Assisting the Daydreamer
Villagers in picturesque Icelandic towns have welcomed Walter Mitty and went out of their way to assist director and actor Ben Stiller in his production.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller is based on the short story by James Thurber, published in 1939. A film about the rich secret life of this mundane hero was released in 1947, starring Danny Kaye as Walter Mitty.
Ben Stiller has been travelling to various locations in Iceland for his take on the story. Local media has been reporting on the willingness of people and municipalities to assist in the film production, e.g. in Seydisfjordur in East Iceland and Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsnes pensinula in the West. The town house in Stykkisholmur was painted black and the inhabitants in Seydisfjordur agreed to keeping a low profile for a day. People around the world have been able to follow Ben Stillers adventures in Iceland via his tweets on Twitter.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will be released in 2013.
How to apply
The reimbursement scheme for film and TV production costs incurred in Iceland is simple and effective. Applications are sent to the Ministry of Industries and Innovation before the start of the production. Detailed instructions give an overview of the process and necessary documents.
