According to initial figures from BoxOffice.com Contraband took USD 24 million in its first weekend in cinemas; which is not far short of ISK 3 billion.

The film is an English-language remake of the Icelandic film Reykjavík-Rotterdam, which was directed by Óskar Jónasson and produced by and starring Baltasar Kormákur. Contraband stars Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale and was premièred in the USA on Friday, taking USD 8.7 million on its first day.

Contraband has received mixed reviews from critics; but that does not appear to have impacted upon ticket sales. Critics’ general opinion seems to be that it is good for a January thriller movie and keeps the viewer engaged; but that it is not especially memorable or original. According to BoxOffice.com, Contraband grossed USD 24 million over the weekend, beating number two film Beauty and the Beast by USD 2.5 million. The next highest grossing film of the weekend was Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on USD 11.5 million.

According to the figures so far, Contraband has already covered its expected production costs of USD 25 million. But the film’s actual cost to produce was reportedly closer to USD 41 million. There are, however, great hopes that it will cover its costs very quickly, and much more besides, based on its excellent first weekend, Vísir.is reported.

According to later figures reported by RÚV the weekend gross figures for Contraband might be closer to USD 28 million and are an all-time record for Working Title Productions; bumping Notting Hill (1999) into second place.

Ville Haapasalo, who works extensively inside Russia and whose name has been used to advertise the production, stars in the movie which challenges traditionally homophobic Russian attitudes, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Originally slated for production almost a decade ago, the movie Veselchaki (“Jolly Fellows”) was the brainchild of director Felix Mikhaylov. The movie was shelved once already due to financiers being unwilling to back a theme considered risky. Now it has been decided that Russian audiences are ready for the country’s first gay themed movie. The film will be released nationwide across 12 cities and has also been scheduled for release in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Baltic States.

Veselchaki is the tale of a group of five drag queens that perform in a gay club in Moscow and their struggles to defend their right to be who they are. For Haapasalo, used to being portrayed in Russia in the roles of a generally nice guy from Germany or Finland, the role was something new.

”I have been involved in the project since the very beginning. We have had a lot of difficulties, not simply because of the sensitiveness of the topic,” wrote Haapasalo who can only be reached by SMS. ”Officially, the issue continues to be a taboo in Russia,” he added.

Although initial box office reaction has been limited and public perception mixed as to whether the stereotypes used in the film are actually damaging to the gay community, critical feedback has been so far positive.

”It was one hell of an interesting role and every actor’s dream, even though everybody I know warned me that it is a dangerous role in Russia,” said Haapasalo.

The issue came up when Hjalmar Hannesson, Iceland’s ambassador to the USA decided to screen the new film by Norway-based Icelander Sigurjon Einarsson.

Einarsson’s film is called ‘A Name is a Name’ and is set in Macedonia and explores the country’s relationship with Greece, which claims the name Macedonia is already in use by a region in Greece and cannot therefore be used by the nation of Macedonia. This seemingly minor issue has soured relations between Skopje and Athens since Macedonian independence in 1991 and has even stalled Macedonian intentions to join the EU and other organisations.

Macedonian sources claim that Athens threatened to hinder Iceland’s own EU application procedure if Hannesson decided to show the movie. The proposed date of the private screening and whether or not Hannesson has chosen to go ahead are not yet known.

From MINA, the Macedonian International News Agency:

“On October 21, Icelandic Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Hjalmar Hannesson, invited a select group of invitees to his Washington, DC residence for a screening of a film by Icelandic filmmaker Sigurjon Einarsson.

“Upon hearing of this, Greece’s foreign ministry via its Embassy in DC had sent a communique to Iceland’s US Ambassador not to showcase the movie, hinting Athens could made life difficult for Reykyavik’s application for EU membership.

““A Name is a Name” movie was being shown as a part in spreading Icelandic made culture in the US. This may be the first time a foreign Ambassador is told what movie he can’t show at his private residence by a foreign country. Pesky Athenians.”

On the weekend of the 14th and 15th of June the director received three awards in three different countries while he was in Spain to witness his masterpiece collecting the youth jury prize at the Huesca short film festival.

At the same time he received news that the film had also won the grand prize at the Kartkofil Short Film Festival in Bosnia, and was later informed it had also won the Grand Prize at the Milan Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Italy.

It all came as a surprise for Hakonarson who was apparently unaware that the film had been entered into the latter two competitions.

“When I got the phone call from Bosnia it stopped being funny. I had no idea that my film even was at those festivals in Bosnia and Milan” Hakonarson said, obviously very surprised.

Braedrabylta follow the story of two gay men in rural Iceland, reluctant to admit they are attracted to each other, and embroiled in a competition of glima, the unique Icelandic wrestling sport, to cover their affection. “Braedrabylta” (literally, brother tumble) is part of the wrestling vocabulary where both contenders fall to the ground and no one wins.