10 REASONS TO ATTEND RIFF
REASON #1 Small city, big screen
The Reykjavík International Film Festival is, just like Reykjavík itself, small but brilliant. The city has it all despite its size — a deep cultural and literary history, a lively music scene, great food, and friendly, safe surroundings where everything is within walking distance. Likewise, RIFF is not the biggest festival in the world, but it offers a carefully curated selection of films and an intimate setting where it is easy to meet fellow film enthusiasts and find yourself face to face with the visiting filmmakers.
REASON #1 Small city, big screen
REASON #2 Walk on the moon
Iceland is a land of surreal beauty, bearing a striking resemblance to the lunar surface — so much so that it has served as a training ground for NASA astronauts. The rugged terrain, vast lava fields, and dramatic volcanic formations have also attracted some of the world’s biggest film productions. James Bond, Prometheus, Interstellar, and Game of Thrones are just a few of the projects that have used Iceland’s extraordinary landscape as a backdrop.
REASON #2 Walk on the moon
REASON #3 The Icelandic film industry is on the rise
The stunning landscape is not the only reason renowned filmmakers are drawn to Iceland. The professionalism of Icelandic film crews and a generous 35% tax rebate make the country one of the most attractive filmmaking destinations in the world. RIFF’s Industry Days bring together professionals from across the globe to explore the ins and outs of Icelandic film production, while giving local industry figures a window onto international developments.
REASON #3 The Icelandic film industry is on the rise
REASON #4 Everyone is just... people here
In most countries, a celebrity sighting means a distant glimpse through a crowd. In Reykjavík, you might find yourself queuing for a hot dog behind a world-famous director, bumping into an actor at the geothermal pool, or chatting with the mayor over coffee. Iceland’s famously relaxed, egalitarian culture means that at RIFF, the boundary between guest and star tends to dissolve. That is just how things work here.
REASON #4 Everyone is just... people here
REASON #5 Experience the volcanic energy
Iceland sits on one of the most volcanically active spots on Earth, and in recent years the landscape around Reykjavík has dramatically reminded the world of that fact — with a series of eruptions lighting up the night sky within hiking distance of the city. The ground here is alive, the air crackles with geological drama, and the sense that something extraordinary could happen at any moment is never far away. Not a bad mindset for watching films.
REASON #5 Experience the volcanic energy
REASON #6 Relax in the geothermal pools
Sometimes the most memorable festival moments happen outside the cinema. RIFF’s Special Events programme has included Swim-in Cinema, Film Concerts, Drive-in Cinema, and screenings in lava caves and ice caves. Iceland’s geothermal landscape is woven into the festival experience — because watching a film while soaking in a hot spring is, frankly, hard to beat.
REASON #6 Relax in the geothermal pools
REASON #7 Witness the Northern Lights
As the festival takes place in late September and early October, lucky visitors may find themselves under the Northern Lights. The dancing greens, purples, and pinks illuminating the Icelandic sky provide an unforgettable backdrop to an already extraordinary week. World-class cinema by day, aurora borealis by night — there are worse ways to spend a festival.
REASON #7 Witness the Northern Lights
REASON #8 Help grow the RIFF forest
Thousands of guests visit the festival every year, and RIFF takes its environmental responsibility seriously. The festival has been growing its own forest for several years now, planting trees in Heiðmörk as part of the Industry Days programme and working towards balancing the carbon footprint the festival leaves behind. The film category A Different Tomorrow is dedicated to films that raise awareness of environmental and humanitarian issues — because sometimes, the right film really can change the world.
REASON #8 Help grow the RIFF forest
REASON #9 Embrace the dark
There is something quietly cinematic about late September in Reykjavík. The long summer days are behind you, the nights are drawing in, and the city takes on a different mood — darker, moodier, more intimate. It is, in other words, the perfect time to go to the cinema. As daylight fades a little more with each passing day, RIFF offers the ideal excuse to surrender to the dark and let the films take over. The atmosphere outside only deepens the experience inside the theatre.
REASON #9 Embrace the dark
REASON #10 RIFF — more than a film festival
Being part of RIFF means contributing to something larger than a single festival. RIFF supports numerous projects that advance and popularise cinema in Iceland year-round — from Stelpur filma!, which gives girls a hands-on introduction to filmmaking, to RIFF Around the Country, which brings cinema to communities across Iceland. There is always more going on than what happens on screen.
