Vala Ómarsdóttir graduated from Goldsmiths College in London (M.A in performance making) and from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London (M.A in Performing – Advanced Theatre Practice)

She was recently nominated for the Best Director Awards at Gríman 2022 in Iceland.

Her short film ÉG/I has been touring over 30 film festivals and has won four awards at the RVK Feminist Film Festival, and the Best Fiction Short, 2021, The Grand Jury Honorable Mention for Best International Short at Outfest, LA, 2019. The Best Fictional Short at Trans Pride Brighton, 2019, And the Best Short Film at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, 2019

Her recent directing work includes: Sprungur/Fractures (short film), Tæring (theatre), ÉG/I (short film), Dætur/Daughters (short film), Mamma ætlar að sofna/Mother will sleep (short film), Hamur/Skin (short dance film), ROF (experimental short film) and Strengir (theatre).

She is currently working on her first feature film Bara barn.

Before she moved back to her hometown Reykjavík she studied and worked as a performer, performance maker and a director in London and New York for 10 years. Working with award winning companies such as Tangled Feet, Bottlefed and 11:18 Theatre Company.

Vala is an adjunct at the Acting Department at the Iceland University of the Arts. She is a member of FLÍ – Félag Leikstjóra á Íslandi and a founding member of the art group Vinnslan.

CV:

SPRUNGUR/FRACTURES
Short Film – Moli Films
Directing/screenwriting
RIFF-Reykljavik International Film Festival 2022
Northern Wave Film Festival 2022
Short Focus Film Festival, London, 2022

TÆRING
Site specific theatre – Hælið/MAK 2020-21
Directing.
-Nominated for Best Director at Gríman Awards 2022

ÉG/I
Short film about trans person and the freedom to be oneself. 
Directing, screenwriting

*Winner* – Grand Jury Honorable Mention for Best International Short at Outfest, 2019
*Winner* – Best Fictional Short at Trans Pride Brighton, 2019
*Winner* – Best Short Film at Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, 2019
Officially selected 2018-19:

RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival, Northern Wave International Film Festival, Vilnius International Film Festival, BFI Flare, FiveFilms4Freedom, the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQ+ digital short-film program, held by the British Council and BFIFlare.Vancoucer International Women in Film Festival, Nordische Filmtage Lübeckamong others. The film is currently touring more film festivals in 2020/21

Daughters
Short film about a mother and daughter relationship.
Directing, screenwriting.
Northern Wave International Film Festival 2018,
Open Place International Short Film Festival, Latvia 2019
Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival Online 2019
RVK Feminist Film Festival 2020

Mother will sleep
Short film based on a poem by Davíð Stefánsson.
Directing, screenwriting.
RIFF -Reykjavík International Film Festival 2017
Northern Wave International Film Festival 2017
Cannes – Short Film Corner 2017
Open Place International Short Film Festival 2018 

Skin
Short short film
Directing, screenwriting
The short film was selected “the micro short film of the year” at Örvarpið, RÚV 2017
Stockfish Film Festival 2017
Northern Wave International Film Festival, 2017

Rof
Short film.
Directing, screenwriting
The film was shot inside a dormant volcano, about 120 meters underground and plays with the concept of man’s ruptured connection to mother earth.

BORNSHORTS Film Festival, Denmark 2014
Signes de Nuit Festival in Lisboa, Portugal 2015

Strengir/Strings
Theatre performance
Directing, performing
Vinnslan, Tjarnarbíó Theatre, 2014

The farmer and the fisherman
Site specific theatre performance
Performance making
11:18 theatre company, City of Culture Celebration, N-Ireland 2013

Mean between times
Site specific theatre performance
Performance making
11.18 theatre company, Greenwich and Docklands International Theatre Festival,
London 2012

This now or neverland
Site specific theatre performance
Performance making
Sound and installation based performance on trains.
11:18 theatre company, London 2011

Hold me until you break
Theatre performance by Bottlefed
Performing, performance making
Touring Europe 2008-2012
*Winner* Best Performance at Sophiensäle at 100°Berlin festival. 2010

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Side specific theatre performance by Tangled Feet
Performing, performance making
Tangled Feet, Lyric Hammersmith, touring in England 2010-11
Audience award at SIRF Festival. 2011

Home
Performer, performance maker
Tangled Feet. Touring England and France 2009-2011

Maddid
Theatre performance
Performer, performance maker
London, Reykjavík, Spain 2007-8