Unnsteinn Manuel's journey through the arts, beginning as a singer and composer with the band Retro Stefson has taken him across 30 countries for tours and concerts. Transitioning into documentary filmmaking and writing at RÚV, Iceland’s public broadcaster, he found a new avenue to express his storytelling, earning respect with multiple Edda awards, The Icelandic Film and Television Awards. He is also a recipent of the Gríman the Icelandic Theatre award as well as numerous Icelandic Music Awards. In 2021 Unnsteinn took part in the Serial Eyes program in DffB and a year later he served as the Artistic Director of The European Film Awards for the 2022 ceremony that took place in Reykjavík.