NEWS (old)
The Good Heart world premiere | 31.08.09
Zik Zak is proud to present the premiere of Dagur Kari‘s „The Good Heart“ at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th. The movie, which stars Brian Cox, Paul Dano and Isild Le Besco will be screened in the Special Presentation category described as „a showcase of high-profile films featuring major stars and directors from around the world.”
For more information on the movie and screening times go here: http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/films/goodheart
See you all in Toronto.
2 Birds | 12.05.09
Everyone knows by now of the success story that is 2 Birds. We here at Zik Zak are indeed humbled by the overwhelmingly positive reception Runar Runarsson's short has garnered. But all good things must come to an end, or do they? Rúnar's masterpiece has other ideas and in the blink of an eye it managed to put 10 more awards to its tally. So 44 and counting... that's a lot of awards. Need more space Rúnar?
Here is a list of the most recent awards:
-Best Director at The 6th Naoussa International Film Festival
-Grand Prix of The 12th Brussels Short Film Festival
-The Prémio RTP2 Onda Curta at The Festival Internacional de Cinema Independente de Lisboa
-The Audience Award at The 9th Nice Film Festival
-The Student Jury Award at The 9th Nice Film Festival
-The Special Mention of The Press Jury at The 9th Nice Film Festival
-The Youth Jury´s Special Mention at The 21st Filmfest Dresden
-The Golden Horseman for The Klangmusikpreis at The 21st Filmfest Dresden
-The “CRISTIAN NEMESCU“ BEST DIRECTING AWARD at The NexT Filmfestival 2009
-The Grand Prix de la meilleure création sonore at The Aubagne International Film Festival
Gauragangur / Hullabaloo - open auditions in Iceland | 30.04.09
Anna and Runar in Cannes | 30.04.09
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner and again, Rúnar Rúnarsson, director of Zik Zak ‘s shorts 2 Birds and The Last Farm, will present his latest work.
Dreamland | 06.04.09
A long awaited day this Wednesday as Zik Zak’s co-production, Dreamland, is premiered in Iceland.
Dreamland is a full length and full scale documentary about one of the hottest topics in the Icelandic political debate for years.
"Dreamland is a truly epic film about a nation standing at cross-roads. Leading up to the country’s greatest economic crisis, the government started the largest mega project in the history of Iceland, to build the biggest dam in Europe to provide Alcoa cheap electricity for an aluminium smelter in the rugged east fjords of Iceland. The mantra was economic growth. Today Iceland is left holding a huge dept and an uncertain future.“
Zik Zak recommends you all go and see the film!
Click here to view trailer and official web-site.
The never ending success of 2 Birds | 17.03.09
Congrats Rúnar! 31 awards and still counting…
Latest prizes include:
* The Grand Prize at The 13th REGARD –Saguenay International Short Film Festival.
* Grand Prix of The Jury at The Festival du Cinéma Européen de Lille.
* The NIFA Best Fiction at The 21st Minimalen Film Festival in Trondheim.
* The Best Short Film at The Northern Wave International Film Festival.
Double win | 26.02.09
Zik Zak Filmworks won two awards at the International Love Film Festival in Mons (Le Festival International du Film d’Amour de Mons) in Belgium, on February 21st. The film Back Soon by Sólveig Anspach won the title “the best European Film” and 2 birds, by Rúnar Rúnarsson was selected “the best international short film”.
The festival which usually opens around Valentine’s day is now held for the 25th time and enjoys increasing success, but approximately 30 thousand people yearly visit the beautiful town of Mons, with around 90 thousand inhabitants, to enjoy the festival.
Sólveig Anspach attended to receive the awards for Back Soon and was very pleased with the whole event.
The most successful! | 26.02.09
2 birds has received more awards than any other short film since it premiered until this date. It is therefore the most successful short film in the world today! The total Awards since May are 26 and counting...
2 Birds and Thanks fly together | 13.01.09
Once more Runar Runarsson’s successful short film 2 Birds has been selected for a festival but this time it doesn’t have to travel alone. The XI European Short Film Festival – FEC Cambrils-Reus in Spain will not only screen Runar’s pearl of a short film but also Benedikt Erlingsson’s lovely short Thanks.
The international part of the festival will take place in early March in Reus. More than 900 films have been submitted to this year’s edition so we are more than proud to present both short films in the European competition and keep our fingers crossed that the united Icelandic power of storytelling will impress the Spanish audience.
2 Birds is continuing on its path to world success | 04.12.08
The short film by Runar Runarsson has been nominated to attend the 25th Sundance Film Festival which will take place January 15 – 25, 2009. The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent cinema festival in the U.S. Each year the Sundance Film Festival selects 200 films for exhibition from more than 9,000 submissions.
More than 50,000 people attend screenings during the festival, so the nomination of 2 Birds will create a great arena to promote Runar Runarsson future film career.
You keep on rockin’ Runar!
2 Birds in competition for the European Film Award | 04.12.08
The 21st European Film Academy Awards will be announced this weekend, Saturday December 6th.
2 Birds, by Runar Runarsson is nominated in the short film category and Runar will be attending the grand ceremony which will take place in Copenhagen.
2 Birds, which has also been shortlisted for the upcoming Oscars, recently won yet another prize, at the film festival in Siena, Spain. The film now has received 24 awards in the 7 months since its premiere in Cannes this year.
Runars short films, 2 Birds and The Last Farm have been exceptionally successful and the awards are still ticking in for the latter as well. Last weekend The Last Farm received 2nd prize at Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, USA.
More info:
http://thelastfarm.blogspot.com/
Back Soon wins in Spain | 18.11.08
Sólveig Anspach and Zik Zak’s latest feature film, Back Soon, won the Golden Giraldillo award at Seville European Film Festival in Spain this past weekend. This is the most prestigious award presented at the festival and is rewarded with a price of € 60.000 which will cover the costs for its release in Spain.
The basic objective of the Seville European Film Festival is to promote European film culture, with particular attention to emerging European cinema, and to help incorporate new supports for film expression.
Winning the Golden Giraldillo award provides one of the best opportunities for promoting Back soon before potential theatrical releases in Europe as it generates great publicity in the mass media to get this great comedy across to potential audiences.
Congratulations to Sólveig Anspach for a great achievement in Spain.
Twenty two and counting | 18.11.08
We reported some time ago that Runar could need a new display-case for his awards, but it seems that we underestimated things a little.
A new room might be the order of the day. Here is the latest slew of awards.
At the Icelandic Edda's 2 Birds took home the best short film prize. It was a very special moment for us here at Zik Zak, when the young star of the film, Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, went up to the stage to receive the award.
It was also awarded The Best International Fiction at The 5th Curtocircuito International Film Festival at Santiago De Compostela in Spain. 2 Birds was awarded The Grand Prix du Conseil général de l’Essonne au court métrage at 10th Festival du cinéma européen en Essonne.
And finally it got two awards and a special mention at the 23rd Brest European Short Film Festival. The awards were Prix du Jury Jeune ,Prix Européen France 2, Mention spéciale Prix Européen du Conseil Régional de Bretagne.
Hullabaloo in Rome | 10.11.08
Gunnar B. Gundmundsson, the Director of Astrópía, Iceland’s biggest box office hit in 2007, was invited last month to attend the Rome Film Festival and its sidebar programme ‘Fabbrica dei progetti - New Cinema Network (NCN) which is the Festival's program dedicated to supporting new independent filmmaking.
Fabbrica dei progetti - New Cinema Network (NCN) offer 14 promising European filmmakers a chance to pitch their second feature films to European film experts, producers and distributors’. Gunnars second film is planned to be his and Otto Geir Borg’s adaption of the super-popular play Gauragangur or Hullabaloo by Olafur Haukur Simonarson and produced by Zik Zak Filmworks.
The Rome Film Festival offera unique opportunity for filmmakers and producers to showcase their previous and newest productions. Astrópía was presented to a sold out auditorium and received a warm response from the audience as a result.
The organizers arranged a three-day session of one-to-one meetings, during which the filmmakers/producers representing each project meet with all potential co-producers and funders. Gunnar B. Gundmundsson and Zik Zak’s producer Thor Sigurjonsson had an overwhelming 34 meetings within a period of two days where they presented Hullabaloo, which according to Mr. Gundmundsson enjoyed a great success.
Iceland’s up and coming Director Gunnar B. Gundmundsson was met with great critical acclaim for the screening of Astrópía and his pitch of his new feature film, Hullabaloo, amongst important players in the European film industry.
More on the 2 Birds success story | 07.10.08
In this day and age every piece of good news is a welcome distraction, and we are very pleased to say that things are still going great for Runar Runarsson’s gem of a short film. Since our last report two awards have been added to its already impressive collection. The jury of the 24th Warsaw Film Festival Short Film Competition awarded it the best short film prize. We’d like to point out that in 2007 there were 87500 admissions to the festival, probably more this year.
2 Birds also got the best international short film award at the Cork Film Festival. The jury had this to say about their selection “Having watched a programme of over sixty short films from all over the globe, this jury had the arduous task of choosing a winner from films of such high calibre. Following much deliberation and discussion, the jury felt that the awards for Best International Short Film and the Prix UIP Cork 2008 went to the films that we felt most challenged our perceptions and expectations as a viewer, showing us unusual and intriguing cinematic visions.”
Keep the good news coming Runar!2 Birds premiered in Iceland | 07.10.08
Runar Runarsson’s second short in his crossroads trilogy, had its Icelandic premiere last weekend. First at the RIFF festival and then a more intimate screening where the cast and crew could watch the film with family and friends. Not surprisingly, everyone loved the film and after the screening Runar and his guests went to Café Cultura where they enjoyed some refreshments. The main topic of conversation, what will the subject of Runar’s third entry be, and when will we get to see it. We at Zik Zak want to reiterate the old proverb “good things come to those who wait.”
Furthermore, Iceland’s largest newspaper Morgunblaðið, gave 2 Birds a rave review. Four and half stars out of five.
You can follow the 2 Birds success story at the site; smafuglar.blogspot.com
Audiences love the sound of Electronica Reykjavik | 07.10.08
This documentary on the Icelandic dance music scene clearly doesn’t miss a beat. It got five out of five stars from Iceland’s biggest newspaper Fréttablaðið, and the critic ended his review by asking for more documentaries like this. To top if all off we had the pleasure to see Arnar Jonasson receive the audience award at RIFF. All in a weekend's work! Congratulations Arnar and all the talented artists that made this documentary possible.
2 Birds a festival darling | 29.09.08
The success of Runar Runarsson's second short in his crossroads trilogy doesn't come as any surprise to us at ZikZak, and everywhere it is shown it is lauded by critics and audiences alike. At the site smafuglar.blogspot.com you can follow the 2 Birds success story, but since its premiere in Cannes this year it has won 14 awards. In December it will be in competion for the European Film Award and many festivals are on the horizon, so Runar just let us know if you need a new cabinet for your awards.
Btw congratulations on being eligible for the Oscars, again!
Back Soon is here to stay according to critics | 18.08.08
Solveig Anspach's quirky comedy is of to a great start on the international circuit, after being awarded the Variety Piazza Grande prize at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival.
The award was presented by a panel of Variety critics to the movie which they felt "best combining artistic smarts and theatrical potential." Other films eligible for the award were the big screen adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Brideshead Revisited"; the viking vs. aliens sci-fi epic "Outlander" starring John Hurt and Jim Caviziel; the Sundance winning adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke"; the festival favourite "Son of Rambow" and Julien Temple's latest "Eternity Man" just to name a few. Congratulations to Solveig and Didda, you deserved it.
Screen Daily review of Back Soon | 17.08.08
"Solveig Anspach has got a hit on her hands with this hilarious comedy about a Reykjavik pot dealer, says Dan Fainaru. " Read the whole review here!
Back Soon premiere just around the corner | 30.07.08
Solveig Anspach’s crowd pleasing comedy will have its gala premiere in Reykjavik on August 6th. We at Zik Zak are extremely happy with the finished product and think that its friendly atmosphere and quirky lovable characters will feel like a welcome summer breeze. Hlin Johannesdottir says it best when asked about the movie “The only sad thing is that the movie ends and we have stand up and leave the party,” but it’s a party we’d like revisit again and again. Watch trailer, download posters, listen to the theme song - it's all here!
An Epic shoot wraps | 30.07.08
Dagur Kari’s “The Good Heart” finished shooting in July in the Domincan Republic. The film stars Brian Cox, Paul Dano and Isild le Besco and is the third collaboration between Dagur and Zik Zak. Here are some exclusive photos from the shoot that took the cast and crew on a journey from Reykjavik to New York and finally to the sandy beaches of the Domincan Republic.
Undercurrent in post production | 30.07.08
Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson’s salty seadrama is now in the editing process. We’d like to take moment of silence in memory of Jón á Hofi who is now on his way to the great scrapyard in the sky.
Back Soon trailer, theme song and teaser poster | 14.07.08
Read more about the film here.
Click here to watch trailer (requires Flash-plugin).
Back Soon theme-song, FREE download... | 30.06.08
We hope you enjoy this good-mood raggae song by Sigurður Guðmundsson.
Back Soon: Icelandic Premiere the 8th of August 2008! | 30.06.08
We are really excited here at Zik Zak. Trailers and posters will be posted on this web-page next week…
2 BIRDS flying around festivals - great success! | 30.06.08
Read more.
2 BIRDS COMPETING FOR THE PALM D’OR | 23.04.08
Zik Zak Filmworks is proud to announce that Runar Runarsson’s 2 Birds has been selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Only 9 out of approximately 5000 short films made it to the competition.
The short is an unflinching look at the painful transition from childhood to the stark reality of adulthood. The story is simple in itself about a group of kids looking for some escapism, which has some terrible repercussions. Runar’s writing is filled with great observations and under his direction the teenagers turn out to be real characters, and not saturated by the nostalgic reminences of adulthood, as so often is the case. They drink, they long, they curse, have a rich and complicated inner life, yet they lack experience and the maturity to be fully independent individuals. Relatively inexperienced actors cast the main roles, but their portrayals are so emotionally mature and delicately nuanced in every longing glance and nervous tick, that watching them in their fragile roles transcends the experience of watching professional actors do the same.
Although the surroundings and story are completely different, thematically it is a companion piece to Runar’s Oscar nominated short, The Last Farm, where the main protagonist makes the ultimate sacrifice out of love. In that way, 2 Birds is a logical next step in the prolific collaboration between Runar and Zik Zak Filmworks.
Further information: http://smafuglar.blogspot.com/
Dagur Kari’s “The Good Heart” looking very healthy | 28.02.08
We are proud to announce the signings of Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood and Little Miss Sunshine) and Brian Cox (Zodiac and Deadwood) to Dagur Kari’s The Good Heart. The script written by Dagur has gotten rave reviews and won the prestigious NHK International Filmmakers award at Sundance. Cox plays Jacques a cynical and misanthropic bar-owner who makes the meanest cup a coffee in the world, literally and figuratively. His demeanor and extremely unhealthy lifestyle has left him friendless except for his quirky regular customers and only brought him a string of heart attacks and very large hospital bill. Enter, Lucas (Dano) a young homeless man who Jacques takes under his wing with the intention of having him continuing his legacy of gastronomic hedonism, but like in life things never turn out the way you want them to. To call it a drama won’t to the story justice since there are moments of sadness, comedy and most of all great insight into the lives and loves of those unforgettable characters. “It’s definitely going to make you cry, laugh and sometimes at the same time. I’d like to think of The Good Heart if Bukowski had written Pygmalion.” says producer Thor Sigurjonsson. Asked when we can expect the finished product Thor just gives us a sly smile and says “When it’s ready, no sooner than that.”
Latest from our Oscar nominee | 28.02.08
Runar Runarsson just completed the post-production of his latest short titled “Small Birds”, an unflinching look at the painful transition from childhood to the stark everyday reality of adulthood. Relatively inexperienced actors are cast the main roles, but their portrayals are so emotionally mature and delicately nuanced in every longing glance and nervous tick, that watching them in their fragile roles trancends the experience of watching professional actors do the same. Although the surroundings and story are completely different, thematically it is a companion piece to his Oscar nominated “The Last Farm”, where the main protagonist makes the ultimate sacrifice out of love.
An epic in the making | 18.02.08
The news keeps pouring in and we got a letter from Solveig Anspach, who just put the finishing touches on "Back Soon" which will be premiered later this year. Back Soon is a light hearted road movie about a different kind of an entrepreneur and a duck that gets in the way of her vacation plans. The film was shot in Iceland last summer and post production is nearly finished.
This time Solveig is preparing a big budget period drama that will be shot in New Caledonia...
Zik Zak makes the rounds | 18.02.08
Katrin Olafsdottir’s exhilaratingly charming script went the rounds during the Rotterdam festival, like the southern breeze it was a welcome addition to the many exciting projects introduced during this prestigious event. By the end of the festival Kata, as we at Zik Zak affectionately call her, along with our very own office guru Hlin and powerhouse producer Thor had numerous suitors, all of whom
eager to take part in this project. Therefore, it goes with out saying that this little trip to Rotterdam was well worth it and a resounding success for all involved. But that is only the tip of the iceberg since our happy little family also made the rounds at the Berlinale with a great deal of success. Thor and Skuli went to countless meetings and got a great deal of positive feedback on the many projects we have in various stages of development. Furthermore we want to extend our warmest congratulations to Olaf Fleur who won the prized Teddy award for his feat
ure Queen Raquela.
Stefan Mani is making waves | 22.01.08
This just in; Stefan Mani's Novel "The Ship" (Skipið) was a subject of a bidding war between two unnamed publishing giants in Europe. We at Zik Zak are not surprised by this news since we are fans of Mani's work and knew it was just a matter of time that his talent would be internationally recognized. At the moment we are developing two of Mani's novels into films. First there is "Black's Move" which Oscar Thor Axelsson writing and attached to direct. We are also eagerly awaiting the first draft of the screenplay of "The Ship" and from what we have seen it will be a thriller of epic proportions.
Undercurrent's captain questioned | 18.01.08
As preparations for Arni Oli's "Undercurrent" (Brim) are well underway, we took some precious time from Arni's intensive schedule to ask him some extremely trivial questions. Being a great and level headed individual he decided to answer these questions with a smile to indulge our avid readers who are hungry to find out what makes a seaworthy director tick.More
A well received Christmas gift ! | 27.12.07
Arni Thor’s horror short “Unholy Night” had its premiere on the 23rd of December and the word of mouth is extremely positive. Around 400 people visited Regnboginn cinema in downtown Reykjavik to experience the Icelandic Santa in all his mythic glory. We at Zik Zak would like to extend our thanks to everyone who worked on this little cinematic stocking stuffer, the audience that dared to treat them selves to something different and especially the folks at Nexus who where so generous to sponsor this quirky happening.
Unholy Premiere | 21.12.07
Edgar winning novel acquired | 19.12.07
Zik Zak in joint partnership with director Pall Grimsson and screenwriter Nissar Modi have bought the cinema rights to Robert C. O‘Brien‘s post-apocalyptic story „Z for Zachariah.“ The 1976 Edgar winning novel centers on a young girl, Ann Burden, living alone in an idyllic valley, but all around it some terrible destruction has occurred. One day a bio-suit clad stranger enters the valley and at first the girl thinks she has found a companion and a friend, but soon a dark secret from the stranger‘s past surfaces and the girl must grow up quickly in order to survive the struggle that ensues. O‘Brien‘s novel „Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM“ was enjoyed great success in cinemas in the eighties as the beloved animated feature „The Secret of NIHM.“ Grimsson and Modi are currently working on a new draft of the screenplay and we here at Zik Zak must say that things are looking post-apocalyptically terrific.
errr…. | 13.12.07
Good things come to those who wait and such is the case with one of Zik Zak‘s earlier efforts Mikki Torfason‘s. „Made in Iceland“, which was made in 2002. The movie will be premiered at the Taiwan International Children‘s TV & Film Festival next year. Hopefully this little piece of Icelandic cinema will make a splash in Asia, and maybe Halla Vilhjalms (X-factor presenter) melts a few hearts with her realistic portrayal of a youth gone wild.
The Good Heart / Casting / Iceland | 06.12.07
ZIK ZAK FILMWORKS will have an open CASTING at Café Cultura (Hverfisgata 18) on Friday, December 7th, between 15:00-18:00. We are hiring actors and extras for various roles in a new film by Dagur Kári (Nói Albínói, Voksne mennesker). We are looking for NON-ICELANDIC people, age 20-120. Everybody is welcome and please note that it is not required to speak Icelandic.
B-ditty yule bang | 05.12.07
Let the countdown to Unholy Night begin: Excitement and holiday spirits of the non alcoholic kind fill the air at Zik Zak headquarters these days. Our little visual stocking filler will have its premiere on Saint Thorlak's day (23rd of December) so late overstressed shoppers can take a short breather from the consumeristic hurlyburly of the nights before Christmas. First things first; Thursday the 6th of December will ring in Barði Johannsson's and Eberg's song, that will without a doubt give us Icelanders some well deserved Yuletide cheer.
Congratulations! | 21.11.07
Now that the Icelandic Film Academy awards are over we'd like to extend our sincerest congratulations to the winners. We'd like to take this moment to launch our regular column "Zik Zak 8 1/2 questions", where we give our friends and collaborators a gentle doze of the cinematic third degree. Our first victim is none other than Ragnar Bragason who is still installing new shelves for his well deserved Eddas. Currently Zik Zak and Ragnar Bragason are developing a feature length film called The Whisperer.More
Zik Zak acquires a bestseller | 16.11.07
Zik Zak and the publisher Saga have reached a agreement on the film-rights to Óttar M. Norfjörð's "Abraham's Knife". A globetrotting action-packed conspiracy thriller, which has its readers by the edge of their seats. "We think Óttar's name will be mentioned at the same time, as Dan Brown and other genre-giants, in the future." Says a very happy Thor Sigurjonsson
producer and lover.
... of cinema.
Unholy Night ends with a Bang (Gang) ! | 07.11.07
Barði Jóhannsson composer extraordinare is going to make our merry mayhem a little bit more seasonal. Red hot from his "ho ho ho hey hey hey" success, Barði along with sky-rocketing talent Eberg are now writing the end-theme for Arni Thor's "Unholy Night". This will be the final icing on a already delicious mixture of all the things we love and fear about Xmas. It's certainly the season to be jolly.
Zik Zak's Skúli Explains How Our Film-works | 02.11.07
Our main man Skuli get´s interviewed @ NFTF. Read all about it here.
And now for the kids | 31.10.07
On the ever-expanding Zik Zak horizon are two projects that we are very excited about. Both are adaptations of famous Icelandic children and teenage novels.
First we are proud to announce “Different Days” (Öðruvísi Dagar) based on Guðrún Helgadóttir’s children’s novel about a young girl who befriends an old woman when she discovers an infant on the old woman’s doorstep. Margrét Örnólfdóttir and Inga Lísa Middleton, who will also be directing, wrote the script.
Then there is “Hullabaloo” (Gauragangur) adapted from Ólafur Haukur Símonarson’s best-selling novel for teenagers of all ages. Our main protagonist is Orm Odinsson; poet; wannabe lover, brother and rebel, who has the ego the size of a continent and the heart to match. We follow him during his tumultuous last year of high school, where the boy becomes a man. The script is being written by Ottó Geir Borg and Gunnar B. Guðmundsson whose last movie Astrópía is a box office hit here in Iceland.
Those two projects are our first venture into youth oriented movies, a genre that we feel needs resuscitation here in Iceland.
Back Soon, soon! | 31.10.07
Post production on Solveig Anspach's "Back Soon" is going according to plan and the film will be finished before Christmas. European premiere is estimated in the spring 2008. Grimar Jonsson of Zik Zak Filmworks adds "It is a very unconventional road-movie about a very unconventional woman who dreams about moving with her family from Iceland for a change of scenery. The film is filled with humour, quirky characters along with a gander that makes life difficult for our protagonist."
Sorry mr. Trier! | 26.10.07
We at ZikZak pride ourselves in our talent and movies. Because of a clerical error we forgot to enter Lars von Trier's "Directoren af det Hele" into this year's Edda awards. Our sincerest appologies to mr. Trier whom we hear would have flown to Iceland to collect this priced prize, or maybe not.
Undercurrent prepares to set sail | 26.10.07
Arni Oli Asgeirsson's
movie will begin production in March 2008. The script written by Arni and Otto Geir Borg is based on Jon Atli's Johannson's award winning stageplay. World renown theater-group Vesturport will man the roles of a conflicted crew on an Icelandic fishing vessel braving the unforgiving waters of the North-Atlantic ocean.
Like always more news will appear on this site so update frequently!
This just in | 25.10.07
Skröltormar (Rattlesnakes) by Hafsteinn G. Sigurðsson got an nomination for best short film at the Icelandic Edda awards. Co-produced by Zik Zak the movie is written by Huldar Breiðfjörð and Hafsteinn. It recently won the main prize at Columbia's University's yearly film festival and has been getting great reviews everywhere it opens.
White christmas this year will have a dash of crimson | 12.10.07
Arni Thor Jonsson’s “Unholy Night” is nearing completion just in time for Christmas. This is ZikZak’s first venture into the horror genre and we hope it will send some seasonal shivers down your spines. Watch this space for more updates. Trailer is available here.
Things looking good for The Good Heart | 09.10.07
Dagur Kari's The Good Heart has started pre-production and in the coming weeks we'll update this site with the latest news and general information about the project. The film will be shot in NYC and Iceland.
Two Zik Zak produced shorts premiered at RIFF | 28.09.07
Zik Zak proudly announces the international premiere of Oskar Thor Axelsson’s “Misty Mountain” and Benedikt Erlingsson’s “Thanks” on September 30th in Regnboginn at 1600. Both films highlight our company’s increasing emphasis to produce ambitious short films with emerging new talent in the Icelandic film scene.
Larry Fessenden coming to RIFF | 28.09.07
It has been confirmed that director Larry Fessenden will attend the Icelandic premiere of “The Last Winter” on October 1 at the Reykjavik International Film Festival. This chilly ecological horror was co-produced by Zik Zak and stars horror icon Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”). Fessenden will do a Q&A after the movie, which will be moderated by Ómar Örn Hauksson of Quarashi fame.
Zik Zak at Nordisk Panorama / Oulu, Finland | 26.09.07
Hlin Johannesdottir, Thor Sigurjonsson and Grimar Jonsson were in Oulu in Finland and took part in the pitch session (Nordisk Forum), where they pitched a couple of documentaries that were very well received. Hlin Johannesdottir says that the trip “was a long journey travel-wise, but paid of completely. Oulu is amazing and the atmosphere at Nordisk Panorama is tremendous and the festival was extremely well organized.” Grimar adds that “the only drawback to the trip was the producer’s lack of talent in
the karaoke competition, since Oulu is the karaoke capital of the North.” Via a short phone conversation to Denmark Thor Sigurjonsson only had on word for the experience in Oulu “Basic.”
Last Winter shown at RIFF | 18.09.07
Larry Fessenden’s eco-horror will have its Icelandic premiere at the Reykjavik International Film Festival on October 1st. More
Website launced | 18.09.07
Welcome to the new website for Zik Zak filmworks. We hope you like the new look and in the future it will be updated with information on all our projects and with weekly news updates.