Private Project

Jump

Time is ticking for Iceland's most promising women's Long Jumper, Hafdís Sigurðardóttir, when she moves to Sweden to attempt to reach the minimum for the Rio Summer Olympics 2016. In her journey we learn about the reality of many professional female athletes in an honest narrative.

  • Anna Olafs (Anna Sæunn Ólafsdóttir)
    Director
    Rams, Rainbow Party, Salvation
  • Anna Olafs (Anna Sæunn Ólafsdóttir)
    Writer
    Rams, Rainbow Party, Salvation
  • Arni Gunnarsson
    Producer
  • Hafdís Sigurðardóttir
    Key Cast
  • Guðjón Páll Sigurðarson
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Stökktu
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iceland
  • Country of Filming:
    Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Skjaldborg Documentary Film Festival
    Patreksfjörður
    Iceland
    June 3, 2017
    Iceland
Distribution Information
  • NyArk Media
    Country: Iceland
Director Biography - Anna Olafs (Anna Sæunn Ólafsdóttir)

Anna Sæunn Ólafsdóttir (Anna Olafs) is an Icelandic filmmaker and entrepreneur, based in Akureyri, Northern Iceland. Her work includes producing, directing and writing short and documentary films. Examples of previous work is starring in and working in production of Cannes Un Certain Regard winning feature film Hrútar (Rams, 2015) and Line Producer of the award winning short film Rainbow Party (Best Icelandic Short in RIFF 2015). In May 2015, Anna won 1st price in a pitch competition in Cannes Film Festival for the short film Salvation (Frelsun).

Film credits:

2017-2018 - Producer – NyArk Media / DramState Pictures – Turn (Umskipti) – Short film by Sesselia Ólafsdóttir, Finnish Cooperation
2017 – Producer – NyArk Media / Sviestas / Behind the Scenes – House for Sale (Short) – Film by Aðalgeir Gestur Vignisson
2017 – Producer – NyArk Media – The Silence of the Fish (Short) – Film by Hilke Rönnendeldt (Danish co- production)
2016- 2017 – Director / Co- Producer – Skotta film/ NyArk Media– Hope (A documentary about Syrian refugee resettlement in Iceland)
2016- 2017 - Director/Producer – NyArk Media– Grandma: Disa’s Diary– A documentary about my grandmother
2016 - 2017 – Director/Co- Producer – NyArk Media / Skotta Film – Jump (Stökktu) (A documentary about the Icelandic longjumper Hafdís Sigurðardóttir)
2016 – Co/Line- Producer - Þóra Hilmarsdóttir / Askja Films - Salvation (Short),– Post Production
2015 – Pre- Production Manager - Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir / Askja Films - Tryggðarpantur (Feature 2017).– Pre- production
2015 – Casting – Iceland Casting, Icelandair auglýsing, “Velkomin heim” – Icelandair Commercial, “Welcome Home” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qqzx6E1lJE
2015 – Line Producer – Eva Sigurardóttir / Askja Films – Rainbow Party (Short) - In distribution (Best Icelandic Short 2015 at the Icelandic Film Awards)
2015 – Line Producer – Askja Films / Harpa Fonn Sigurjonsdottir – Heiti Potturinn (Hot tub) (Short Documentary) - In Distribution
2015 - Production Crew – Grimur Hakonarson / Netop Films – Hrútar (Rams) (Feature) – In Distribution (Un Certain Regards Prix in Cannes Film Festival. Best Icelandic Feature 2015)
2014 – Director - Film School of Iceland/Vallý Sigurðardóttir – Skegla (Short 15 min)
2012 – Producer/Co-Writer – Film School of Iceland – Flökkusál (22 min)

Education

2017 – Improv Iceland – The Harold 1 – Improvisation Study
2016 – Young Nordic Producers Club, Cannes Film Festival - The Danish Film School - Seminar for aspiring Nordic producers.
2016 – Akureyri Music School – Jazz Singing and rhythmical music
2015 – Brautargengi (Prosperity) – Nýsköpunarmiðstöð Íslands.. 15 week seminar for female entrepreneurs.
2015 – Scanorama Shortcut – Filmmaking seminar for aspiring Filmmakers from Iceland and Lithuania, conducted by Scanorama Film Festival in Lithuania and RIFF in Iceland.
2015 – Seminar: Scene study for film – Sigrun Sol Olafsdottir Casting Director
2014 – Seminar: Clowning technique, Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir Actress/Director
2014 – One Semester in Ethnography/Folklore (Grade 9/10) - University of Iceland, Reykjavik
2010 - 2012 – Film School of Iceland – Acting & Filmmaking
2008 – New York Film Academy, Universal studios LA – 8 week Acting for film
2004 - 2007 – Menntaskólinn á Akureyri – College Degree, Science Major

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Jump is an independent documentary, my first official film to be published as director and has owned my heart for the past year and a half. The film came to me when I moved back to Northern Iceland from the capital, Reykjavik, in the fall of 2015. At that point there were over 12 years since I had stopped training track and field, where I started in my countryside in Northern Iceland, and Hafdís Sigurðardóttir being one of my first friend and training pal in the field. Having known Hafdís for years our communication decreased a lot after I stopped training at age 16, but she persisted, didn't start drikning and partying like me and my friends. She stuck through it.

When I moved back and a group of old friends from school started having a gettogether one evening a month, Hafdís came back into my life, and I realized for how long, and through what she had been fighting all these years. Almost 30 years old she was still breaking personal records and Icelandic records in long jump, sacrificing financial stability, her education and work career to do what she loved: Jump!

When there was only one year left until the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016, she lost her trainer for 11 years, and stood up alone in a way. She always persisted through all these years in Northern Iceland, even despite the endless cost of traveling south and abroad for competing - but this time she decided to go out of her comfort zone and seek training in another country, Sweden.

Through the journey of shooting her in Iceland before she moved, during the training season in Sweden and competition and the moving back home, a lot of things happened in both my soul and hers. We both matured in the process, both found solace in the fact that whatever we will eventually acquire, it's the journey we have been through that will determine our value and contentment.