Bragason sweeps Edda awards

by Annika Pham

13/11/2007 - Icelandic filmmaker Ragnar Bragason won six major Edda awards (Iceland’s top film honours) for his film Parents and another two for his television drama The Nightshift at the 9th Icelandic Film and Television Awards ceremony held last Sunday at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel.

Bragason’s Parents, made with Iceland’s innovative theatre group Vesturport, won Best Film, Director, Screenplay (co-written by the filmmaker and the cast), Actress (Nanna Kristin Magnusdottir), Actor (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson), Cinematography and Editing (Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson).

Based entirely on improvisation, the low-budget film is the independent second part of a twin feature exploring the roles of middle to upper class parents in contemporary Reykjavik. The first part, Children [trailer], won an Edda for Best Screenplay in 2006. Both films are sold by London-based The Works.

Other film winners this year include production designer Árni Páll Jóhannsson, who received an Honorary Award and an Edda for his work on Björn Br. Björnsson’s thriller Cold Trail; musician Gunnar Árnason for his Cold Trail score; and actress Jorundur Ragnarsson for her supporting role in Gudny Halldorsdottir’s The Quiet Storm.

The Edda for Best Documentary film was awarded to At the Edge of the World co-directed, by Ari Alexander Magnusson and Björgúlfsson, who previously collaborated on Screaming Masterpieces.