The Bermuda International Film Festival will feature seven Icelandic films this year in its country sidebar, `In From the Cold: the Films of Iceland'.

Two films by celebrated director, Baltasar Kormakur, including the acclaimed `101 Reykjavik' and the recently completed and long-awaited follow-up, `The Sea', make up half of the features section.

`Seagull's Laughter', by director Agust Gudmundsson, winner of Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director at the 2001 Icelandic Film Awards, will also screen as will `The Icelandic Dream', a hit at the Icelandic box office.

"The Icelandic film community has emerged as a major contributor on the world film stage," said BIFF's director of programming, David O'Beirne.

"The seven films in our sidebar demonstrate the breadth of their work, and can serve as an inspiration for our own arts community."

Individual tickets will be on sale March 31 through April 10, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Visitors Service Bureau box office, Front Street, Hamilton.

The seven Icelandic films are:

`101 Reykjavik'

Director Baltasar Kormakur, 92 minutes

Hlynar likes the simple life. Living with his Mum, drawing unemployment benefits and Saturday nights down the pub where he bumps into his part time girlfriend. His closest relationship is with his satellite dish. But when he sleeps with his Mother's beautiful Spanish girlfriend and gets his own girlfriend pregnant, life starts to get complicated. Will Hlynar survive the upheaval and realise there is more to the universe than 101 Reykjavik?

`The Seagull's Laughter'

Director Agust Gudmundsson, 104 minutes

Agga is a young girl when Freya arrives back in her home town. Intriguing Freya, as wild and beautiful as the Icelandic landscape and named for a goddess. Initially, Agga appoints herself chief detective as she watches and reports on Freya's questionable actions. By the end of the film, she has completed the transition to womanhood and learnt that some secrets need to be kept. Swept the prizes at the 2001 Icelandic Film Awards.

`Icelandic Dream'

Director Robert I. Douglas, 90 minutes

Young businessman Toti is having a midlife crisis - 15 years too early. Apart from having to run a `successful' business that is bound to fail, he also has to cope with being a weekend dad, his ever resentful ex-wife and her parents, his young girlfriend - and, most importantly, the shock of seeing his favourite soccer team get relegated.

`The Sea'

Director Baltasur Kormakur, 104 minutes

The long-awaited follow-up to the internationally acclaimed 101 Reykjavik, director Baltasur Kormakur has crafted a family drama set in a worn-down Icelandic fishing village. Ageing, self-made Thordur finds himself at war with his own family - and, with his three children gathered on a rare occasion, he strategically drops a bomb. But playing with fire is a dangerous game - and easily gets out of hand.

`Old Spice'

Director Kari Petursson, 17 minutes

Why can't the barber cut the old man's hair at 5 o'clock on the last Friday of the month? And why is he so convinced that his other appointment will turn up, even though he died two months ago?

`Slurpinn & Co'

Director Katrin Olafsdottir, 12 minutes

Sometimes a day at the office can require some fancy footwork. All that waltzing around the boss, side-stepping problems and doing a swift one-two with co-workers, anyone would think it was all a dance.

`BSI'

Director Thorgeir Gudmundsson, 19 minutes

The trajectories of several people's lives cross at a service station early on the morning of the Icelandic Summer Festival.