Iceland Attracts Filmmakers With ‘Low Infection Risk’

Iceland’s relative low infection risk has continued to attract filmmakers this year.

Both foreign and local productions have utilised the Icelandic scenery this year, causing the industry to still fair rather well despite COVID-19 and its impact on the economy.

Einar Hansen Tómasson, director of Promote Iceland, tells RÚV that foreign filmmakers still seek out Iceland due to its relative safety, small population and low infection rate as well as good facilities, beautiful scenery and reimbursement of up to a quarter of production costs.

Promote Iceland handles all sorts of international market-based affairs in Iceland, including playing the role of attracting foreign filmmakers to Iceland and, according to Einar, inquiries have hardly diminished much despite COVID-19. Reportedly, two foreign TV series are currently being shot in Iceland, tech giant Sony has just recently finished filming an advertisement in Iceland, and so-called background shots are currently being filmed for an American film.

According to the Icelandic film commission Film In Iceland, “Icelandic authorities have introduced measures to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on film production in Iceland. These range from available exemptions from temporary travel restrictions to modified quarantine procedures ensuring that film crews from abroad can start work from day one in Iceland.”

The ongoing production rate doesn’t just apply to foreign filmmaking. The Icelandic Film Centre has several projects in the works, including 12 Icelandic films as well as a number of documentaries, short films and TV productions.

A strong indicator for the continued efforts in film and TV productions are the recently closed streets in Reykjavík, for example, due to filming. Just this week parts of the city centre were closed off due to filming for the third series of the acclaimed crime drama “Trapped” (“Ófærð”), and street closings in Vesturbær and Baldursgata have already been announced for the next week.

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