Sprettfiskur/Shortfish

The goal of the competition is to draw attention to aspiring and versatile filmmakers and encourage future achievements with prizes that lay the foundation for the next project. The rewards are supported by KUKL Rental and the Icelandic broadcaster RÚV. Winners will be included in RÚV VOD this year. The contenders will compete in four categories divided into Fiction, Documentary, Experimental and Creative Music Videos.

There will be Q & A with the directors after the screenings

FICTION

Rising

Director: Samúel Lúkas

Producers: Samúel Lúkas og Jóna Gréta Hilmarsdóttir

Length: 17,06 min

Synopsis: An up-and-coming actor's life unravels when he receives a threatening note. Paranoia drives him to accuse everyone in his life, jeopardizing his career and relationships as he sets out to find the culprit and rise to the top.

Deadlift

Director: Jóna Gréta Hilmarsdóttir

Producers: Jóna Gréta Hilmarsdóttir og Kárason Þormar

Length: 11.09 min

Synopsis: Dagur, a young car salesman, struggles with societal expectations of masculinity. When a threatening man targets his partner, Brynja, Dagur freezes, unable to protect her. Desperate to reclaim his manhood, he crafts a false hero narrative to his coworkers, only to face the harsh reality that the trauma still lingers. Attempts at intimacy expose its deep impact, triggering a violent confrontation with the original assailant as Dagur spirals in his pursuit of lost masculinity.

Signals

Director: Rúnar Ingi Einarsson

Producer: Ingimar Guðbjartsson

Length: 13,30 min

Synopsis: At her drama school audition, an aspiring young actress must face the emotional turmoil of her grief or else risk not fulfilling her dream.

In rhythm

Director: Hanna Hulda Hafþórsdóttir

Producer: Hanna Hulda Hafþórsdóttir

Length: 11,23 min

Synopsis: Kara and Jenný have been inseparable since kindergarten, but recently, Jenný has started drifting toward a new friend group. Desperate to save their bond, Kara tries to fit in but ends up embarrassing both herself and Jenný. A dance competition they’ve entered becomes Kara’s last chance to reconnect with Jenný, who shows up just in time. They struggle to communicate and their performance feels flat, until a moment of trust helps them rediscover their connection. Despite this, Kara realizes they are growing apart, and she learns to accept that change is okay.

Frame

Director: Óskar Þór Ámundason

Producers: Kolbeinn Gauti Friðriksson og Óskar Þór Ámundason

Length: 16,39 min

Synopsis: Eva and Halldór's mother has stopped communicating since she fell ill. Since then, Eva has been caring for her with the help of the nurse Védís, but after Halldór comes to visit the two of them, the household dynamics become disrupted with unforeseen consequences.

The framework is a film about sibling dynamics, child-parent communication, rewriting the past, and the role of technology in memory preservation.