US-based Icelandic film, music video and television producer Sigurjón Sigvatsson will be honored at the Locarno Film Festival with the Raimondo Rezzonico Award, which is dedicated to producers who embody the indie spirit.
Sigryon “Joni” Sigvatson co-founded Propaganda Films with Steve Golin in 1986 and built it into a powerhouse producing hit television shows such as “Twin Peaks” (1990-91) and “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000), as well as producing one-third of all music videos in the United States. I produced Zack’s early works as a temporary producer. Snyder, Spike Jonze, Gore Verbinski, Michael Bay, David Fincher.
Mr. Sigvatsson, majority owner of Scandinavian distribution company Scanbox Entertainment and founder of Palomar Pictures, also produced David Lynch’s Palme d’Or winner “Wild at Heart” and Julian Schnabel’s groundbreaking “Basquiat.” The statement said his “collaborations with filmmakers like Nicolas Winding Refn and Jim Sheridan and artists like Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno have created cult classics that continue to have a powerful influence on young filmmakers around the world.”
Locarno’s artistic director Jonah A. Nazzaro said in a statement: “Characterized by a deep European perspective but steeped in the workings of American industry, Sigurdjon ‘Joni’ Sigvatsson shaped a true ‘politics of production’. He gave artists like David Lynch complete freedom to create their work and helped auteurs like Kathryn Bigelow make the most personal films of their careers.” “His instincts as a producer greatly influenced the course of 90s cinema, but his preference for originality and independence as a matter of principle made him a reference for a whole generation of filmmakers who looked to Sigvatsson’s work as a model of audacity, honesty, creativity and vision,” he added.
Previous winners of the Locarno Prize include French producer Marianne Slott and American producers Jason Blum and Stacey Sher.
The 79th Locarno Film Festival will be held from August 5th to 15th.
