Connect with us
Reykjavik International Film Festival

Culture

The Reykjavik International Film Festival points to growing success in Icelandic cinema 

Many Icelanders paint an exceptionally modest portrait of themselves. In Reykjavík, locals often apologized for cold demeanors and dry senses of humor, while simultaneously offering warm gestures to complete strangers. Some spoke of their film industry in the same self-deprecating light by acknowledging its small size. But from an outside perspective, Iceland is already setting itself apart as a world of explosive creative talent that has nowhere to go but up. 

This year the Reykjavík International Film Festival celebrated its 19th year with an impressive lineup of Icelandic and Nordic films swirled together with international features and shorts from all over the world. The 10-day festival also dedicated special sections to the Faroe Islands, Spanish cinema, Inuit “Chills and Thrills,” and Indigenous entries. 

In an interview, festival director Hrönn Marinósdóttir said that the aim of RIFF is not just to “encourage discussion in society to widen angles” but also present “Iceland as a film country and Reykjavik as a film city bursting with energy and creativity.”

RIFF closing ceremonies at the Háskólabíó (University Cinema) on Saturday, October 8th.

For an isolated country bordering on the North Atlantic Ocean, and a population of around 365,000, Iceland has an interesting set of challenges when it comes to creating and distributing films. 

In Beautiful Beings, Iceland’s official International submission for the 2023 Oscars, director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson personally trained his young cast for months leading up to the feature because of the limited amounts of young professional actors at his disposal. 

At various RIFF panels, industry professionals and producers also recognized how reliant the country was on co-producing with neighboring countries to pool resources and hire crews. 

Despite these inherent challenges and the obstacles that popped up during the pandemic, 2021 proved to be a record year for Iceland when it came to production. 

RIFF’s growing staff, variety of panels, and thick program brochures are proof that Reykjavik’s recognition and love of cinema are skyrocketing alongside its productions. Many of the producers foster films for future festivals by welcoming filmmakers to their Talent Lab, funding student films, and connecting burgeoning directors through Q&As and pitch panels. 

(From left to right) Producer’s Day panel with Lilja Björk Guðmundsdóttir, Dyveke Bjørkly Graver, Mark Lwoff, Jasmine Naghizadeh, and Jón Hammer. 

At an environment impact panel, director Rebekka Nystabakk premiered the trailer for her documentary “Woolly.” In the project, Nystabakk hones in on her family’s Norwegian sheep farm as it passes hands from her aging father to her younger sister. Even from a two-minute glance, the impressive trailer promised insights into sustainability, familial love, and the brutal honesty of raising livestock. 

“My father always told me that you should be able to look into the eyes of every animal you own, every day,” Nystabakk told the audience. 

Although the documentary isn’t set to release until early 2004, RIFF was already finding ways to support early production stages, giving Nystabakk and other filmmakers a platform for the future. 

Director Olaf de Fleur, known for Malevolent (2018) and The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (2008), came to RIFF to promote his latest documentary King of the Butterflies (2022). 

The director said he was practically “born with a passport” in his hand and often flies to Los Angeles to seek out new film projects, but he always finds himself returning to Reykjavík. 

“Sometimes something just pulls you like a magnet and you have to go somewhere and stay somewhere and do something, and you don’t know why,” de Fleur explained. “Traveling helps me appreciate the energy here in Iceland.” 

Still from Olaf de Fleur’s documentary King of the Butterflies starring Darryl Francis. 

Written By

Meghan Cook is a comedy writer currently residing in North Carolina with one cat and fifty shows in her Netflix queue (that she will get to eventually).

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Alice Hofmeister

    October 16, 2022 at 12:09 pm

    Great article about a fascinating country!

  2. Meghan

    October 21, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    Author update: The upcoming documentary Woolly is set to release in 2024.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Warfare review: Joseph Quinn and Will Poulter suffer the horrors of combat — but to what end?

Film

IShowSpeed Brings Chaos And Star Power To DICK’S Sporting Goods

Celebrity

Summer Walker Channels Marvin Sapp After Chris Brown Announces More Breezy Bowl XX Dates

Celebrity

Jess Hilarious & Loren LoRosa Settle Their “Breakfast Club” Differences In Gut-Busting Skit

Celebrity

The White Lotus Creator Mike White Responds To Composer’s Controversial Exit

Celebrity

Billie Eilish and Finneas Join Jason Owen’s Sandbox Management

Celebrity

Eminem Officially Becomes A Grandpa As Daughter Hailie Jade Welcomes First Child

Celebrity

This Cancelled Minecraft Movie Concept Art Looks Better Than What We Got

Film

Bill Murray Says There’s One Director He Wishes He Had Worked With: ‘It’s One of the Few Regrets I Have’

Celebrity

G20 review: President Viola Davis goes Rambo against Antony Starr’s crypto bro terrorist

Film

22 acts we can’t wait to see at Coachella 2025

Celebrity

Nelly Wants Court To Impose Sanctions On Ali Jones For Dropped St. Lunatics Lawsuit

Celebrity

NLE Choppa Introduces His New Children’s Book To Memphis Preschoolers With A Read-A-Long

Celebrity

Big U Is Considering Asking Donald Trump For Help With His Massive RICO Case

Celebrity

The Weeknd Reveals His New Album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” Was Originally A Film

Celebrity

The Story of an Extraordinary Woman, Played by an Extraordinary Deneuve

Film

Connect