Sturla Gunnarsson

After a career spanning over three decades, Sturla Gunnarsson has come to be recognized by the Canadian film industry as one of its most accomplished film makers. Gunnarsson was born in Iceland, and raised in Vancouver, Canada. After studying at the University of British Columbia, he moved to Toronto where he began working for the National Film Board. His first movie, After The Axe in 1982, got him an Oscar nomination for best documentary short. In 1998, Such a Long Journey (1998) based on Rohinton Mistry's novel was his first fiction film to get international recognition. It received twelve genie nominations, including best picture. Gunnarsson has since made two other unique feature films; Rare Birds (2001), a quirky Newfoundland comedy, and Beowulf & Grendel (2005) the ancient Norse epic. Recent documentaries including Gerrie and Louise (1997), and Air India 182 (2008). Gunnarsson was elected president of the Directors Guild of Canada in 2008. He lives in Toronto, but continues to work everywhere else in the world.