Stuck in Dundalk, the feature debut project by Icelandic born Thordur Pálsson (pictured) won on Friday the coveted NOK 250,000 Nordic Talents Pitch Prize at a ceremony held at the National Film School of Denmark.

Pálsson just graduated from the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, UK with the 23 minute social drama Brothers. 

The jury of the 15th Nordic Talents said in a statement: “The Nordic Talent Pitch Prize goes to a project that impressed the jury by a fluent, well-structured and most of all, personal story. The winner’s graduation film shows tremendous talent in narrative and visual storytelling as well as special skills in convincing character performance. The winner has a clear vision of the up-coming film and a professional attitude in developing it. The jury believes in the director’s personal voice.”

Synopsis: A broken alcoholic goes on a mission to avenge his daughter’s death, only to find his target is out at sea. Stuck in the small fishing town with a street-smart boy and his mother, he inadvertently finds a new lease on life.

The NT15 jury members: Berlinale festival advisor and programmer Nikolai Nikitin, film commissioner at the Danish Film Institute Steen Bille, head of Leipzig Documentary Film festival Leena Pasanen, film commissioner for Moving Sweden at the Swedish Film Institute Helen Ahlsson and director Rúnar Rúnarsson.