HEARTSTONE by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, winner of the European University Film Award 2017.

The European Film Academy (EFA) and Filmfest Hamburg congratulate HEARTSTONE by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, winner of the European University Film Award 2017. 

picture: Claudia Höhne

The award will be presented tonight, Friday, 8 December, in the framework of the European Film Awards Weekend in Berlin, at the welcome reception hosted by the Creative Europe Desks.

The nominated films were viewed and discussed in 19 universities in 19 countries and each institution selected its favourite film. One student representative from each university then attended a two-day deliberation meeting to decide on the overall winner.

From the jury statement: “HEARTSTONE is a story about exploration of identities and growing up within an isolated Icelandic community.  It highlights the pressure placed on people to conform to particular gender conventions and social norms. The film offers an individual and unique perspective on the difficulty of experiencing and suppressing same-sex attraction in small, disconnected communities. As an up and coming talent, Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson delivers an immersive story visualized by overwhelming natural landscapes and beautiful performances. It stands out not only because it is a good film, but also because it explores relevant contemporary issues within today’s society.” 

The aim of this initiative by the European Film Academy (EFA) and Filmfest Hamburg  is to involve a younger audience, to spread the “European idea” and to transport the spirit of European cinema to an audience of university students. It shall also support film dissemination, film education and the culture of debating.

The initiative is supported by the Körber Foundation (www.koerber-stiftung.de) and the Joachim Hertz Foundation and is realised in co-operation with NECS–European Network for Cinema and Media Studies (www.necs.org).

The European Film Awards Ceremony with the presentation of the winners will take place on Saturday at 19.00, streamed live at www.europeanfilmawards.eu.