Iceland’s top actor Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (Fortitude, The Borgias) has reversed the cinema and television windows for the release of his first feature as a director, the local comedy drama The Homecoming (Blóðberg).

The film produced by Vesturport, in co-production with Pegasus Pictures and financing from media group 365 had its premiere on the media giant’s flagship channel Stöð 2/Channel 2 on April 5 as a two-part TV movie. The feature length film opens today in Icelandic cinemas and in two weeks it will be available on VOD.

Rakel Garðarsdóttir, producer and Vesturport’s Managing Director explained her distribution strategy to nordiskfilmogtvfond.com. “Channel 2 is a subscription network and we thought it was a great idea to give their viewers the opportunity to watch the film as a premium choice. We want to give audiences a choice of where, how and when they want to see the film. Whatever the platform, storytelling is key to all content and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

Based on Haraldsson’s first stage play, The Homecoming is the story of a sociologist, author of self-help books, unable to apply his own relationship remedies to himself. One day his long-buried secret about a hidden child is exposed, forcing him to come to terms with his own demons. According to Garðarsdóttir US talent agency ICM Partners has signed with the leading theatre and film group Vesturport to do a remake for the US market. 

Vesturport’s next feature project is Garðarshólmi, a follow up to the 2006 critically-acclaimed film Börn (Children) based on one of the film’s characters. Gisli Örn Garðarsson will star in the project written and directed by Haraldsson.