Previous award winners
About RIFF
RIFF 2024
September 26 – October 6
The Golden Puffin: Super Happy Together by Kohei Igarashi
The Golden Egg: A Good Day Will Come
A Different Tomorrow: A New Kind of Wilderness by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Best Icelandic Short: The Bride by Hjördís Jóhannsdóttir
Best International Shorts: The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
The Best Icelandic Student Short: Sleepwalker by Alfred Hrafn Magnusson
Special Mentions: Blue Boy by Nikulás Tumi Hlynsson, Game Over by Salvör Bermann
The Young People's Jury Award: G: 21 Scenes from Gottsunda by Loran Batti
RIFF 2023
September 28 – October 8
The Golden Puffin: Baan by Leonor Teles from Portugal
The Golden Egg: This Ours by Simon London
A Different Tomorrow: Orlando, My Political Biography from France
Best Icelandic Short: Book Exchange (Late Summer in Reykjavík) by Berg Árnason
Icelandic Shots (Judges pick): Sorgarstig (e. Stages) by Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson, Hörður Freyr Brynjarsson and Stroud Rohde Pearce
Best International Shorts: BEEN THERE by Corina Schwingruber
The Best Icelandic Student Short: Make a Wish, Benóný! by Katla Sólnes
Special Mentions: All Around by Birna Schram(Icelandic shorts) / Nature Bands by Sven Peetoom, Gríma Irmudóttir and Jonathan Damborg (Icelandic shorts) / Family Time by Tia Kouvo from Finland (Visons)
RIFF 2022
September 29 – October 9
The Golden Puffin:Rodeo by Lola Quivoron
The Golden Egg: Send the Rain, by Haley Gray
A Different Tomorrow: A Marble Travelogue by Sean Wang
Best Icelandic Student Short: The Paladins by Elin Palsdottir
Best Icelandic Short: Chasing Birds by Una Lorenen
Best International Short: Exalted Mars by Jean Sebastien Chauvin, France
Special Mentions: The One Who Went South by Steiní Kristinsoon (Icelandic Student Short) \ Domy + Ailucha: Prices Ket! by Ico Costa, Portugal / Mozambique (International Shorts) \ Sisters, What Grows Where Land is Sick? by Franciska Eliassen, Norway (New Visions) I Have Electric Dreams by Valentina Maurel, Belgium / France / Costa Rica \ Girl Gang by Susanne Regina Meures, Switzerland ( A Different Tomorrow)
RIFF 2021
September 30 – October 10
The Golden Puffin: Moon, 66 Questions (Selini, 66 eroticism) by Jacqueline Lentzou, Greece/France
A Different Tomorrow: Zinder by Aïcha Macky, Niger / France / Germany / South Africa
Best Icelandic Student Short: Aftersight by Björn Runarsson
Best Icelandic Short: Free Men by Oscar Kristin Vignisson
Best International Short: Strangers (Chute) by Nora Longatti, Switzerland
Special Mentions: The Last Date by Ásta Sól Kristjánsdóttir (Icelandic Student Short) \ State of Elevation (Condition d'élévation) by Isabelle Prim, France (International Shorts) \ Clara Sola by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, Costa Rica / Sweden / Germany / United States / Belgium / France (New Visions) \ Wild Men by Thomas Daneskov, Denmark (New Visions)
RIFF 2020
September 24 – October 4
The Golden Puffin: This Is not a Burial, it's a Resurrection by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, South Africa / Italy / United States / Lesotho
A Different Tomorrow: Songs of Repression by Estephan Wagner and Marianne Hougen-Moraga, Denmark
Best Icelandic Student Short: The Life of Bella by Andri Már Enoksson and Anna Knight
Best Icelandic Short: Yes-people by Gisli Darri Halldorsson
Best International Short: Drifting by Hanxiong Bo, United States/China
Special Mention: Lonely Rock (Piedra Sola) by Alejandro Telemaco Tarraf, Argentina / Qatar / Mexico / UK (New Visions) \ The Earth is Blue as an Orange by Iryna Tsilyk, Ukraine/Lithuania (A Different Tomorrow) \ Animalia by Rúnar Ingi Einarsson (Icelandic Shorts) \ Between You and Milagros (Entre tú y Milagros) by Mariana Saffon, Colombia/Mexico (International Shorts)
RIFF 2019
September 26 – October 6
The Golden Puffin: The Orphanage (Parwareshghah) by Shahrbanoo Sadat, Denmark / Luxembourg / France / Germany / United States / South Korea / Afghanistan
Creative Excellence: Claire Denis
A Different Tomorrow: Midnight Traveler by Hassan Fazili, Qatar / UK / Canada / US
Golden Eggs: Muero por volver (Dying to Come Back) by Javier Marco, Spain
Best Icelandic Short: Paperboy by Ninna Pálmadóttir
Best International Short: Invisible Hero by Cristéle Alves Meira, Portugal
Special Mention: Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) by Jan Komasa, Poland/France (New Visions) \ The Last Autumn by Yrsa Roca Fannberg, Iceland (New Visions) \ Maternal by Maura Delpero, Italy/Argentina (New Visions) \ Gods of Molenbeek (Aatos ja Amine) by Reetta Huhtanen, Finland / Germany / Belgium (A Different Tomorrow) \ Carrots by Bergur Árnason (Icelandic Shorts) \ Night Song (Les homards immortels) by Kate Voet (Golden Egg)
RIFF 2018
September 27 – October 7
The Golden Puffin: Knife+Heart (Un Couteau dans le Coeur) by Yann Gonzalez, France / Mexico / Switzerland
Creative Excellence: Mads Mikkelsen
Lifetime Achievement: Jonas Mekas
A Different Tomorrow: America by Eric Stoll and Chase Whiteside, United States
Golden Eggs: Spring (Vesna) by Nataliya Konchalovskaya, Russia
Best Icelandic Short: Jörmundur by Maddie O'Hara, Jack Bushell and Alex Herz
Best International Short:Signs of Life (Gulyabani) by Gürcan Keltek, Netherlands/Turkey
RIFF 2017
September 28 – October 8
The Golden Puffin: The Rider by Chloé Zhao, United States
Lifetime Achievement: Werner Herzog
Golden Eggs: Hold on by Charlotte Scott-Wilson, Netherlands
Best Icelandic Short: Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir
Best International Short: Copa Loca by Christos Massalas, Greece
RIFF 2016
September 29 – October 9
The Golden Puffin: Godless by Ralitza Petrova, Bulgaria
Creative Excellence: Darren Aronofsky
Lifetime Achievement: Deepa Mehta
Environmental Award: The Islands and the Whales by Mike Day, United Kingdom/Denmark
Golden Eggs: The Duke by Max Barbakow, United States
Audience Award: Mr. Gaga by Tomer Heymann, Israel
Best Icelandic Short: Cups (Youngsters) by Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir
Best International Short: Home by Daniel Mulloy, United Kingdom/Kosovo
Honorary Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Special Mention: The Giant by Johannes Nyholm, Sweden (New Visions)
RIFF 2015
September 24 – October 4
The Golden Puffin: Wednesday, May 9th (Chaharshanbeh, 19 Ordibehesht) by Vahid Jalilvand, Iran
Lifetime Achievement: David Cronenberg and Margarethe Von Trotta
Environmental Award: How to Change the World by Jerry Rothwell, Canada / UK / Netherlands
Golden Eggs: Winter Hymns by Harry Cherniak and Dusty Mancinelli, Canada
FIPRESCI Award: Krishna by Trey Edward Shults, United States
Audience Award: Cartel Land by Matthew Heineman, United States
Best Icelandic Short: Documentary by Jon Asgeir Karlsson, Rainbow Party by Eva Sigurðardóttir
RIFF 2014
September 25 – October 5
The Golden Puffin: I Can Quit Whenever I Want by Sydney Sibilia, Italy
Lifetime Achievement: Mike Leigh
Environmental Award: Waiting for August by Teodora Ana Mihai, Romania/Belgium
Emerging Master: Ruben Ostlund
Golden Eggs: Thirteen Blue by Jacqueline Lentzou, United Kingdom/Greece
FIPRESCI Award: Repair by Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci, Albania / Italy / Kosovo
Audience Award: Remedy by Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci, Albania / Italy / Kosovo
Best Icelandic Short: The Painter by Hlynur Pálmason
RIFF 2013
September 26 – October 6
The Golden Puffin: Still Life by Umberto Pasolini, United Kingdom/Italy
Creative Excellence: Lukas Moodysson, Laurent Cantet and James Gray
Environmental Award: Expedition to the End of the World by Daniel Dencik, Denmark / Sweden / Greenland
Golden Eggs: Good Night by Muriel D'Ansembourg, United Kingdom
FIPRESCI Award: Still Life by Umberto Pasolini, United Kingdom/Italy
Audience Award: We Are the Best! (We are the best!) by Lukas Moodysson, Sweden/Denmark
Best Icelandic Short: Whale Valley (Hvalfjordur) by Gudmund Arnar Gudmundsson
RIFF 2012
September 27 – October 7
The Golden Puffin: Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin, United States
Lifetime Achievement:Dario Argento
Creative Excellence: Susanne Bier
Emerging Master: Marjane Satrapi
FIPRESCI Award: Starlet by Sean Baker, United States
Audience Award: Queen of Montreuil by Sólveig Anspach, France/Iceland
RIFF 2011
September 22 – October 2
The Golden Puffin: Twilight Portrait (Portret v sumerkah) by Angelina Nikonova, Russia
Lifetime Achievement: Bela Tarr
Creative Excellence: Lone Scherfig
FIPRESCI Award: Volcano by Runar Runarsson, Iceland
Audience Award: Le Havre by Aki Kaurismäki, Finland / France / Germany
RIFF 2010
September 23 – October 3
The Golden Puffin:The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte) by Michelangelo Frammartino, Italy / Germany / Switzerland
Lifetime Achievement: Jim Jarmusch
FIPRESCI Award: The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte) by Michelangelo Frammartino, Italy / Germany / Switzerland
Audience Award: Little Rock by Mike Ott, United States
RIFF 2009
September 17 – 27
The Golden Puffin: I Killed my Mother (J'ai tué ma mère) by Xavier Dolan, Canada
Lifetime Achievement: Milos Forman
FIPRESCI Award: The Girl by Fredrik Edfeldt, Sweden
Audience Award:The Gentlemen by Janus Bragi Jakobsson, Iceland/Denmark
RIFF 2008
September 25 – October 5
The Golden Puffin: The tulip by Sergei Dvortsevoy, Kazakhstan / Russia / Poland / Germany / Switzerland / Italy
Lifetime Achievement: Costa-Gavras
Creative Excellence: Shirin Neshat
FIPRESCI Award: Home by Ursula Meier, Switzerland / France / Belgium
Audience Award: Electronica Reykjavik by Arnar Jónasson, Iceland
RIFF 2007
September 27 – October 7
The Golden Puffin: Iska's Journey (Iszka utázasa) by Csaba Bollók, Hungary
Lifetime Achievement: Hanna Schygulla
Creative Excellence: Aki Kaurismaki
Honorary Guest: Peter Greenaway
FIPRESCI Award: The Art of Crying (Kunsten at græde i kor) by Peter Schønau Fog, Denmark
Audience Award: Control by Anton Corbijn, US/UK
RIFF 2006
September 28 – October 8
The Golden Puffin: Grbavica by Jasmila Žbanić, Bosnia and Herzegovina / Croatia / Austria / Germany
Lifetime Achievement: Alexander Sokurov
Creative Excellence: Atom Egoyan
FIPRESCI Award:Red Road by Andrea Arnold, United Kingdom
Audience Award: We Shall Overcome (The Dream) by Niels Arden Oplev, Denmark
RIFF 2005
September 29 – October 9
The Golden Puffin: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Moartea domnului Lazarescu) by Cristi Puiu, Romania
Lifetime Achievement: Abbas Kiarostami
Audience Award: Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) by Hayao Miyazaki, Japan
