RULES AND CONDITIONS

We accept fiction, documentary, hybrid, and animation films of any genre, both in the feature (beyond 60 min) and short (under 60 min) forms. 

All submissions: Must have been completed after January 1st, 2025. Must be at minimum Icelandic premieres (i.e. must not have been screened publicly in Iceland prior to the 2026 festival, including a broadcast version of any length). Must be in English, or subtitled in English. 

RIFF will consider both international and Icelandic films, whether they are fiction films or documentaries, regardless of length or subject matter. All submissions will be given full consideration by our programming team. 

DECISIONS ON THE AGENDA

The final decision on programming, categorization, and scheduling of films will be determined by the festival programming team. Their decision is final (and not open to negotiation). Successful applicants will receive this information in their official invitation. 

No screeners or application materials will be returned. Do not send film prints, master tapes, or other originals. 

If your film is selected, you will receive a more detailed form asking for promotional materials needed for our catalogue and website (delivering these on time and in the right format is 100% on you). We expect all submitted films to be free of screening fees. 

You can expect your film to be screened 3-4 times during the festival and 4-5 times around the rural countryside of Iceland in the month following the end of RIFF in a separate program named ‘RIFF around the country’. The project aims to reach audiences that would otherwise not have a chance to see our program. For officially selected films, RIFF wants to provide as much support as possible to filmmakers attending the festival: For feature-length films, RIFF will do its best to bring a representative to Reykjavík Iceland for each invited film. For all selected films, RIFF will provide festival accreditation for every credited director. 

THREE COMPETITION CATEGORIES

RIFF features three juried competition programs: the ‘New Visions’ category (fiction and documentary films), the ‘A Different Tomorrow’ category (documentaries) and the short film categories (‘Best Icelandic Short’, ‘Best International Short’; and several other programs that are non-competitive. 

Selected feature-length films in the ‘New Visions’ and ‘A Different Tomorrow’ categories, and short films at the ‘Short Film’ categories are eligible for jury prizes. 

SAMPLE COPIES 

Online screeners are mandatory. Any number of titles may be submitted. However, each title must be submitted on a separate entry form and screener.