RIFF ANNOUNCES THE 2024 WINNERS AND CELEBRATES THE END OF ITS 21ST EDITION
Winning films from our competitive categories were announced at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival in Reykjavík at Háskólabíó on Saturday, October 5th. Guests attended the event among invited filmmakers and producers to celebrate the end of the 21st edition of the festival. With record-breaking ticket sales, this year’s festival has drawn its largest audience yet, a testament to the growing excitement and support for the films showcased.
The main festival prize is The Golden Puffin Award, awarded to the best film in the New Visions category. This category consists of titles from up-and-coming directors in the current international panorama who are making their first or second feature films. Considering the outstanding talent showcased in the New Vision category this year, it is no surprise that the jury had a difficult time deciding on the winner.
A special mention went to Helga Guren for her role in Loveable. Guren’s performance moved the jury, which wrote that she ‘[played] to perfection the role of a woman shattered by heartbreak.’
The Golden Puffin Award went to Super Happy Together by Kohei Igarashi.
The jury said that: ‘For the Grand Prize, we decided to reward a delicate and luminous first film, which deals with grief in an original way and features tenders characters we’ve enjoyed discovering. We were seduced by every aspect of the film: its narrative, which plays with temporalities, its sober and solid mise en scène, and its embodiment.’
The Different Tomorrow Award is a category that aims to showcase titles that can facilitate societal discussion and shed new light on how we – together as a community – can tackle problems that are not only local but global.
The award went to A New Kind of Wilderness by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen. In their verdict, the jury said that: A New Kind of Wilderness is beautiful and inspiring documentary where family is confronted with the harsh realities of a different tomorrow.
The Best Icelandic Short was awarded to The Bride by Hjördís Jóhannsdóttir, along with a special mention to Blue Boy by Nikulás Tumi Hlynsson, who the jury agreed ‘shows great promise as a director with a clear vision and precision that carries through and engaged us to the end of the film.’
In their verdict about The Bride, the jury wrote: ‘The winning film is a cohesive work that really moved us, particularly on the strength of all of its performances, not the least of which by its lead actress. The director succeeds in creating a world that’s completely convincing and three dimensional, a story with twists and emotional depth that really impressed us in such a short timespan.’
The Best Icelandic Student Short was then awarded to Sleepwalker by Alfreð Hrafn Magnússon with a special mention to Game Over by Salvör Bermann, who the jury described as a director with great potential, due to her visual style and control of tone.
In their verdict about Sleepwalker, the jury wrote: ‘The director shows inventive and impressive command over tone and visual language. The film is suggestive and successful in its experimental approach while keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end.’
THE EXPLODING GIRL, by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, was awarded as the best International Short.
The jury agreed that: “THE EXPLODING GIRL captures the chaotic essence of our world today, where anger and injustice permeate our lives. Through a relentless series of shocks and explosions, it confronts us with the overwhelming horror of modern existence. With a bold Gen Z aesthetic, the film skilfully portrays the tenderness hidden within the chaos. The world is horrible, so you must explode.”
From the Reykjavík Talent Lab Workshop that takes place during the RIFF, the winner of the Golden Egg Award was: A Good Day Will Come.
In their statement, the jury said that the film: ‘offers a poignant reflection of our world, examining the struggle between speaking out and remaining silent for safety. It raises the important question: do we break generational cycles before they break us? With a well-crafted story and creative filmmaking, the film achieves a subtle high production value that makes its world feel authentic. Strong composition and lighting further amplify its emotional impact.’
Finally, The Young People’s Jury Award went out to G: 21 Scenes from Gottsunda by Loran Batti.
The verdict said: The jury had the privilege of watching a diverse selection of films from around the world, each with its own strengths and unique voice. Ultimately, the jury came to the unanimous agreement that one film stands out in its unfiltered but ultimately human portrayal of a community unseen by many. G-21 Scenes from Gottsunda is an introspective, poetic meditation on identity and brotherhood, where the filmmaker’s loyalty to his roots manifests in a commendable dedication to the portrayal of his neighborhood.
