Ursula Meier receives honorary award at RIFF

Ritstjórn
RIFF honorary award presentation. From left: Hrönn Marinósdóttir, RIFF director; Ursula Meier, honorary award recipient; and Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, mayor.
RIFF honorary award presentation. From left: Hrönn Marinósdóttir, RIFF director; Ursula Meier, honorary award recipient; and Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, mayor.

Reykjavík Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir presented Swiss filmmaker Ursula Meier with RIFF's honorary award for exemplary artistry.

The award ceremony was held at RIFF's industry party in partnership with the Swiss Embassy at Slippbarinn last Thursday. RIFF has put a special focus on Swiss cinema in this year's festival program.

Hrönn Marinósdóttir, director of RIFF, attended the award ceremony, and Villi Neto provided entertainment.

Meier gained international attention with her first feature film, Home (2008), which screened at Cannes and received praise for its imaginative and sensitive storytelling style. With her follow-up film Sister (2012), which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, she strengthened her position as one of the most important voices in European cinema. Her films contain both sensitivity and political depth. They explore the connections between family, society and individuals with a blend of warmth, humor and social criticism.

Meier has also won numerous awards for her short films and documentaries and has become a role model for the next generation of filmmakers. She combines a sharp eye for detail and sensitive insight into human vulnerability, creating films that move audiences while shedding light on contemporary life.