WORK IN PROGRESS
Stockfish 2024 proudly presents the Work in Progress event which showcases works from the latest Icelandic film and TV productions. With the support from the Icelandic Film Centre, WIP provides a platform for collaboration, feedback, and exposure that can lead to valuable connections. This event will be live-streamed and recorded to reach professionals who can not join us in person from The Nordic House in Reykjavík. Projects that take part aim to implement their distribution and promotional potential.
The event is moderated by Wendy Mitchell, journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the producer of the Sundance London film festival, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian International Film Festival, and consultant for Berlinale EFM and Cannes Marche. She is also the author of Iceland on Screen, published in 2022.
The following are the works in progress that will be showcased at the event:
DOCUMENTARY
What Men Share by Janus Bragi Jakobsson
Iceland / 90 minutes
Producer: Tinna Ottesen
In the pursuit of relevance, four men share their lives online with an unseen audience.
“What men share” observes the complexities of self-expression, connection, and the lingering question of whether digital presence brings meaning. Through intimate interviews and raw YouTube footage, the film investigates the motives behind online self-presentation. It probes the vulnerability and authenticity of digital identities, questioning the hidden costs of sharing and the stories men choose to reveal.
The Tower by Ísold Uggadóttir
Iceland, Germany / 180 minutes (4 episodes x 45 minutes) series + 90 minutes feature
Producers: Kristín Andrea Þórðardóttir, Hlynur Sigurdsson; Co-producer: Alex Tondowski, Tondowski Films
A story of tragedy, scars and the seeking of justice. On the idyllic Landakot hill in Reykjavik, Iceland, exists one of the world’s smallest Catholic diocese, operating a respectable Catholic school for over 100 years. In 2008 one of its teachers leapt from the school tower, falling to her brutal death on the school playground. A hidden tragedy was about to see the light of day. For nearly 5 decades, beginning in 1956, atrocious abuse took place of countless children, ages 5-11. The Tower follows three of these children, now-adults, as they tell their stories for the first time.
Temporary Shelter by Anastasiia Bortual
Iceland, Ukraine / 90 minutes
Producers: Helgi Felixson, Titti Johnson
Can you feel at home when you are forced to leave your motherland to live an house in
Ásbrú in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. This is the story of Ukrainian migrants who fled the war to Iceland. Now they live in the small town of Ásbrú, the former military bases became their new temporary home. We will witness the birth of new lives and observe their development. Actions and miracles. Thorns and stars.
Tight Lines by Gagga Jónsdóttir
Iceland / 70 minutes
Producer: Gaukur Úlfarsson, Sagafilm
The fishing house Nes stands on the banks of Laxá in Aðaldalur where the inhabitants have been guiding salmon fishing for a long time.
A new generation of teenage female guides is getting ready to welcome experienced anglers and help them find and land big salmon, just like their forefathers have done over a century. It’s going to be a summer of fragile but growing confidence, mistakes and precious time together by the river.
Laxá in Aðaldalur and the nature that surrounds it, holds the family history and simultaneously witnesses the history of a new generation being born. Their identity and the generations that come before them are intertwined on the riverbanks. Nature is under attack, the future of fishing in Laxá in Aðaldal is indefinit and the wild and the vulnerable salmon population faces a new danger.
FILMS
Anorgasmia by Jón E. Gústafsson
Iceland, Canada, Czech Republic / 100 minutes
Producers: Karolina Lewicka, Jakub Rálek
Two strangers, a stolen car and a volcano. Set in Iceland during a volcanic eruption that has grounded all flights, a wannabe photographer and a PTSD sufferer are forced to face their fears. They steal a car in the middle of the night and head into the highlands to be the first to get to the volcano. They never get there but three days later both lives have changed and taken a new direction.
All eyes on me by pascal payant
Iceland, Canada / 90 minutes
Producers: Pascal Payant, Guðmundur Þorvaldsson
Trilogy Part One – After losing his family in an accident, a man travels through Iceland to pay respect at their burial site as he meets a young traveler who ran away from Poland.
When The Light Breaks by Rúnar Rúnarsson
Iceland, The Netherlands, Croatia, France / 90 minutes
Producers: Heather Millard, Rúnar Rúnarsson; Co-producers: Raymond van der Kaaij, Mike
Downey, Igor A.Nola, Xenia Maingot and Sarah Chazelle
On a long summer’s day in Reykjavik, the life of Una, a young art student, is turned upside down. From one sunset to another, when laughing turns into crying and beauty coexists with sorrow.
The Mountain by Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir
Iceland, Sweden / 92 minutes
Producer: Anna G. Magnúsdóttir
An emotional coming of age story about a family tested by tragedy and how Cosmos and a road trip into the highlands offers comfort. Electrician Atli lives in Iceland with his wife Maria, an avid stargazer, and their nineteen-year-old daughter Anna, a musician. Life follows its usual course until a tragic accident turns their lives upside down, forcing them to find a new path forward.
TV-SERIE
Storm by Sævar Guðmundsson
Iceland / 420 minutes (8 episodes x 50 minutes)
Producers: Sævar Guðmundsson, Jóhannes Kr. Kristjánsson
When a compassionate police chief and two dedicated doctors in Iceland are thrust into the frontline, leading the battle against the deadly Covid pandemic they must unite to navigate their nation through the storm. A gripping documentary series that provides a microcosmic view of how a small nation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean battled a virus that turned the world upside down. It sheds light on the human side of the pandemic, with a focus on the heart-wrenching stories of people who faced the virus head-on, often far away from their loved ones.
Vörn by Konráð K. Þormar
Iceland / 160 minutes (8 episodes x 20 minutes)
Producer: Halldór Ísak
A young football player deals with the toxic culture of a major league team along with the unexpected feelings of his closest opponent that could cost him his career.The struggle to not end up at the bottom of the pecking order in the team and living a double life begins to take a serious toll on his mental health. As the season progresses, Kolbeinn is faced with either standing up for himself or succumbing to the pressure and ruining his career.
We are excited to help with the development of these diverse projects. Keep your eyes peeled for these projects to appear on your screens in the future!