Rector's graduation speech - Autumn 2024

Dear graduates and relatives, teachers, staff and administrators. Other guests.

Welcome to graduation at The Icelandic Film School in the autumn of 2024.

This is a turning point for you, dear students, and I know you are looking forward to it, because now a new chapter begins on your journey. I am convinced that the past two years have shown you that you have the power and the means which you didn't even know about and probably found an important key to the future, but more about that later.

And now here we are.

It is truly a personal achievement for all of you to reach this milestone, to graduate from The Icelandic Film School. The last four semesters have been a roller coaster ride, where the demands on you have been many and each one of you had to do their share, because no one graduates here except on their own merits. The graduation film is the crowning glory, the shining tip of an iceberg that took two years to emerge.

Your graduation film is a personal film that confirms your competence. It is a testimony that you have the means and sufficient knowledge to be driving forces in filmmaking. At the same time you have proven yourselves as professional artists in your fields, be it directing, creative technology, screenwriting or acting. The ambition must also be high because the standards are high. 

In the annual international competition of over 150 film universities for the best graduation film, The Icelandic Film School has scored high and your films have been well above average. Moreover, the graduation films of students have entered festivals, received awards and been shown on television.

At each graduation, the staff at The Film School is equally surprised by how much quality your films are considering they are made under tight conditions. Don't forget that we who work at The Film School, are more or less all working in the industry where things move at different speeds and almost always too slowly. But within The Film School there are students who break the laws of time semester after semester with the production of films, which based on time limits, manpower, quantity and quality, should not be able to be created. We have long since realized that the students who make it all the way to graduation have the determination and endurance to constantly struggle to overcome the impossible. Like true heroes.

The Icelandic Film School is a remarkable institution and, I dare say, a key factor in professional growth of filmmaking in Iceland for decades.

The Icelandic Film School celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, but the school was founded in 1992. This year marks 22 years since the school was officially recognized by the government in its field of expertise as a two-year diploma course in filmmaking. The current four-tier system was established in 2007 and has therefore been in place for 17 years. The role of the school has always been, on the one hand, to serve Icelandic young people who want to get an education in filmmaking, and on the other hand to service the film companies and contribute to the development of the industry.

Those of you who are here to graduate have numerous options. Regular measurements show that former students of The Film School are very prominent in visual production in this country, whether in movie production, in television, the big film companies or in any of numerous offshoots that have been created. Measurements also show a very high percentage of graduates, or above 90%, continue on in the industry after completing their studies and close to 50% establish themselves, which is a very high percentage from an art academy.

The film industry has grown tremendously since the school was founded, when it created around 300 annual works. Today, there are 4-6 thousand annual jobs in the film industry and secondary jobs. A powerful service industry has been created around foreign film companies, but Icelanders are also breaking world records every year with the number of premieres of domestic movies compared to the famous per capita.

In the future, it is not unreasonable to imagine that the Icelandic film industry can grow to 10 thousand annual works and the industry can establish itself among the most foreign currency generating industries of the nation.

This situation has not arisen by itself. There are several important starting points. One of them is an even and constant stream of professionals from The Icelandic Film School. In 2005, the school started to work in its current form and to this day, with you included, 814 students have graduated from the school. On average, between 40 and 50 students have graduated per year since 2009. These students have been immersed in the industry and I assert that The Film School is a vital part of the industry. Not just to fill the demand for the positions out there but also because at school you form a community and create a network. That's how you expedite the growth, continue on after graduation - create and help your friends create their projects. That is how miracles happen.

After graduation, you continue to build your personal career, perhaps with further education, working for others, or by just rushing to make movies and TV shows. That's how you make yourselves valuable for Icelandic business life, but also the culture.

But onto another subject.

Regarding the recognition issues of The Film School and confirmation of the school's university credentials , it is likely that this process is nearing its end. The school received an excellent result in an international assessment in the autumn of 2022. In April 2023, the school submitted an action plan in regards to suggestions that had come from the foreign experts. The Film School has been operating fully according to university regulations since 2021 and maintains four research posts.

In addition, it must be mentioned that 66 people are currently enrolled at The Icelandic Film School and 12 foreign students from Greece, Poland, USA, China, Italy, Nigeria and Germany. The goal is for the number to reach over 100 within three years and will then be the same size as the group of Icelandic-speaking students at the school.

The school's request to the government is that the recognition process will be completed before the end of the year, we believe this will work - if it is not the outgoing minister of universities, Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, then we trust that the new minister will be completing this matter. We will meet with Kinema's board right at the beginning of next semester and review the situation.

Finally, I say to you graduates: This is your day. Enjoy it to the fullest!