Biography for
Sigurjon Sighvatsson More at IMDbPro »

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Joni Sighvatsson is a veteran producer, with over 30 feature films and television series to his credit, as well as an innovative and influential principal in creating the modern concept of the commercial and the music video.

Sighvatsson, the owner and principal of Palomar Pictures, an independent feature production company, is developing a slate of over 20 films. Currently in production is "Brothers" starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman, directed by Jim Sheridan and written by David Benioff. Soon to begin preproduction are "Dark Highway", an original screenplay by Christopher Kyle, "The Feathermen", an adaptation of the UK best seller by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and "The Good Heart", director Dagur Kari's first English language film, starring Paul Dano and Brian Cox, this last of which Sighvatsson is executive producing. Future projects include "Elling", a remake of the Oscar nominated film to be directed by Jay Roach, "The Knockout Artist", based on the cult classic by Harry Crewes, to be directed by Sean Penn, "The Celebration", a remake of the seminal Dogme 95 classic to be written and directed by David Mamet, and "Be Mine" a Bret Easton Ellis adaptation from the Laura Kasischke novel to be directed by David Mackenzie. Other recent Palomar titles include "A Little Trip to Heaven", "Screaming Masterpiece", "Pretty Persuasion", "K19: The Widowmaker" and "The Weight of Water".

Sighvatsson also continues to be a significant force in the world of art films. After having paved the way for visual artists moving into feature films with Julian Schnabel's highly acclaimed "Basquiat", Sighvatsson has now again paved the way with the timely and groundbreaking "Zidane, a 21st Century Portrait" as well as the controversial "Destricted", a collection of short films by some of the leading artists in the world focusing on the concept of pornography.

Before coming to the United States, Sighvatsson enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician in his native Iceland, founding the country's first recording studio when he was 21. After finishing his B.A. in English and Literature from the University of Iceland, Sighvatsson came to Los Angeles on a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the University of Southern California Graduate Film Studies Program, where he earned his MFA.

After USC, Sighvatsson was invited to join the Directors Program at the American Film Institute. With fellow AFI student Steve Golin, Sighvatsson founded Propaganda Films in 1986, which quickly became the leading music video and commercial production company in the world, earning over 50 MTV awards as well as numerous Grammys and Clios. The company expanded into feature films with such fare as "Red Rock West" and "Kalifornia," and won the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for "Wild At Heart." At Propaganda, Sighvatsson launched the careers of such directors as David Fincher, Michael Bay and Spike Jonze. Sighvatsson has also been involved with numerous television shows, including the Emmy-nominated "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City," the innovative cult classic "Twin Peaks," the triple ACE Award-winning anthology series "Fallen Angels," the quadruple ACE-winning "Heat Wave," as well as the popular "Beverly Hills 90210".

In 1995, Sighvatsson became the founding president of Lakeshore Entertainment, where he produced or executive produced films such as "Polish Wedding," "Going All The Way," "Box of Moonlight," "200 Cigarettes" and "Arlington Road." He also acquired and developed such films as "The Mothman Prophecies", "L'Apartmente", and "Runaway Bride".

In 1999, Sighvatsson became the controlling shareholder in Palomar Pictures, a leading production company of music videos, television commercials, and long form projects. At Palomar a company that earned over 20 MTV awards itself, Sighvatsson cultivated and new generation of top directors, including Joseph Kahn, Gary McKendry, and Marcos Siega.

Sighvatsson also served as president of the American Cinematheque in Hollywood from 1994 to 1999. He serves and has served on the boards of numerous organizations including the AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers), the American Cinematheque, the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the ACLU of Southern California, and the Ocean Park Community Center. Sighvatsson is also the Honorary Consul General for Iceland in Los Angeles.

Sighvatsson's many honors include Peabody Awards for "Rock The Vote"and "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City," as well as being the only person to twice receive the Eastman/Kodak Award for Outstanding Achievement by the Music Video Producers Association.

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