Sigurjón Sighvatsson Set For Locarno’s Raimondo Rezzonico Award
Film, TV, and music producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson will receive the honorary Raimondo Rezzonico Award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, which runs from August 5 to 15.
Sighvatsson will be handed the award on August 6. As part of the celebrations, Sighvatsson will present two of his feature credits, David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990) and Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon’s Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait (2006), at the festival.
Over his decades-long career, Sighvatsson has produced over 60 feature films and TV series, most notably Twin Peaks (1990-91) and Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000). He has also worked with filmmakers like Nicolas Winding Refn and Jim Sheridan and artists like Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno.
Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro said Sighvatsson’s work has been “characterised by a deeply European perspective but immersed in the workings of the industry in the United States.”
“Sigurjón “Joni” Sighvatsson shaped a true “politique du producteur”, allowing artists such as David Lynch to create their works in complete freedom and supporting authors such as Kathryn Bigelow to make some of the most personal films of her career,” Nazzaro said.
“His instinct as a producer profoundly influenced the course of ’90s cinema, while his attitude of favouring originality and independence as a principle made him a point of reference for a whole generation of filmmakers who looked to Sighvatsson’s work as a model of audacity, integrity, creativity, and vision.”
Previous Raimondo Rezzonico Award recipients include Abbout Productions, the independent Beirut-based production house led by Georges Schoucair and Myriam Sassine, and producer Marianne Slot.
