Lights go out in Reykjavik
Fest prompts a blackout in Iceland's capital city
|
More Articles:
Most Viewed:
Invictus(5710 views)Football player elbows vampires on Turkey day(3908 views)The Lovely Bones(1262 views)'Burn Notice' gets renewal(865 views)The costs of H’w’d spending(752 views)'2012' breaks B.O. record in Russia(709 views) |
Organizers had persuaded the city council to back a 30 minutes "Lights Out" event for the opening night.
"The twinkling stars and dancing streaks of northern lights can be just as good as quality festival films, and for that reason we want to begin the festival by setting our gaze upon the largest silver screen there is: the sky itself," said the organizers. The blackout was accompanied by renowned Icelandic astronomer Torsteinn Saemundsson who talked about the stars on national radio.
The festival's competition is devoted to debut or second films that have garnered attention around the world. The 14 pics competing for the Discovery of the Year Award include Romanian helmer Corneliu Porumboiu's "12:08, East of Bucharest," Andrea Arnold's acclaimed Cannes entry "Red Road," John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus" and one Nordic entry, Jesper Ganslandt's "Falkenberg Farewell," recently selected as Sweden's submission for the foreign-language Oscar.
The program of 77 pics sports two Icelandic world premieres: documentaries "Act Normal" by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson and "Wrath Of Gods" by Jon Gustafsson, about the making of Sturla Gunnarsson's "Beowulf and Grendel."
Guests at the festival include Russian helmer Aleksandr Sokurov, who will be honored with the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award, Canadian helmer Atom Egoyan, who will receive the Creative Excellency Award and host a master class, and Yoko Ono, who will introduce U.S. production "The US vs John Lennon" as well as her own short "Onochord."
The Reykjavik fest is rolling until Oct. 8.
