At Iceland’s Edda Awards ceremony on Saturday, Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason cashed in on 12 out of 24 nominations: his feature, Mr Bjarnfredarson (Bjarnfredarson), won six national film prizes, and another six went to his television series, The Prison Shift (Fangavaktin), which the movie is based on.

For the first time at the annual Reykjavik gala, the Icelandic Film & TV Academy gave its Honorary Edda Prize to the Icelandic people for its strong support of local films over the years.

Mr Bjarnfredarson was named Best Feature and otherwise honoured for Best Director (Bragason), Best Screenplay (Pétur Jóhann Sigfússon, Bragason), Best Cinematography (Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson), Best Actor (Jón Gnarr) and Best Costume Design (Helga Rós V Hannam).

Fridrik Thór Fridriksson’s Mama Gógó, which received eight nominations, won in three categories - Best Actress (Kristbjörg Kjeld), Best Musical Score (Hilmar Ôrn Hilmarsson) and Best Set Design (Árni Páll Jóhansson). Thorfinnur Gudnason’s and Andri Snaer Magnason’s Dreamland (Draumalandid) was voted Best Documentary.

When launced on 26 December, Bragason’s victorious Mr Bjarnfredarson registered Iceland’s strongest opening on record, selling 18,582 tickets in three days. After two months the Sagafilm production has been seen by approximately 25% of the 300,000 population.

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