RIFF ANNOUNCES WINNERS AND CELEBRATES RECORD ATTENDANCE
The Japanese film Super Happy Forever was awarded the Golden Puffin, the Norwegian documentary A New Kind of Wilderness won The Best Picture from The Different Tomorrow category, The Bride by Hördís Jóhannsdóttir was chosen The Best Icelandic Short and The Young People's Jury chose G-21 Scenes from Gottsunda as The Best Picture
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. The Closing Film, The Room Next Door by Pedró Almodóvar, was screened after the ceremony.
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.’
The Young People’s Jury Award went out to G: 21 Scenes from Gottsunda by Loran Batti.
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. This year, the Golden Puffin Award went to Super Happy Together by Kohei Igarashi. The film tells the story of Sano who travels with his childhood friend Miyata to the beach town where he first met his deceased wife, in search of a lost red hat. Super Happy Forever was the Opening film at Venice Film Festival earlier this year and has received great critical acclaim.
A New Kind of Wilderness by the Norwegian Silje Evensmo Jacobsen won The Different Tomorrow Award, but it was also awarded World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Different Tomorrow 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.
There has been a record attendance at RIFF this year, and the families are extremely grateful to the audience, filmmakers and partners for their support.
The results of the festival were as follows:
THE GOLDEN EGG
Jury: Bjarni Felix Bjarnason, Hrafnkell Stefánsson and Silla Berg
The winner of the Talent Lab and recipient of the Golden Egg Award is: A Good Day Will Come by Amir Zargara.
Jury verdict:
A Good Day Will Come 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.
ICELANDIC SHORTS
Jury: Sarah Gyllenstierna, Bergur Árnason, Katla Njálsdóttir
The Best Icelandic Short was awarded to The Bride by Hjördís Jóhannsdóttir.
Jury verdict:
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.
Blue Boy by Nikulás Tumi Hlynsson received a Special Mention, 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.’
The Best Icelandic Student Short was then awarded to Sleepwalker by Alfreð Hrafn Magnússon.
Jury verdict:
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.
Salvör Bergmann received a Special Mention for her short Game Over.
The director shows great potential with her visual style and control of tone in both Game Over and the other submitted work that really impressed the jury.
INTERNATIONAL SHORTS
Jury: Lasse Linder, Loran Batti, Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen.
The award for the Best International Short went to Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Viel for their short The Exploding Girl.
Jury verdict:
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.
THE YOUNG PEOPLE´S JURY
Jury: Harpa Hjartardóttir, Artúr Siuzev Guðnason, Arína Vala Þórðardóttir
Dómnefnd unga fólskins veitir sænsku myndinni G – 21 Scenes from Gottsunda (G-21 sena frá Gottsunda) eftir Loran Batti verðlaun.
Jury verdict:
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.
A DIFFERENT TOMORROW
Jury: Andri Snær Magnason, Tine Klint, Rakel Garðarsdóttir
The award went to the Norwegian documentary A New Kind of Wilderness by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen.
Jury verdict:
A New Kind of Wilderness is beautiful and inspiring documentary where family is confronted with the harsh realities of a different tomorrow.
New Visions - Golden Puffin
Jury: Ava Cahen, Elad Samorzik, Ingar E. Sigurðsson
Winner: Super Happy Forever by Kohei Igarashi.
Jury verdict:
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.
Special Mention: Helga Guren for her acting performance in Loveable by Lilja Ingólfsdóttir.
Before announcing the Grand Prize, we wanted to give a special mention to an actress whose performance moved us. She plays to perfection the role of a woman shattered by heartbreak, who learns to reconnect with herself. Congratulations to Helga Guren for her performance in Loveable.
