Baltasar Kormákur

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Baltasar Kormákur.
Baltasar Kormákur
Baltasar in 2022
Born
Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson

(1966-02-27) 27 February 1966 (age 58)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Alma materIceland University of the Arts
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film director
  • film producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1992–present
ChildrenBaltasar Breki Samper
Websitervkstudios.is

Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson is an Icelandic actor, theatre and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films 101 Reykjavík, The Sea, A Little Trip to Heaven, Contraband, 2 Guns, Everest, Touch, and the TV series Katla.

Early life and education

Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. His father is the Catalan painter Baltasar Samper.[citation needed]

Career

In 1999, Baltasar founded the film production company Blueeyes with his wife Lilja Pálmadóttir. Agnes Johansen is another producer at the company, and Dadi Einarsson joined later.[1]

For his film Jar City, Baltasar won the Crystal Globe award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2007.

In December 2011, the production of drama film Rocketman was announced, with Baltasar Kormákur and Dagur Kári set to direct.[2][3]

Baltasar's 2012 film The Deep was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards,[4] making the January shortlist.[5]

In January 2013, it was announced that a new film, Rocketman, would be produced by Baltasar with his partner Agnes Johansen,[6] with Danish production company Nimbus Film co-producing. The film's expected release was 2015.[1]

In February 2015, it was announced that his next film would be the crime-thriller The Oath,[7] which is based on a script by actor Ólafur Egilsson.[8]

In 2020, Baltasar began production of the Netflix science fiction series Katla.[9]

His 2024 film Touch became the closing film at Filmfest München.[10]

Personal life

Baltasar's wife is Lilja Pálmadóttir,[1] and their son is actor Baltasar Breki Samper.[citation needed]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Credited as
Director Producer Writer
1996 Go LazyTown Yes No Yes
2000 101 Reykjavík Yes Yes Yes
2002 The Sea Yes Yes Yes
2005 A Little Trip to Heaven Yes Yes Yes
2006 Jar City Yes Yes Yes
2008 White Night Wedding Yes Yes Yes
2010 Inhale Yes No No
2012 Contraband Yes Yes No
The Deep Yes Yes Yes
2013 2 Guns Yes No No
2015 Everest Yes Yes No
2016 The Oath Yes Yes Yes
2018 Adrift Yes Yes No
2022 Beast Yes Yes No
2024 Touch Yes Yes Yes

Producer only

Television

Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Producer
2013 Hulli No Executive
The Missionary Yes No TV movie
2015–2019 Trapped Yes Yes Creator
2016 The Mayor No Yes
2021 Katla Yes Yes Directed 4 episodes
TBA King and Conqueror Yes Yes

Acting credits

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Wallpaper: Erotic Love Story Lass
A Fairy of Our Time — Short film
1995 Agnes Natan
1996 Dream Hunters Gunnar
Devil's Island Baddi
1999 Split Fridrik
2000 Angels of the Universe Óli
101 Reykjavík Þröstur
2001 No Such Thing Dr. Artaud
Me and Morrison Askildsen
Regina Ivan
2003 Stormy Weather Einar
2008 Reykjavík-Rotterdam Kristófer
2016 The Oath Finnur

Awards and honors

Year Award Category Nominated Work Result Notes
2000 Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo 101 Reykjavík Nominated New Directors Competition
Edda Awards Best Supporting Actor Englar Alheimsins Nominated
Best Film 101 Reykjavík Nominated Shared with: Ingvar Þórðarson
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Won
European Film Awards European Discovery of the Year Nominated
Locarno International Film Festival Golden Leopard Nominated
Youth Jury Award: Euro<26 Won
Lubeck Nordic Film Days Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Won
Thessaloniki Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize Won "For the homogeneous and literary treating of complicated contemporary sexual relationships with a sense of humour."
Toronto International Film Festival Discovery Award Won Tied With George Washington
2001 Berlin International Film Festival Shooting Star Won
Bogota Film Festival Golden Precolumbian Circle 101 Reykjavík Nominated Best film
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema Best Film Nominated
Pula Film Festival Big Golden Arena Won European Competition: Best Film
Rouen Nordic Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Won
Tbilisi International Film Festival Prize of the Union of Georgian Filmmakers Won
2002 Edda Awards Best Screenplay The Sea Won Shared with: Ólafur Haukur Símonarson
Best Film Won
Best Director Won
Nordic Council Film Prize Icelandic Entry Nominated
San Sebastián Film Festival Golden Seashell Nominated
2003 Istanbul International Film Festival Golden Tulip Nominated
FIPRESCI Prize Won "For its deep observation of social and cultural wounds of a disintegrating family faced with globalization."
Tromsø International Film Festival Audience Award Won
2005 Nordic Council Film Prize Icelandic Entry Dís Nominated Shared with: Silja Hauksdóttir (director, writer), Birna Anna Björnsdóttir (writer), Oddný Sturludóttir (writer) and Agnes Johansen (producer)
2006 Cognac Festival du Film Policier Critics Award A Little Trip to Heaven Won
Edda Awards Best Film Jar City Won Shared with: Agnes Johansen and Lilja Pálmadóttir (producers)
Best Director Won
Göteborg Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize A Little Trip to Heaven Won
Nordic Council Film Prize Icelandic Entry Nominated Shared with: Edward Martin Weinman (writer) and Sigurjón Sighvatsson (producer)
2007 Jar City Nominated Shared with: Agnes Johansen and Lilja Pálmadóttir (producers)
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Crystal Globe Won Shared with: Lilja Pálmadóttir (producer)
Don Quijote Award Won
2008 Edda Awards Best Film White Night Wedding Won
Nordic Council Film Prize Icelandic Entry Nominated Shared with: Ólafur Egilsson (writer), Agnes Johansen, Kim Magnusson, and Lilja Pálmadóttir (producers)
Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films Grand Prize Jar City Won Shared with: Agnes Johansen and Lilja Pálmadóttir (producers)
Best Direct Won
2010 Rouen Nordic Film Festival Young Audience Award White Night Wedding Won
2011 Edda Awards Best Director Inhale Nominated
2012 Les Arcs European Film Festival Crystal Arrow The Deep Nominated
Mar del Plata Film Festival Best Film Nominated
2013 Edda Awards Best Screenplay Nominated Shared with: Jón Atli Jónasson
Best Director Won
European Film Awards Audience Award Nominated
Göteborg Film Festival Dragon Award Nominated Best Nordic Film
Locarno International Film Festival Variety Piazza Grande Award 2 Guns Nominated
Nordic Council Film Prize Icelandic Entry The Deep Nominated
2014 Göteborg Film Festival Nordic Honorary Dragon Award Won
2015 CinemaCon International Filmmaker of the Year Won

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Oscar Hopeful Baltasar Kormakur to Produce Dagur Kari's 'Rocketman'". The Wrap. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Dagur Kari writing Icelandic film Rocket Man; Baltasar Kormakur to produce". screendaily.com. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Contraband Director Baltasar Kormakur to Produce ROCKET MAN". filmofilia.com. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Djúpið framlag Íslands til Óskarsverðlaunanna". svarthofdi.is. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  5. ^ "9 Foreign Language Films Vie For Oscar". Oscars. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  6. ^ "Baltasar Kormakur to produce Dagur Kari's Rocketman". screendaily.com. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  7. ^ "The Oath". thewrap.com. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  8. ^ "The Oath". RVK Studios. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  9. ^ Sperling, Nicole (15 May 2020). "Two Projects Are Filming Again. Here's How They're Doing It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  10. ^ Economou, Vassilis (18 June 2024). "Filmfest München unveils its full programme". Cineuropa. Retrieved 8 August 2024.