Attendance Reaches New Heights with K2
Háskólabíó, the festival’s home, was at the heart of it all. Interest in the opening film, Hinsta ferðin á K2 (The Last First: Winter K2was so strong that two auditoriums filled on opening night. This dramatic account of Icelandic mountaineer John Snorri’s winter expedition to K2 returned on the final evening for an additional screening, moved to the Grand Auditorium in response to exceptional demand. John Snorri’s daughter Halla addressed the audience before the screening. Afterwards, a discussion with Tómas Guðbjartsson, Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir and Haraldur Örn Ólafsson gave audiences an opportunity to reflect on the film together.
Skarsgård Brings the House Down
Among the festival’s most memorable moments was the screening of at Háskólabíó. All seats in the Grand Auditorium were filled, as the actor received RIFF’s Honorary Award for Artistic Excellence and joined audiences for a conversation moderated by Andri Snær Magnason after the screening, making for a truly memorable evening at Reykjavík International Film Festival. with Alexander Skarsgård in attendance. The actor clearly has a devoted following in Iceland, and the audience erupted as he took to the stage. All 970 seats in Háskólabíó’s Grand Auditorium sold out for the occasion, which saw Skarsgård receive RIFF’s Honorary Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and join writer Andri Snær Magnason for a conversation after the screening.
Honouring the Art of Action
The festival also celebrated the people whose work shapes cinema on both sides of the camera. Director David Leitch and producer Kelly McCormick received honorary awards at Reykjavík Art Museum’s Hafnarhús and explored the craft of action filmmaking in a masterclass with film editor and longtime collaborator Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir. Producer Sigurjón Sighvatsson received a surprise lifetime achievement honour during a double feature celebrating the 40th anniversary of Propaganda Films. The programme paired the Twin Peaks pilot with a brand-new 4K restoration of will be screened in a stunning new 4K restoration, created from the original 35mm film elements under the supervision of cinematographer Frederick Elmes and with the approval of the David Lynch Family Trust., winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1990.
A Spotlight on Portugal
Portugal, this year’s Country in Focus, made its mark on both the film and music programmes. Honorary guest Maria de Medeiros attended screenings of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and her own film, Capitães de Abril (April Captains, and received RIFF’s Honorary Award for Creative Excellence. The celebrations extended beyond the screen as Fado Bicha and the Reykjavík Queer Choir brought music, diversity and a spirit of togetherness to the programme.
New Voices Take Centre Stage at RIFF
Alongside these celebrated guests, RIFF maintained its longstanding commitment to introducing new voices. In New Visions, emerging filmmakers competed for the Golden Puffin, while documentaries, international shorts, Icelandic films and the Golden Egg programme offered further opportunities for discovery. Across the programme, films sparked discussions about the world beyond the cinema: from women in geothermal energy and the changing Vatnajökull glacier to the pressures of tourism and childhood in the shadow of conflict.
Industry Days Draw Strong Interest
Industry Days brought filmmakers and other industry professionals together for panels, masterclasses and conversations. Guests included producer Erik Hemmendorff, ARTE France Cinéma’s Rémi Burah and TrustNordisk’s Susan Wendt, who shared their experience and perspectives on developing film projects, securing financing and reaching audiences.
Let’s Not Forget to Play
There was plenty of room for play, too. Paddington’s Pyjama Cinema proved so popular that an extra screening was added, while a sold-out Pride and Prejudice Book Cinema event brought Jane Austen admirers together for literature, conversation and sparkling wine. UngRIFF welcomed younger audiences with films and creative activities, while a cave screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark brought big-screen adventure to an extraordinary setting.
Our warmest thanks go to the audiences, filmmakers, guests, volunteers, interns, staff, partners and supporters who made RIFF 2026 possible. Their curiosity, generosity and enthusiasm were essential to these eleven days and made them unforgettable.
The screenings have ended, but the conversations continue and the memories live on.
See you at RIFF 2027,
dagana 30.sept–10.okt.
