The honorary award of the Reykjavík International Film Festival was presented yesterday afternoon at Bessastaðir, in the presence of invited guests. Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, presented the award to Dutch director and photographer Anton Corbijn for Creative Excellence. On this occasion, she remarked on her great admiration for his photographs of one of her favorite bands, U2, with whom Corbijn has enjoyed a successful collaboration for more than 40 years.
A yellow weather warning to spark inspiration
She added that challenging conditions often ignite creativity in those with an artistic streak. That might explain why so many unusually creative people come from Iceland. She jokingly mentioned that she had nudged Mother Nature to provide some invigorating weather to spark even more inspiration — as a yellow weather warning was in effect yesterday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
An easy transition between mediums
Before the award presentation, film producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson gave a short speech about Corbijn. Sigurjón emphasized how admirable it was that, in a world where people are often forced into narrow boxes — especially in the entertainment industry in the West — Corbijn has effortlessly moved between mediums, always maintaining his unique vision while creating works of art that will stand the test of time, whether as a photograph, a music video, or a feature film. Few can devote themselves to such different mediums without losing credibility.
Multimedia master talk
Háskólabíó, where he took part in a multimedia master talk. The event reflected on his career in photography, music videos, and cinema, accompanied by projected images that illustrated his journey to a packed Hall 1 at Háskólabíó. The audience was then given the chance to ask questions before the session concluded. Corbijn departed Iceland this morning after eventful and busy days as RIFF’s honorary guest.