Alissa Simon Film Critic The ninth edition of Iceland’s Stockfish Film & Industry Festival, which runs March 23 to April 2, is innovating under an ambitious new team that includes one of Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch, Hrönn Kristinsdottír (“Lamb”), as artistic director and festival veteran Carolina Salas as managing director.
Among the highlights will be a masterclass with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”), who is currently in Iceland shooting the fourth season of HBO’s “True Detective.” The screening program opens with Ukraine’s “Pamfir,” directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk and includes tributes to Oscar-nominated Polish helmer Jerzy Skolimowski and U.K.
producer Mike Downey, recipient of the fest’s first “Outstanding Contribution to the Industry” kudos. Kristinsdottír said: “Mike Downey has achieved a great many things in the worldwide film industry, but he also has a special connection to Iceland, having co-produced Icelandic productions for decades.” How did a producer like Kristinsdottír, whose latest production “Mannvirki” recently competed for a Tiger Award at Rotterdam, get involved with Stockfish? “This is something new and challenging and since the new board and new managing director of the festival thought I could be of value, I decided to join,” she told Variety.
Known for its intimate atmosphere and ease of networking, the non-profit Stockfish is overseen by the six professional associations of filmmakers in Iceland, members of which comprise the festival board.
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