01/06/2011

Want instant access to Icelandic cinema, be it features, documentaries, shorts, TV shows, or other audiovisuals? Launched in May, Icelandic Cinema Online is a new VOD service on the internet with a line-up of only Icelandic productions.

With an interface in English, and English subtitles to all the films (some also with German, French, Spanish, even Danish), the website is primarily directed at international audiences, who have had difficulties in the past finding Icelandic product on DVD.

”The purpose of the site is also to create a platform where Icelandic filmmakers can promote their work in a much bigger marketplace than has been possible before – the internet,” explained Sunna Gudnadóttir, project manager of Icelandic Cinema Online.

The first feature selection includes early works by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson (ao The Raven Flies, 1984) and Tórhildur Torleifsdóttir, as well as more recent titles by Dagur Kári, Ragnar Bragason and Gudny Halldórsdóttir. The documentary side doesn’t miss a few volcanic eruptions. Price for a screening is between €0-€4.

”We have started with approximately 40 films, adding new material every week. Iceland has produced more than 100, not to mention hundreds of documentaries, so there is plenty to take from – and a lot of it has been unavailable for a long time,” Gudnadóttir concluded.

With a population of only 318,500 – less than a third of Brussels – Iceland last year premièred 14 full-length films (11 features), claiming an 11.5% market share. The country’s 46 screens are well frequented: Icelanders go to the movies an average of 4.9 times a year.