02/09/2005

Baltasar Kormakur’s first English language film A Little Trip to Heaven and Sturla Gunnarsson’s epic film Beowulf and Grendel have been invited to screen at Toronto International Film Festival ’s Special Presentations this year among 41 films from 17 countries, while their counterpart Robert Douglas will present his social satire Eleven Men Out at the Contemporary World Section among 63 other titles.
Kormakur, the multi-talented writer/director/producer who was revealed to the international film world with his first feature film 101 Reykjavik in 2000, has directed an ambitious mystery drama in English language with A Little Trip To Heaven, a US/Icelandic co-production starring Forest Whitaker, Julia Stiles, Jeremy Renner and Peter Coyote. It’s the story of an insurance investigator from the city who is sent to the small town of Hadtings to investigate the mysterious death of an ex con-artist. The film sold by L.A.based Katapult Film Sales, will be released in Europe notably by A-Film (Benelux), Sandrew Metronome (Scandinavia) and Monopole Pathé (Switzerland).

Beowulf and Grendel by the Icelandic-Canadian director Gunnarsson, is a new take on the medieval tale of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who fights the legendary monster Grendel. The Icelandic/UK/Canadian co-production between The Icelandic Film Corporation, Spice Factory and The Film Works, stars Scottish actor Gerard Butler (Tomb Raider 2), Stellan Skarsgård, Sarah Polley, and Icelandic’s heartthrob Ingvar E.Sigurdsson (Angels Of The Universe). International sales are handled by Arclight Films.

Finally Eleven Men Out released on Wednesday in Iceland by Kisi Distribution, is the third feature film by one of Iceland’s most exciting new filmmakers, Robert Douglas of Irish and Icelandic origins. Co-written by the director with Jon Atli Jonasson, it’s the story of a professional football player who admits to his team-mates and family that he is gay. The film is a European co-production between the Icelandic Julius Kemp and Ingvar Thordarson (Icelandic Film Company), the Finnish Jukk Helle and Markus Selin (Solar Films) and the British Mike Downey and Sam Taylor (Film and Music Entertainment- F&ME). World sales are handled by the Icelandic Film Company.