Wednesday, May 7, 2008





The art of creating movies is as unique and individual as the finger prints on our hands. Film directors, creative story tellers they are, visualize every aspect of their film long before lighting is set, cameras roll, and action begins. They are magicians making magic that entertains us with the final cut that reflects the spirit and passion of their dreams.

Comes one such filmmaker on the horizon, Jon Gustafsson. Born and raised in Iceland, he developed a passion for filmmaking when his father gave him an 8mm camera. Pursuing his dreams he studied filmmaking in Manchester, England and Directing for Theater and Cinema at the California Institute of the Arts. He has directed documentaries, music videos, short films, theater shows, and feature length films in Iceland and Canada. Some of his projects are 'The Importance of Being Icelandic' for CBC's RoughCuts series, 'Brighter Hell' - a music video for the Canadian rock band The Watchmen, (nominated for the 1999 Prairie Music Awards) writing and directing his first feature film 'Kanadiana.' Gustafsson's latest contribution is his award winning documentary Wrath of Gods starring Gerard Butler. He was hired to play a small part in the Viking epic Beowulf and Grendel as one of Beowulf's warriors. He had endless days on the set with time on his hands to kill so he took along his camera and captured the unbelievable story behind the movie Beowulf and Grendel. His expertise as a talented filmmaker has earned him six prestigious awards at film festivals around the world where his work has received praise and he has gained notoriety as a director.

Gustafsson is working on his next project, a comedy feature, that his fans are looking forward to with much anticipation.
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The riveting documentary Wrath of Gods, by Jon Gustafsson captures the captivating story of Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson and the cast and crew of Beowulf & Grendel, starring Gerard Butler. Financial woes, unforgiving Icelandic storms, destroyed sets, leaky Viking ships, everything that could go wrong goes wrong. In Wrath of Gods Jon Gustafsson captures the unwavering spirit of do or die that perseveres in this hilariously intense behind the scenes look at the stressful and sometimes heart breaking coverage of filmmaking. This compelling feature length documentary records the behind the scenes footage of Beowulf and Grendel set against the breath taking Icelandic backdrop complete with interviews from cast and crew as they relate their enthralling adventures of filmmaking where Norse Gods reign their wrath throughout pre and post production. Wrath of Gods is for all film enthusiasts offering an intimate portrait of movie making with the trials and tribulations encountered, making it a must - see for aspiring filmmakers. Don't miss this in depth look at sacrifices made and obstacles overcome by determined filmmakers in the mountains of Iceland!