The romantic comedy has sold over 53,000 tickets in Iceland since January 16 and is well on its way to join Kormákur's previous hit Jar City (81,000 admissions) on the chart of record breaking domestic hits in Iceland.
Loosely based on Anton Chekhov's play Ivanov, White Night Wedding was developed simultaneously for stage and screen with an all-Iceland cast including Hilmir Snær Guðnason (The Quiet Storm), Margrét Vilhjálmsdóttir (Thicker than Water) and Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson (Parents). The film focuses on the 35 year-old Ivanov, who was once an energetic entrepreneur but is now totally burnt out. He pays no attention to his sick wife and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, until the young student Sasha falls in love with him and takes it upon herself to save him. The €2m film was produced by Blue Eyes Productions, in co-production with Sena Film, RUV, with support from the Icelandic Film Centre.
Meanwhile the multi-talented and restless Kormákur has just finished playing the lead role in Reykjavik-Rotterdam, a comedy by fellow director Oskar Jonasson (Remote Control). The film is based on a script co-written by successful novelist Arnaldur Indridason (author of Jar City) and Jonasson. "It's an action thriller with a comedic twist," said producer Agnes Johansen. Kormákur plays Kristofer (photo) who works as a security guard after having done some time in jail for smuggling alcohol while working on a ship. As he struggles to support his family, he gets the opportunity to do one last smuggling job on a freighter between Reykjavik and Rotterdam. Dutch actor Victor Löw is also in the cast. The €2.4m film is co-produced by Dick Rijneke and Mildred van Leeuwaarden's Rotterdam Films in Holland, with support from the Icelandic Film Centre and Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Domestic and international distribution rights are being negotiated with a major Nordic company.
Kormákur's Jar City continues its successful tour of world festivals and just won three top awards at the 19th Festival de Valenciennes (France) presided by Niels Arestrup. The thriller won the Grand Jury Prize, Best Director and Best Actor (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson). Memento Films will release the film in France on August 27, 2008.