Eldarnir, a film by Ugla Hauksdóttir, is Iceland’s contribution to the competition section SMART7, which will be screened at RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival this autumn, as well as at its six European partner festivals that form the SMART7 alliance.
The SMART7 film section is the result of a collaboration between seven European film festivals since 2023 and is supported by the Creative Europe fund. The festivals participating in the project are well-known and respected: IndieLisboa in Portugal, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece, New Horizons in Poland, FILMADRID in Spain, the Vilnius International Film Festival in Lithuania (Kino Kaurismäki), the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), and RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival.
“This is a great honor and an unexpected joy,” says director Ugla Hauksdóttir about the nomination for the SMART7 award. “The section focuses on works by young filmmakers who are doing interesting things, and one cannot help but feel a little proud that my film has been nominated. What is equally exciting is that, as a result, the film will be screened at all seven festivals, which are among the most interesting on the continent, and this represents valuable exposure and potentially some opportunities going forward.”
The section is conceived as a platform to discover and support young and promising filmmakers, showcasing the freshest and most interesting trends in European cinema today. This year, the program once again brings together seven debut features or works by emerging filmmakers and leads audiences on a journey through family relationships, personal crises, and the challenges that contemporary life places on the individual.
The Smart7 festival network awards a €5,000 cash prize to the winner of the touring competition, intended to support emerging filmmakers. The winning film is selected by a young international jury composed of young filmmakers or film scholars from the seven partner countries, who meet in Thessaloniki in November, where the award ceremony will take place.
The film Eldarnir is Ugla Hauksdóttir’s debut feature and premiered in Iceland on September 5 last autumn. The main character, Anna Arnardóttir, one of Iceland’s leading volcanologists, faces a double catastrophe: on the one hand, a volcanic eruption threatening the safety of the capital’s residents, and on the other, a love affair that could destroy her marriage.
The other films that make up this year’s SMART7 section are:
Director: Andreea Borțun
A quiet and observant narrative spanning the seasons, following Lavinia, a single mother, and Dani, her 13-year-old son, in a Romanian village. As Dani enters adolescence, the balance in their relationship shifts — dependence gives way to friction, and daily life tightens under social and economic pressures, along with the inevitable changes that come with growing up.
Director: Emi Buchwald
Four siblings grow up without their parents and form a close alliance where intimacy and conflict coexist. The film follows the evolution of their relationships, tensions, and mutual dependency, drawing a multi-layered generational portrait through an unconventional narrative approach.
Director: Giorgos Georgopoulos
A coming-of-age story set within a sports framework, centering on Daphne, a teenage judo competitor from a remote island. When she moves to a larger city to continue training under her coach’s guidance, discipline and competition become the arena for a deeper struggle: self-definition, resilience, and early adulthood.
Director: Vytautas Katkus
A new father, Danielius, returns to his hometown to sell his late parents’ apartment. What begins as a practical errand transforms into reflection: reunions with places — and people — bring back memories, reckonings, and a renewed sense of self at a turning point in his life.
Director: Pedro Ramalhete
A melancholic comedy set within a film crew, shedding light on the forces and fragile dynamics of filmmaking — identity, solidarity, and the delicate balance of creation — while affectionately referencing Portuguese film culture.
Director: Anxos Fazáns
Bea, a fifty-year-old woman going through a divorce, and Denís, a 28-year-old trans man at an unstable period in his life, meet by chance. Their connection develops into mutual support and a new direction — a sensitive exploration of loneliness, identity, and the possibility of beginning a new chapter.
