FIRST PROGRAM REVEAL
We are proud to announce the first three films to be screened at this year’s Stockfish Film Festival. Stockfish’s emphasis will be placed on providing a worldwide vision of Cinema, and films not yet shown in Iceland, providing the grounds to foster an appreciation for diverse film cultures.
FOUR DAUGHTERS
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
The life of Olfa, a Tunisian woman and mother of four daughters, oscillates between light and shadows.
One day her two eldest daughters disappear, and to fill their absence Ben Hania calls upon professional actors and sets up an extraordinary film mechanism to unveil the story of Olfa and her daughters. An intimate journey full of hope, rebellion, violence, intergenerational transmission and sisterhood, which will question the very foundation of our societies. Four daughters was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
EXCURSION
Director: Una Gunjac
In Sarajevo, a teenager seeking validation claims that she had sex for the first time during a game of “truth or dare” among middle schoolers. Trapped in her own lie, she invents a pregnancy and becomes the center of a controversy that spirals out of control.
Una Gunjak, the film’s director, will be a guest at the festival and participate in Stockfish’s Open Talks.
THE BURDENED
The Burdened
Director: Arm Gamal
A couple in Southern Yemen , Isra’a and Ahmed put all their efforts into offering a normal life and education for their three young children. When they find out that Isra’a is pregnant again, they have to make difficult decisions guided only by their family’s interest.
EUROPA FILM FESTIVALS
European cinema culture is also crucial to Stockfish, and the festival has now joined the Europa Festivals Federation, along with GIFF in Switzerland, Galway Film Fleadh in Ireland, Filmfest in Germany, Luxembourg City Film Festival, Midnight Sun Film Festival in Finland, Film in Friesland in The Netherlands, Athens International Film Festival in Greece and Spain’s Gijón International Film. The Federations mission is to
formalize a system promoting the exchange of information, strategies, and cultures between its members and develop common positions and perspectives on key issues, resources, management models, best practices, and infrastructure, for both its members and the entire industry.
Submissions for Shortfish have been closed, and 75 entries were submitted. The reviewing committee will be busy the coming days watching them all and wishes the applicants the best of luck. Juries will be announced after the selections. Shortfish is intended to promote aspiring filmmakers, and recently the Hamburg based Kurzfilm Sales secured international rights to one of last year’s winners: Felt Cute by Anna Katrín Lárusdóttir.
Works in progress Call is open until the 1st of March. Work in Progress gives a unique opportunity for projects that are not yet finalized to be presented to the domestic and foreign media as well as to the variety of industry professionals attending our festival. In addition, there has always been a great interest in the event by artistic directors of other festivals, foreign journalists and sales representatives.SFIF WIP provides a platform for collaboration, feedback, and exposure that can lead to valuable connections.