Interviewed a few days after the world premiere of Undercurrent at the Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF), producer Thor S. Sigurjónsson (photo) is extremely pleased by the warm response from the festival's audience and was looking forward to the film's domestic release, via Sena Distribution. The film received 5 stars out of 5 from Iceland's DV newspaper and Fréttablaðið newspaper 4 stars out of 5.
"Undercurrent (Ásgeirsson's second feature film after Thicker than Water) was co-written with Otto Geir Borg, in collaboration with the actors from Vesterpurt theatre group. The ‘first Icelandic fishing drama actually set on a fishing vessel' according to Sigurjónsson, was co-produced with Poland.
Zik Zak is also ten days into the filming of Volcano by multiple award-winning Rúnarsson, Oscar nominated for The Last Farm. Submitted at Nordic Talents 2009 where it won a Special Mention, Volcano is the story of a grumpy 67 year-old man. He gradually learns to reach out to those he loves. Reuniting most of Rúnarsson's crew who studied with him at the Danish Film School, the film is co-produced with Denmark's Fine & Mellow and received support from the Danish Film Institute's New Danish Screen, the Icelandic Film Centre and Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Delivery date is set for May 2011.
Before that, Zik Zak will oversee the domestic release around Christmas of the youth film Hullabaloo by Gunnar Björn Gudmunsson (Astropia). Looking ahead, Sigurjónsson is upbeat about his company's numerous children and youth films in the pipeline, developed with his partner Skúli Malmquist. He is looking at developing more international projects, be it with Danish partners (Sigurjónsson co-produced Nicolas Winding Refn's Valhalla Rising and Bronson) or in the US. A project there with an A list director and stars' is in discussion.