A week ago, the film was selected to compete at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and will have its world premiere in Toronto – only ten days before its European premiere in San Sebastian.

Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Kristbjörg Kjeld, Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, Björk Björnsdóttir and Rade Šerbedžija star in the film. The team behind the camera includes editor Jacob Secher Shulsinger and cinematographer Sophia Olsson. The producers are Mikkel Jersin (Nimbus Film and Nimbus Iceland), Brynhildur Birgisdottir, Igor A. Nola and Lilja Osk Snorradottir. Along with Nimbus Film and Nimbus Iceland who produced the film, Pegasus Pictures (Iceland) and MP Film Production (Croatia) are co-producers. The film was funded by the Icelandic Film Center and the Danish Film Institute, The Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Nordisk Film and TV Fund, the Icelandic Ministry of Industries and Innovation, Sena, RUV, TV2 and SF.

Sparrows tells the story of Ari, a 16 year-old living with his mother in Reykjavik suddenly forced to live with his father Gunnar in the remote Westfjords. There, he has to face his relationship with his father as well as those with his childhood friends, who have significantly changed. In these hopeless and trying circumstances Ari has to prove himself and find his path. 

Also in Toronto, along with Sparrows, the new juried festival programme which showcases international films, Platform, will screen the Dutch-Croatian coproduction Full Contact. The movie is directed by renowned director David Verbeek. It is produced by Siniša Juričić, Leontine Petit, Eva Eisenloeffel and Joost De Vries, while the cinematographer is Frank Van Den Eeden. Full contact is a psychological thriller about a military operator who controls American drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan from his base in Nevada.

Since its first edition in 1976, the TIFF has, in recent years, become one of the most influential film festivals in the world and is one of the most important showcases for films contending for Oscar nominations. The festival will open with Demolition directed by Canadian Jean-Marc Vallée (known for his biopic Dallas Buyers Club) and will star Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts. The festival will close with Mr. Right by Spanish director Paco Cabezas. 

For all details head on to the TIFF official website. 

Cover photos: scenes from Sparrows 

*Photo Credits: Sophia Olsson