A post-metal band performs at a screening of Vintage Viking Saga. Björk shows up to check out Pedro Almodovar and Athina Rachel Tsingari’s latest movie. The filmmakers relax in the warm, mineral-rich waters at the edge of the ocean. Industry insiders are invited to the Icelandic President’s home to discuss the current state of the film business. A typical day at the Reykjavik International Film Festival.
But Iceland is more than just hot springs and Vikings. Located between Europe and North America, this country is fast becoming a shooting destination. RIFF provides an important venue for filmmakers to network and learn about the production scene in this small country with generous production incentives.
“Festivals are a great place for people to meet,” says RIFF director Hron Marinosdóttir. “The industry in Iceland is really growing. I think there’s a new generation of really talented filmmakers who are getting really good reviews at the biggest film festivals like Venice this year.”
Held in early October, when temperatures are still mild and it’s still light past 7pm, the festival has a distinctly Icelandic feel. Every year, director Marinosdóttir and his team host swim-in screenings at one of the city’s many heated public pools, cinematic culinary experiences, and this year’s Raven Flies, the popular 1984 buffet. Adventure. Most screenings will take place in the Haskolabio building at the University of Iceland. The building includes five auditoriums and a bar and lounge where festival attendees can gather.
“We’re trying to do weird things. We’re going to have swim-ins, drive-ins, ice cave cinemas, things like that. Just to appeal to different kinds of people,” Marinosdóttir says.
Marinosdóttir has been running the festival since he started it as a university project 21 years ago. “Initially, it was very small; for example, 17 films focused on Icelanders and Icelandic-Canadians living abroad,” she explains.
“There were a lot of difficulties in terms of finding the budget and the political side because I’m not a filmmaker. Some of the Icelandic filmmakers were surprised that female journalists suddenly started doing events like this. Some people were surprised,” Marinosdóttir recalls.
This year’s event featured masterclasses and retrospectives with special guests Nastassja Kinski, Bong Joon-ho, Swedish music video and feature director Jonas Akerlund, and Greek filmmaker Tsingari. A screening of Daft Punk’s 2003 animated film Interstellar 5555 was attended by several of the filmmakers.
The Industry Days section hosted discussions including an AI masterclass, workshops on wardrobe and makeup, a panel discussion on the future of the industry, and screenings of works in development. Industry stakeholders were also invited to a roundtable discussion with Icelandic President Hala Tomasdóttir. In the presidential palace, Ms. Björk, perhaps the most famous person in the country, along with Ms. Tsingari and Mr. Akerlund, are working to support record stores, independent cinemas and other venues, both to support artists and to engage and support young people. We discussed the importance of preserving community spaces. Combating the loneliness epidemic.
Industry Day participants also bonded over a field trip to the stunning Hvanmsvik hot springs and a visit to Torfoss Waterfall, an important filming location for Game of Thrones.
Frédéric Boyer, head of programming and artistic director of France’s Tribeca Festival and Les Arcs, says that when he brings filmmakers to festivals, he gets an enthusiastic response. “We have a great audience that loves music, loves Bong Joon-ho, loves Daft Punk, and is ready to absorb it,” Boyer says. Boyer said that after the screening of Chingari’s “Harvest,” moviegoers were so enthusiastic that they continued to ask questions for an entire hour.
Among this year’s award-winning works, the Japanese film “Super Happy Forever,” directed by Kohei Igarashi, which the jury described as “delicate and bright,” won the Golden Puffin Award.
The Different Tomorrow Award, which recognizes films that promote social debate and reveal solutions to local and global problems, was awarded to Silje Evensmo, a visually rich portrayal of a nature-loving Norwegian-British man. The award was given to director Jacobsen’s documentary “A New Kind of Wilderness.” A family adjusting to a new life.
The Reykjavik International Film Festival was held from September 26th to October 6th.