He is of the opinion that “it’s hard to evolve from first chance. Young filmmakers who get the opportunity to screen their films often find it hard to evolve into the larger marketplace.” Finding funding for shorts is especially difficult, Rúnar notes, adding “if you can’t make a short film to display your talents, you can’t make a feature.” In his opinion, short films are a springboard for first-time director, and as such should be encouraged by national and private funding. “The Icelandic Film Fund is now dedicating 40% of their budget to shorts, which is a posititve development,” though, he says, he’d like to see even more. Short films are getting more recognition as an art form, he feels, and should be more strongly supported.
Rúnar is currently located in Copenhagen. When asked how that affects his artistry, he wryly notes that “I’m such a slacker that it’s good to be away from all my slacker friends in Reykjavík. Otherwise I’d be sitting at coffeehouses all day smoking cigarettes,” then laughs. For Rúnar, the films he makes are stories that he wants to tell, that move him. He feels that they are both uniquely Icelandic as well as international. “My country reflects in the stories I tell, but I’d like them to have a global context. The Last Farm is an Icelandic film, taking place in a rural Icelandic setting, but when you’re telling a simple love story like this, the stage doesn’t really matter.”
Keep your eyes open for screenings of The Last Farm, or check out www.thelastfarm.blogspot.com
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