‘The Home Game’ Icelandic football film to premiere at Gŵyl Wal Goch Festival 2024

Award-winning Icelandic football film ‘The Home Game’ will receive its Welsh premiere at Gŵyl Wal Goch Festival 2024.

The film, which has been making waves on the film festival circuit, will be screened at the Wal Goch Festival in Wrexham fans of film and football.

Held on May 31 – June 2, the Wal Goch Festival 2024 will be celebrating and exploring the rich tapestry of football fan culture from around the world and as in previous festivals, film – both shorts and feature length – is a prominent part of the festival programme.

Directed by Smari Gunn and Logi Sigursveinsson, ‘The Home Game’ tells the story of Vidar Gylfason who built with his own hands in an isolated Icelandic village, a football pitch eligible to host a match in the country’s national cup competition. 2

5 years later, his son is determined to bring the first team ever to play on his dad’s field.

Winning awards at New York’s Kicking + Screening Football Film Festival and the prestigious Audience Award at the recent Glasgow Film Festival, The Home Game is coming to Wrexham where it will be screened for the first time in Wales, at Odeon on Eagles Meadow on 2 June at 10.30am.

One of the film’s directors, Smari Gunn, and producer Stephanie Thorpe will be accompanying the Welsh premiere.

The Home Game Director, Smari Gunn said: “It’s a real treat to get to bring our feel good underdog story to our friends in Wales.

“We wanted to make a film that depicts the purest version of football – one of passion, joy and pride for your community.

“I’ve got a funny feeling that the festival-goers we meet in Wrexham will find a beautiful commonality with our little Icelandic village, and we look forward to sharing with you the journey of a charming team of misfits that became heroes for a day.”

Festival Director, Russell Todd says, “Welsh football fans will forever remember with huge fondness Euro 2016.

“But there was also another small country from Europe’s western periphery that made a huge impression in France that wonderful summer: Iceland.

“With their ‘thunderclap’, the Icelandic fans – the ‘Tólfan’ (‘The Twelve’) – made as much of an impression in the stands as their players did on the pitch, where they famously knocked out England.

“It’s fitting then that at our festival of football fan culture we can learn more about Iceland’s passion for the beautiful game by screening The Home Game.”

Other films being screened at the Wal Goch Festival include the hilarious and touching short Oor Wally about Wally the Warrior, the mascot of Stenhousemuir FC; Wonderland: The Alice Street Story, a film about five young men who found themselves on the footballing world stage – all from a small terraced street in Swansea’s Cwmdu district; and Historicas, about the Chile Women’s national team that was so inactive it dropped off the FIFA rankings.

So the players themselves decided to do something about it. There are volunteering opportunities at the festival (details here) and the full programme and ticket link are available at www.footballfansfestival.com.

Under 16s go free to Gŵyl Wal Goch, as do the registered carers of disabled festival attendees.