U.S.-based Icelandic film, music video and TV producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson will be celebrated by the Locarno Film Festival with its Raimondo Rezzonico Award, dedicated to producers who epitomize the indie ethos.
Sigurjón “Joni” Sighvatsson co-founded Propaganda Films with Steve Golin in 1986, building it into a powerhouse that produced hit TV shows such as “Twin Peaks” (1990-91) and “Beverly Hills 90210” (1990-2000) and — as the one-time producer of one-third of all music videos in the United States — early works by Zack Snyder, Spike Jonze, Gore Verbinski, Michael Bay and David Fincher.
Sighvatsson, who is also majority owner of Scandinavian distributor 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.” His “collaborations with filmmakers like Nicolas Winding Refn and Jim Sheridan — as well as artists like Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno — have yielded cult classics that continue to exert a powerful influence on younger filmmakers around the world,” according to a statement.
“Characterized by a deeply European perspective but immersed in the workings of the industry in the United States, Sigurjón ‘Joni’ Sighvatsson shaped a true ‘politique du producteur,’ allowing artists such as David Lynch to create their works in complete freedom and supporting authors such as Kathryn Bigelow to make some of the most personal films of her career,” said Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro in the statement. “His instinct as a producer profoundly influenced the course of ’90s cinema, while his attitude of favoring originality and independence as a principle made him a point of reference for a whole generation of filmmakers who looked to Sighvatsson’s work as a model of audacity, integrity, creativity, and vision,” he added.
Previous winners of the Locarno award include French producer Marianne Slot and U.S. producers Jason Blum and Stacey Sher.
The 79th Locarno Film Festival will run Aug. 5-15.