U.S.-based Icelandic movie, music video and TV producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson will likely be celebrated by the Locarno Film Festival with its Raimondo Rezzonico Award, devoted to producers who epitomize the indie ethos.
Sigurjón “Joni” Sighvatsson co-founded Propaganda Movies with Steve Golin in 1986, constructing it right into a powerhouse that produced hit TV exhibits akin to “Twin Peaks” (1990-91) and “Beverly Hills 90210” (1990-2000) and — because the one-time producer of one-third of all music movies in america — early works by Zack Snyder, Spike Jonze, Gore Verbinski, Michael Bay and David Fincher.
Sighvatsson, who can be majority proprietor of Scandinavian distributor Scanbox Leisure and founding father of Palomar Footage, additionally produced David Lynch’s Palme d’Or winner “Wild at Heart” and Julian Schnabel’s groundbreaking “Basquiat.” His “collaborations with filmmakers like Nicolas Winding Refn and Jim Sheridan — as well as artists like Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno — have yielded cult classics that continue to exert a powerful influence on younger filmmakers around the world,” based on a press release.
“Characterized 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,” stated Locarno creative director Giona A. Nazzaro within the assertion. “His instinct as a producer profoundly influenced the course of ’90s cinema, while his attitude of favoring 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,” he added.
Earlier winners of the Locarno award embody French producer Marianne Slot and U.S. producers Jason Blum and Stacey Sher.
The 79th Locarno Movie Competition will run Aug. 5-15.
