Arctic Script Lab is a script development programme for emerging Nordic screenwriters and writer-directors creating narratives grounded in Arctic and Nordic experience — environmental, social, cultural, and political.
Develop your first feature. Find your voice. Build your network.
Arctic Script Lab is a hybrid development programme for up to 8 emerging Nordic screenwriters working on their first feature-length fiction, documentary, or hybrid film.
We're looking for stories that matter: narratives exploring the intersections of nature, ecology, social transformation, cultural heritage, and alternative futures — told through Arctic and Indigenous perspectives.
The lab combines informed mentorship, peer feedback, and curated industry encounters. You'll develop at treatment level, deepen your thematic focus, and connect with Nordic industry professionals during RIFF 2026.
WHY NOW?
Contemporary cinema is dominated by dystopian imaginaries that can normalise fear and a sense of powerlessness. We're creating space for stories grounded in lived experience, interdependence, and long-term thinking — perspectives the Arctic has always held.
Two phases: online collaboration + in-person gathering
Phase 1: Online Development
Late June/ Early July 2026 · 3 days (half-day Friday, Saturday, Sunday) · Online Á netinu
Bring a detailed treatment. You'll work with mentors and peer participants in group sessions covering story structure, narrative approach, and thematic positioning. Expect written feedback, live facilitation, and space to think before the in-person phase.
What you'll do:
Phase 2: In-Person Intensive
September 29 – October 2, 2026 · Reykjavík, Iceland – Held during RIFF Industry Days
Embed yourself in one of the Nordic region's most important film industry gatherings. Alongside continued mentoring and development sessions, you'll meet producers, funders, festival programmers, and peers — and to begin thinking about the next steps for your project
What you'll do:
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION: Participants are responsible for their own arrangements. A grant of €400 is available for participants travelling from abroad.
We're looking for screenwriters and writer-directors who:
Are developing their first feature-length film (fiction, documentary, or hybrid)
Have a project at treatment stage or beyond — not just a concept
Are based in the Nordic region: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland, Faroe Islands, or Greenland
Are engaged with Arctic perspectives or Indigenous storytelling — whether through background, subject matter, or both
Are you ready to engage seriously with feedback, peer learning, and mentorship
Want to build lasting professional relationships within the Nordic film industry
Up to 8 participants are selected per edition through an open call.
Dagur Kári
Structured dramaturgical support across two development phases
Mentoring from Nordic and international film professionals
Peer feedback within a lasting cohort of Arctic voices
Participation in RIFF Industry Days (panels, networking, industry encounters)
Documentation of your development process and participant network
Certificate of completion
Travel grant of €400 (for participants from abroad)
Arctic Script Lab is developed and delivered by Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF) in partnership with Nuuk International Film Festival (Greenland). Alþjóðlegri kvikmyndahátíð í Reykjavík (RIFF) í samstarfi með Alþjóðlegu kvikmyndahátíðinni í Nuuk (Grænland).
Co-funded by the Nordic Culture Fund.
In this programme, the Arctic is understood as a lived cultural and environmental context shaping the stories themselves, while the Nordic functions as the collaborative framework through which these stories are developed and supported across borders.
