio, Stella Adler and with T.Schreiber in New York, did an acting Erasmus exchange with the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn, and studied improv and sketch writing with the Upright Citizen's Brigade in New York.
In 2012 she launched the theatre company Spindrift with her classmates Bergdís Júlía Jóhannsdóttir, Henriette Kristensen and Anna Korolainen Crevier. The company focuses on curiosity about human behaviour, devising and experimental storytelling, and playing with identity and autonomy through voice and movement. Tinna Þorvalds Önnudóttir formally joined the company in 2019, and Marjo Lahti and Outi Ikonen formally joined in 2021.
Sólveig is also an author-illustrator. Her work focuses on intimate relationships and the multiplicity of identity and belonging. She's a Washington Post contributor, an award winning graphic novelist and is represented by The Seymour Agency in New York. - Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Composer
Sjón is an internationally acclaimed Icelandic author, working in various literary forms and in all genres of film. His most recent work for the screen is the screenplay for the Cannes winning film Lamb, starring Noomi Rapace, that went on to become a top ten grossing film in the US and Iceland's entry for the Best International Film Oscar. Next up is the Viking revenge drama The Northman, co-written with its legendary director Robert Eggers, premiering in the spring of 2022. Currently he is working on a screen adaptation of Hamlet with Ali Abbasi, director of Border.
Sjón's novels and poems have been translated into more than 40 languages. Among his books are The Blue Fox, From the Mouth of the Whale, Moonstone and CoDex 1962, for which he has won international awards and nominations, including the Nordic Council's Literature Prize, The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, and the Icelandic Literary Prize. In 2017 Sjón became the third writer to be chosen to contribute to Future Library - following Margaret Atwood and David Mitchell - a public artwork based in Norway spanning 100 years. At the 2001 Oscars ceremony, Sjón was nominated for an Academy Award for his lyrics in Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark. Sjón lives and works in Reykjavík.- Actor
- Music Department
- Stunts
Sigurdur Ingvarsson graduated with a B.A. in acting from the Iceland University of the Arts in 2022. He played the part of Johan Sveinsson in the fourth season of the TV series Killing Eve. His previous roles include Jonas, in Elfar Adalsteins' Summerlight... and Then Comes the Night, Gunni in Maria Reyndal's Manners, which was awarded the best TV show at the 2019 Edda awards, and Jonas in Baltasar Kormakur's Touch.
Siggi has worked on stage as an actor, dancer and co-writer. In 2023 he took part in developing Ian Rowland's play, Aurora Borealis, in Wales.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Joi Johannsson is an awarded Nordic actor born and raised in Iceland. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Hartford, Connecticut in 1994 with a B.A degree in Theatre and Cinematic Arts.
Joi made his acting debut in 1986 in an international TV mini series called Nonni and Manni. Since then he has appeared in over 40 international films and TV productions. The most recent being Fortitude 2 (UK) where he joins an international cast lead by Dennis Quaid. Other major roles/productions include Clint Eastwoods Flag of Our Fathers (USA) and a lead in Baltasar Kormakurs (Everest, Two Guns) The Deep (Iceland) (Ten Edda Awards and garnered recognition by the Nordic Council, European Film Awards, the Göteborg Film Festival, Les Arcs European Film Festival, and the Mar del Plata Film Festival.) Joi also can be seen in a leading role in the TV mini series The Lava Field (Iceland), a big role in the Danish film The Shamer's Daughter and lead opposite Franka Potente in the German films: Solveig Karlsdottir - The Death in Westfjords and Death of the Elf Woman.
Joi is a multi talented performer and is equally versed in comedy and drama. He is extremely good at languages and has a perfect American and British accent. He speaks German and the Scandinavian languages. He does not speak Finnish. Joi has almost 50 theatre productions under his belt in the USA and Iceland. His credits include Leontes in A Winters Tale, Woof in Hair, Ginger in Jerusalem, Stanley in One Man, Two Guvnors, Man 1 in 39 Steps and Alex in Certified Male. He can now be seen in Icelandic Sagas - The Greatest Hits.
Joi has hosted, produced and written over 200 TV episodes and 150 radio shows.
Latest project was a role in the TV series The Mayor (Iceland) that just finished shooting. Former mayor of Reykjavik, comedian Jon Gnarr writes and stars in the series.
Joi's next premieres are "The Oath" by Baltasar Kormakur September 9th and "The Death in Westfjords" and "The Death of the Elf Woman" on the German TV station ARD in October.
Joi will be presenting his film "The Death in Westfjords" at the Oldenburg Filmfestival in Germany in September.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Producer
Eagle Egilsson was born on 31 August 1966 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a cinematographer and director, known for Hightown (2020), The Wire (2002) and TURN: Washington's Spies (2014).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson was born in 1978 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a writer and director, known for Under the Tree (2017), Either Way (2011) and Skröltormar (2007).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Fridrik Thor Fridriksson started his film making carrier with a series of experimental films and documentaries in the early 1980s. In 1987, he founded The Icelandic Film Corporation, which has become Iceland's most important production company, producing Fridrikssons films as well as working with other Icelandic directors and producers. Through Fridriksson's international reputation the company has built a network of internationally well-established co-production partner companies, including Lars von Triers Zentropa and most recently, Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope. As a director, Fridriksson gained international recognition and critical acclaim with his second feature _Children of Nature (1991)_ which was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film.
Growing up in Iceland in the sixties, Fridriksson was influenced by American films but his exposure to Kurosawa's works was of crucial importance in his decision to become a filmmaker. Co-writing with two of Iceland's most acclaimed novelists and script-writers 'Einar Már Gudmundsson' (Children Of Nature, Angels Of The Universe, Moviedays) and Einar Kárason (White Whales, Devils Island, Falcons) Fridriksson has been acclaimed for the strong visual style of his films and his gift for stunning images. His films combine a wry sense of humour and genuine solidarity with the characters. Fridriksson's films are both deeply personal and have a strong rooting in Icelandic culture often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. Uniquely Fridriksson's films have both touched a chord with local audiences in Iceland who have flocked to see Fridriksson's vision of themselves (more than 50% of the Icelandic population saw his film, 'Angels Of The Universe', released in 2000) as well as moved audiences from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.
Fridriksson's own identity as a filmmaker is that of a storyteller within a tradition that goes back to the writers of the Icelandic Sagas, more than a thousand years ago.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Hilmir Snær Guðnason was born on 24 January 1969 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and writer, known for White Night Wedding (2008), Lamb (2021) and 101 Reykjavík (2000).- Actress
- Additional Crew
Ylfa Edelstein was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her grandparents fled Nazi Germany in 1938, settling in Iceland after her grandfather was offered a position as a cellist with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. From an early age, Ylfa showed a proclivity for performance, in ballet, theatre and music. Her first role came at the age of 6 for Icelandic Television. She came to the United States, as a teenager, to study Theatre and never looked back. She resides in New York City.- Actor
- Music Department
- Editorial Department
Stony Blyden was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is an actor, known for How I Met Your Father (2022), Dude (2018) and Bluff City Law (2019).- Make-Up Department
- Actress
- Producer
Heba Thorisdottir, the Iceland-born, Los Angeles-based make-up artist has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood over the course of her career. From the red carpet, to the big screen, to high-fashion editorials, to commercial advertising, Heba's approach is visionary and versatile, and her execution skills make her an asset to any creative collaboration. Heba began her career in music videos, working with REM, Bruce Springsteen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sting. She quickly nabbed a position as additional make-up artist on the T.V. series Twin Peaks, where she was director David Lynch' inspiration for the character of "Heba Thorsdottir" in the first season of the show. Heba has been a frequent collaborator of Quentin Tarantino and designed the make-up for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds and Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 as well as being a personal make-up artist to actresses Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Lucy Liu and Kristen Wiig. Heba's presence is also widely sought in the editorial and advertising realm. She has done make-up for the covers of L'Uomo Vogue, Mademoiselle, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Vibe and Shape, as well as major marketing campaigns for Levi's, Redken, J.Crew, Emporio Armani, Nike, The GAP and Ray-Ban. Heba has been married to E. Shepherd Stevenson since 2007 and she has two grown sons from a previous marriage: Adam Bjorn Fienberg and Thorir Fienberg.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
After a career spanning over three decades, Sturla Gunnarsson has come to be recognized by the Canadian film industry as one of its most accomplished film makers. Gunnarsson was born in Iceland, and raised in Vancouver, Canada. After studying at the University of British Columbia, he moved to Toronto where he began working for the National Film Board. His first movie, After The Axe in 1982, got him an Oscar nomination for best documentary short. In 1998, Such a Long Journey (1998) based on Rohinton Mistry's novel was his first fiction film to get international recognition. It received twelve genie nominations, including best picture. Gunnarsson has since made two other unique feature films; Rare Birds (2001), a quirky Newfoundland comedy, and Beowulf & Grendel (2005) the ancient Norse epic. Recent documentaries including Gerrie and Louise (1997), and Air India 182 (2008). Gunnarsson was elected president of the Directors Guild of Canada in 2008. He lives in Toronto, but continues to work everywhere else in the world.- Actor
- Writer
Vilhelm Þór Neto was born on 25 June 1993 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is an actor and writer, known for True Detective (2014), The New Year's Lampoon (1966) and The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022).- She grew up on farm, an hour Reykjavik in southern Iceland. Her grandfather was the stage manager for the national theater of Iceland and she spent a lot of time there as a child. Lilja graduated with a B.f.A degree in acting from the Icelandic academy of the arts in spring 2009. She works both in cinema and theatre.
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson graduated from the Icelandic Arts Academy in Fine art. After graduation, he studied screenwriting in Denmark. His short films and feature debut have been selected for more than 200 festivals and won over 70 international awards, including accolades from the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, European Film Awards, and a nomination for the Nordic Council Film Prize. He developed and wrote his feature film Heartstone during a Cannes Cinéfondation Residency.- Rurik Gislason is a professional footballer who plays on the wing. He has played for clubs in Iceland, Denmark and Germany. He attracted global attention for more than just his football skills - his good looks have earned him a modeling contract. During the World Cup his profile was raised even further and he has over one million followers on Instagram, equating to more than three times the population of Iceland. Outside of football, he has run for political office, unsuccessfully, as a candidate for the center-right Independence Party.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Hilmar Oddsson was born in 1957 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a writer and director, known for Cold Light (2004), Driving Mum (2022) and No Trace (1998).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Björn Thors was born on 12 January 1978 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and producer, known for Reykjavik Guesthouse: Rent a Bike (2002), A Letter from Helga (2022) and Frost (2012).- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Ragnar Bragason is one of Iceland's most popular and critically acclaimed writer-directors. He is best known for his film Metalhead and the popular TV series The Night Shift. Ragnar, born 15th of September 1971, grew up in the village of Sudavik and started making short films in high school. After directing a large number of music videos for both local and international artists, he made his first feature film in 2000. In his work Ragnar uses methods similar to those of Mike Leigh and John Cassavetes of working with his cast to create characters through improvisation. His extensive body of work has been nominated numerous times for The Icelandic Film & TV Awards, receiving 51 awards. Four times Ragnar been awarded for Best Screenplay and three times for Best Director. Fiasco was awarded Special Jury Prize at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2000. Children won the Golden Swan for Best film at Copenhagen International Film Festival in 2007 and the award for Best Direction at the Transilvania International Film Festival in 2007. Ragnar served as the president of The Association of Icelandic Film Directors between 2010 and 2014.- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Júlíus Kemp studied film making at the West Surrey College of Art & Design in the UK. The short film Happy Birthday (16mm/bw) was made in WSCAD/London in 1991. Julius left college to work as editor on _Children of Nature (1991)_ by 'Fridrik Thor Fridriksson', nominated for Oscar as best foreign film. He was a co-founder of the Icelandic Film Company in 1991 and co-wrote and directed his first feature film, _Veggfóður erótísk ástarsaga (1992)_, a box office hit the same year, produced by Fridriksson and Kemp. He was director of The Reykjavík Intl. Short Film Festival from 1993 to 2000. Film critic from 1993-1994. A member of the selection committee for the Reykjavík Film Festival. Board member of Association of Icelandic Film Producers, SÍK, from 1993 to 2000. Kemp is a member of the European Film Academy since 2001. For the short film Bardinn, Kemp was awarded the second prize at The Nordic Short Film Festival in 1982 and first prize the same year at The Reykjavík Short Film Festival. For Ak-Rek-Ak he was awarded the second prize at Akureyri Short Film Festival in 1987. He is an award-winning director of music videos. In November 1997 his film Blossi/810551 (1997) was selected as the Icelandic entry for the 1998 Academy Awards. In 1998 he made the short film The Happy End, which was selected in competition at Toronto Int. Short Film Festival. In 2000 he produced and shot the box office hit _Icelandic Dream, The (2000)_, nominated for 4 Edda Awards (Icelandic Oscars) including Best Picture, and selected in competiton for Best Nordic Film at Gothenburg Film Festival 2001, and in official selection at: Edinburg 2001, Toronto 2001, Pusan 2001, etc. In 2002 Kemp released a new movie with Icelandic Dream director, Robert I. Douglas, _Man like me, A (2002)_, starring Icelandic comedian 'Jon Gnarr' and Hong Kong actress/popsinger Stephanie Che. A man like me was premiered in Reykjavik 16th of August 2002 and instantly became a box office success. 'A man like me' will be released internationally in 2003.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Benedikt Erlingsson was born on 31 May 1969 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an actor and writer, known for Woman at War (2018), Of Horses and Men (2013) and The Show of Shows (2015).- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Hrafn Gunnlaugsson was born on 17 June 1948 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a director and writer, known for The Sacred Mound (1993), When the Raven Flies (1984) and Witchcraft (1999).- Director
- Editor
- Producer
Marteinn Thorsson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland and is a dual citizen of Iceland and Canada. He graduated from Ryerson University, in Toronto, Canada, with a B.F.A. degree in Film Studies in 1993 and a 65-minute film noir, Diary of an Assassin.
In 2004 Marteinn co-wrote and co-directed with Jeff Renfroe the feature One Point O (a.k.a. 1.O, a.k.a. Paranoia: 1.O) starring Jeremy Sisto, Deborah Kara Unger, Udo Kier and Lance Henriksen.
One Point O was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, and has subsequently sold to more than 43 countries worldwide and won awards in places around the globe.
Variety Magazine put Marteinn on its 10 Directors To Watch List in 2004.
His second feature Rokland (Stormland) was produced by Snorri Thorisson at Pegasus Pictures (Reykjavik) and based on the novel by Hallgrimur Helgason. It has traveled to festivals around the world and its leads won best actor (Olafur Darri Olafsson) and best supporting actress (Elma Lísa Gunnarsdóttir) at the Icelandic Edda Awards 2011.
His third feature is the very controversial XL, which reunited him with Olafur Darri Olafsson and Elma Lísa Gunnarsdóttir, amongst others. XL won Best Actor at The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was nominated for 11 Edda Awards.
His next films are the supernatural thriller, Recurrence (Una), produced by Gudrun Edda Thorhannesdottir (Duo Productions) and coming-of-age drama, Wild Summer, produced by Thorsson and Gudmundur Oskarsson with Christian Riffard (France) and Paola Sponda (Italy).
Marteinn has also created (wrote, directed and edited) award winning Promos for Astral Media (The Movie Network), in Toronto, Canada. He has also directed and edited Television programs for Icelandic Television, as well as Music Videos and Commercials. Marteinn has also taught Screenwriting, Directing and Producing at The Icelandic Film School and he was the Creative Director of Reykjavik International Film Festival's (RIFF) Transatlantic Talent Lab in 2011 and 2012 where he created, organized and moderated the prestigious lab for a team of International students who participated in Workshops and Master Classes held by industry professionals such as: Tribeca's Geoffrey Gilmore, BAFTA winning editor Valdis Oskarsdottir, directors David Cronenberg, Béla Tarr, James Marsh, Peter Wintonik and Dario Argento, Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen and others.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Sigurjon (Joni) Sighvatsson, a veteran producer with over 60 feature films and television series to his credit, is the CEO and principal producer of Palomar Pictures, an independent Film and TV production company, as well as the Chairman of the Scandinavian film distributor Scanbox Entertainment.
Sighvatsson has worked with some of the most successful filmmakers in the industry, including David Lynch, Kathryn Bigelow, Jim Sheridan, Julian Schnabel, and multiple Academy Award nominees and winners. Among his films are Brothers, Z for Zachariah, Killer Elite, as well as classics such as Wild at Heart, Arlington Road, and Basquiat, and he recently produced the biopic on Hilma af Klint, the Swedish artist discovered 20 years after her death who is now understood to be the earliest abstract artist.
Sighvatsson has also long been a significant force in the world of art films. After having paved the way for visual artists moving into feature films with Julian Schnabel's highly acclaimed Basquiat, Sighvatsson has also produced the groundbreaking Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait as well as the controversial Destricted, a collection of short films by some of the world's leading artists focusing on the concept of pornography.
Before coming to the United States, Sighvatsson enjoyed a successful career as a musician in his native Iceland, founding the country's first recording studio when he was 21. After finishing his B.A. from the University of Iceland, Sighvatsson came to Los Angeles on a Fulbright Scholarship to earn his MFA in the Graduate Film Studies program at USC. Sighvatsson then was invited to and joined the Director's Program at the American Film Institute.
In 1986, Sighvatsson co-founded Propaganda Films, which quickly became the leading music video and commercial production company in the world before expanding into feature films with Red Rock West, Kalifornia, and David Lynch's Wild At Heart which won the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. At Propaganda, Sighvatsson helped launch the careers of such directors as David Fincher, Michael Bay, and Spike Jonze.
Sighvatsson has also been involved with numerous television shows, including the Emmy-nominated "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City," the innovative cult classic "Twin Peaks," the triple ACE Award-winning anthology series "Fallen Angels," the quadruple ACE-winning "Heat Wave," as well as the popular original "Beverly Hills 90210". In 1995, Sighvatsson became the founding president of Lakeshore Entertainment, where he produced or executive produced films such as Polish Wedding, 200 Cigarettes and Arlington Road.
In 2005 Sighvatsson acquired Scanbox Entertainment, the third largest independent Scandinavian film distributor, as well as heritage clothing company 66 North in Iceland, which he built into an award winning international outdoor brand.
Sighvatsson has served in various industry and civic organizations including, as president of the American Cinematheque in Hollywood, as well as on the boards of the AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers), the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the ACLU of Southern California, the Ocean Park Community Center, and serves on the Hammer Museum Board of Overseers. Sighvatsson was also the Honorary Consul General for Iceland in Southern California for 25 years, resigning in 2022.
Having been a documentary producer for many years, Sighvatsson has recently branched out into documentary directing. His debut feature, "Exxtinction Emergency," an in depth examination of the direct action climate protest movement known as Extinction Rebellion, premiered at the Reykjavik International Film Festival in 2022. He has two more feature documentaries in the works, "The Bitcoin Bandits," and "OMG It's A Miracle!" the long awaited sequel to 2006's smash hit Screaming Masterpiece.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Icelandic writer/producer. Has written, produced and created several drama series. Showrunner of Trapped. Co-creator of Katla. Writer and director of Grand Finale. Also a well known musician and radio personality in Iceland. One half of radio/podcast Tvíhöfði with Jón Gnarr. Actor in several movies, including Virgin Mountain and Remote Control. Also a member of rock band HAM.- Kristbjörg Kjeld was born on 18 June 1935 in Reykjavik, Iceland. She is an actress, known for Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Mamma Gógó (2010) and Driving Mum (2022).
- Composer
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Þór Eldon was born on 2 June 1962 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a composer and actor, known for Cold Fever (1995), Gargandi snilld (2005) and Possibihilities - Möhöguleikar (2002). He was previously married to Björk.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Gudmundur Thor Karason was born and raised in Reykjavik Iceland. He grew up around visual art and theater and started building and performing puppets from an early age. Gudmundur's goal has always been to build puppets and creatures that come alive, with character and lots of humor. Throughout the years, he has worked on many major projects in television, theater and advertising. In 1998, Gudmundur joined LazyTown Entertainment, an Icelandic production company dedicated to children's health and well-being. He soon became creative director-involved in everything from developing concepts to designing visuals. When the LazyTown television series began production in 2004, Gudmundur was cast as the voice and puppeteer of Ziggy, a six-year-old bundle of energy in an action-packed, candy-colored world. The show proved so successful (ultimately airing in over 100 countries) that a second season was produced in 2006, and a third season began in the spring of 2012.
Education Iceland Academy of the Arts / Danmarks Designskole: Graduated top of his department in visual communication, graphic design and digital design in 2003. University of Iceland: Philosophy, four semesters. Jim Henson Productions in NYC: Attended two workshops in 1996 and 1999. Jim Henson Creature Shop in London: Workshop in 1999. National Drama Institute of Iceland: The Acting Techniques of the Clown and the Comedian.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Ágúst Guðmundsson was born on 29 June 1947 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is a director and writer, known for The Dance (1998), The Seagull's Laughter (2001) and Land and Sons (1980).- Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Magnus Magnusson was born on 12 October 1929 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He was an actor and writer, known for Rock in Reykjavik (1982), Mastermind (1972) and Love and Death on Long Island (1997). He was married to Mamie Baird. He died on 7 January 2007 in Balmore, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Einar Guðmundsson was born on 18 September 1954 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is a writer and director, known for Children of Nature (1991), Movie Days (1994) and Angels of the Universe (2000).- Producer
- Actor
- Editorial Department
Thor Sigurjonsson was born on 12 August 1973 in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is a producer and actor, known for Only God Forgives (2013), Z for Zachariah (2015) and Bronson (2008).- Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir was born on 22 August 2008 in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is an actress, known for Godland (2022), A White, White Day (2019) and Nest (2022).
- Sigrún Edda Björnsdóttir was born on 30 August 1958 in Reykjavik, Iceland. She is an actress, known for The Garden (2020), Trapped (2015) and Murder Story (1977). She is married to Axel Hallkell Jóhannesson. They have two children.
- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Andri Snær Magnason was born on 14 July 1973 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a director and producer, known for The Hero's Journey to the 3rd Pole (2020), Apausalypse (2021) and Draumalandið (2009).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Óskar Jónasson was born on 30 June 1963 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a director and writer, known for Reykjavik-Rotterdam (2008), Contraband (2012) and Foster Brothers (1997).- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Edda Björgvinsdóttir was born on 13 September 1952 in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is an actress and writer, known for Under the Tree (2017), Stella on Holiday (1986) and Stella í framboði (2002). She was previously married to Gísli Rúnar Jónsson.