IN A HEARTBEAT – an award winning short film about bullying by Karolina Lewicka. Produced by Jon Gustafsson.

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

WINNER – BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM – Children’s Film Festival Seattle
WINNER – BEST FICTION SHORT – International Festival for Children and Youths – Divercine, Montevideo, Uruguay
WINNER – BEST SHORT FILM – 7th International Children’s Film Festival, Bengaloru, India
WINNER – BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC – FILMETS Badalona Film Festival, Spain
WINNER – HONORABLE MENTION – 59th Columbus International Film + Video Festival – Chris Awards

NOMINATED – BEST SHORT FILM – EDDA Awards – Icelandic Film & Television Academy
NOMINATED – BEST SHORT FICTION – Carrousel international du film de Rimouski

LOGLINE

A nine-year old girl finds courage to stand up against bullies.

STORY OUTLINE

This is a story of a little girl overcoming her fear. When we see her for the first time she is at her home, scared of the world that surrounds her. She is an observer when she watches her parents argue and other kids play. She has no friends and other kids often laugh at her. That causes her to shut off and makes her shy and afraid to become visible to others. But when she sees a classmate bullied by two older boys, she is the only one who takes a stand and causes other kids to join her. By overcoming her shyness and fear, the girl takes an action and is able to make a difference.

FESTIVALS

Cannes Film Festival – Court Métrage – Short Film Corner
Divercine – International Festival for Children and Youths – Uruguay (WINNER – BEST FICTION SHORT)
Children’s India – 7th International Children’s Film Festival, Bengaloru, India (WINNER – BEST SHORT FILM)
Filmets – Badalona Film Festival – Spain (WINNER – BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC)
59th Columbus International Film + Video Festival (WINNER – HONORABLE MENTION)
Reykjavik International Film Festival – Iceland
Edda Awards – Best Short Film – Icelandic Film & TV Academy – Iceland (NOMINATION – BEST SHORT FILM)
Giffoni Film Festival – Italy (IN COMPETITION)
BUFF Malmö – Sweden
Festival International du Film d’Aubagne – France (IN COMPETITION)
Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival – Norway
Sancy Film Festival for Young People – France (IN COMPETITION)
Skandinaviche Filmtage Bonn – Germany
Film Forum Zadar – Croatia
DC SHORTS – USA
Carrousel international du film de Rimouski – Canada (NOMINATION – BEST SHORT FICTION)
Chicago International Children’s Film Festival – USA
Nordic Film Days Lübeck – Germany
Golden Elephant – International Children’s Film Festival India (IN COMPETITION)
Het Jeugdfilm Festival – Belgium (IN COMPETITION)
International Children’s Film Festival – Bangladesh
Reel Fun Film Festival – Calgary, Canada
Freeze Frame International Film Festival – Winnipeg, Canada
Reel 2 Real International Film Festival – Vancouver, Canada
TIFF-Kids (Toronto International Film Festival), Toronto, Canada
Cleveland International Film Festival, Ohio, USA
ViewFinders: International Film Festival (Atlantic Film Festival), Halifax, Canada
Cairo International Children’s Film Festival
Reykjavik Shorts & Docs (IN COMPETITION)
CMS International Children’s Film Festival, Lucknow, India (IN COMPETITION)
Alta Langa Film Festival, Italy, May 2012
7° Festival Internacional de Cine para Niños (… y no tan niños), Mexico, August 2012
Milwaukee Children’s Film Festival, USA, Sep – Oct 2012
International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults, Isfahan City, Iran, Oct 2012
Scandinavian Film Festival, Boston, MA, USA, Oct 2012
Barcelona International Audiovisual Festival  (FIAB), Spain, Nov 2012
REELkids Film Festival, ON, Canada, Jan 2013
Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival, CA, USA, Jan 2012
Seattle Children’s Film Festival, USA, Jan – Feb 2013
Athena Film Festival, NY, USA, Feb 2013
BAMKids International Film Festival, NY, USA, February 2013
Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway

BIOGRAPHY OF THE DIRECTOR

Karolina Lewicka is a director, writer and producer. Karolina graduated from The Poznan University of Economics in Poland. She also studied business at The University of Toronto in Canada. She co-wrote and co-produced an award-winning documentary “Wrath of Gods” by Jon Gustafsson. The film is an Icelandic – Canadian co-production and was financed with participation of the Icelandic Film Fund and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The documentary was screened at numerous film festivals around the world, including USA, Portugal, UK and Poland, and received six awards. It was shown on RUV in Iceland and CBC in Canada. Karolina has been collaborating with Jon Gustafsson on his next projects “Crashland” and “Delirium B” which both got support from the Icelandic Film Fund. At the same time she has been developing her own feature film scripts, including “All the Things We Do”. In 2008 Karolina was chosen to participate at the Berlinale Talent Campus as a promising producer alongside other fifty producers from around the world. This experience inspired her to write her first short film “In a Heartbeat” and encouraged her to make it her directorial debut.

CREW

Director – Karolina Lewicka
Producers – Jon Gustafsson, Karolina Lewicka
Writer – Karolina Lewicka
Director of Photography – Arnar Þórisson
Additional Photography – Karl Lilliendal
Composer – Veigar Margeirsson
Editors – Jon Gustafsson, Karolina Lewicka
Casting Director – Erla Ruth Haraldsdóttir – Sönglist

CAST

Girl – Elín Perla Stefánsdóttir
Boy – Ásgeir Sigurðsson
Bullies – EyÞór Trausti Jóhannsson, Fannar Guðni Guðmundsson
Teacher – Erla Ruth Haraldsdóttir
Kids: Alex Elí Schweitz Jakobsson – Alexía Rut Guðlaugsdóttir – Aníta Rós Þorsteinsdóttir – Arnar Örn Ingólfsson – Baldvin Snær Hlynsson – Berta Sigríðardóttir – Brynja Sigurðardóttir – Elísabet Árný Guðjónsdóttir – Elísa Sif Hermannsdóttir – Embla Rut Haraldsdóttir – Ingi Þór Þórhallsson – Ísold Ylfa Schweitz Jakobsdóttir – Janus Gertin Grétarsson – Júlía Ósk Jóhannsdóttir – Katrín Ásta Jóhannsdóttir – Kristín María Brink – Kristinn Óli Haraldsson – Ólöf Ylfa Loftsdóttir – Silja Sjöfn Sölvadóttir – Snædís Arnarsdóttir – Sonja Rut Davíðsdóttir – Thelma Rut Hólmarsdóttir – Torfi Tómasson – Vignir Daði Valtýsson – Viktor Pétur Finnsson – Þóra Birna Ingvarsdóttir – Ögmundur Ísak Ögmundsson