About
Ásgrímur Sverrisson
Ásgrímur Sverrisson is a filmmaker and a film commentator, with over thirty years of experience in both fields. He studied directing at UK’s The National Film and Television School, graduating in 1994.
He started making films at the age of thirteen and published his first film magazine in the same year (1978). His second film magazine was published from 1983-1985.
From 1995 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2008 he was the founding editor of Land & synir magazine and website, which delivers news, opinion and information on the Icelandic film and TV scene.
Since 1997 he has regularly appeared on national television (RUV TV) as a film critic and film commentator. He’s also been a critic for radio (RUV), newspapers (DV) and magazines in Iceland. For several years he wrote the Iceland annual report for The International Film Guide.
In 2005-06 RUV TV screened 20 episodes of his programme, Take 2, were he interviewed most of the key filmmakers in Iceland for the past thirty years and showed excerpts from their films. During the 2007-08 season, he was the co-host of the weekly RUV TV cultural programme 07/08 Film Theatre.
Ásgrímur has directed TV films and series, documentaries and shorts and written several screenplays which have received support from Icelandic, Scandinavian, British and Irish funding bodies in addition to MEDIA. He has also worked extensively as a director, writer and producer for television. He was one of five directors presenting the portmanteau film Dramarama in 2001.
Ásgrímur was the founding manager of The Edda Awards, The Icelandic Film and Television Awards, from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of the board of The Icelandic Film and TV Academy from 2001 to 2007 and again from 2009.
He regularly teaches at The Icelandic Film School and moderates seminars and Q&A sessions at various film festivals.
