Truenorth: Icelandic Prod Service Delivering Huge Hits and Nimble Masterpieces Alike

For stunning scenery against breathtaking glaciers, majestic waterfalls or sundrenched mountains, look no further than Truenorth. Providing production service across Northern Europe’s most dramatic landscapes, Truenorth has established itself as the prime production service company in Iceland and beyond.

Founded in 2003 by Leifur Dagfinnsson, the company specialises in capturing beautiful dramatic landscapes for projects of all sizes and budgets. From feature films and TV productions to commercials, music promos and photo shoots, Truenorth has serviced internationally recognised work across the scale. 

Notable releases include the likes of Netflix’s The Valhalla Murders, Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, and feature film In Front of Others which premiered at the Gothenburg International Film Festival.

And at the other end of the scale, Truenorth has the capability to deliver even the most small and nimble of projects. “Being organised and flexible is key,” notes founder and CEO Leifur B. Dagfinnsson. “We have a very solid team of highly experienced staff in addition to a network of freelancers who we collaborate with to suit project demands. That means we can deliver on huge films and TV series but also be small and agile when needed.” 

“Iceland has never been cheap,” executive producer Jónbi Guðmundsson admits, “but where there is a will, there is a way. We have done many projects where the money is awfully tight but we have found creative solutions to make it happen. We are a skillful bunch and no job is too small for us.”

More recently, Truenorth successfully lobbied for an increase on the film refund incentive in Iceland for major productions. This has allowed the country to provide more full-scale film services for all types of projects, increasing the pool of skilled crew and talent in the country.

“There is no doubt that the recent increase in the tax rebate has led to a growing interest to film longer projects in Iceland,” Jónbi states. “People are keen to be able to shoot more of their projects here by mixing location and studio shoots. We are currently in the last stages of prepping a big shoot for the True Detective series, starring Jodie Foster. The whole season will be shot here in studios and on location.”

Head of service production Karl Sigurðarson adds, “The tax rebate move strengthened every aspect of the industry in Iceland. Two decades ago, we dreamed of becoming a known and go-to film location, and in the last decade or so we have accomplished that and then some. Not bad for an island in the middle of the North Atlantic with less than 400,000 people.”

In addition to the vast landscapes of Iceland - “it’s more than just glaciers, geysers and hot springs,” says Karl, “we have rolling green hills and modern architecture too” - Truenorth services locations in Faroe Islands, Norway, Greenland, Finland, Sweden, Spain and The Canary Islands, as well as studio shoots.

“We have a long history in Iceland and have become a trusted name in Northern Europe, so no matter where the location, people know they are in very capable hands with us,” Leifur says. “We’re looking to expand our offering to diversify our portfolio even further and continue to provide outstanding service in everything we do. We will never compromise on that.”

“We pride ourselves on always providing the most stunning locations in any country we work within alongside first rate service, exceptional expertise, dedicated teams and people who know how to have fun while they work hard!” Jónbi adds.

On the near horizon, Truenorth is aiming for a more sustainable future, an initiative the team has been working on over the past few years. “Helping bring in the tax incentive was not only about increasing the rebate to make Iceland a more financially feasible option,” Karl reveals, “but more toward taking the next step in making the film industry more sustainable as an all-year-around business.”

And when it comes to their work, Jónbi is looking forward to “adapting to service all different kinds of projects in an ever-changing world. The line between commercial work and content has been blurring and we have kept up with that. We are excited for the TV series and films we are developing ourselves and with partners. We are also excited to bring more clients to the other locations we cover. We are pretty excited people really.”