Celebrating Global Cinema: Diversity, Premieres, and Iconic Names
The Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF) proudly announces its lineup for the 2024 edition, showcasing 328 films, including 82 features and 246 shorts. A symbol of global cinema, this year’s festival emphasizes gender balance with a 50.80% female and 49.20% male representation among filmmakers.
The festival, which continues to highlight both established and emerging talents, features 47 Icelandic films, 262 European films, and welcomes 65 countries from all continents, representing an impressive range of cultural narratives.
A Festival of Premieres and Global Perspectives
RIFF 2024 will host over 30 world premieres, 36 Nordic premieres, and 6 European premieres, providing a platform for fresh voices and groundbreaking works from all over the world. Among these are critically acclaimed films from:
- Lilja Ingólfsdóttir‘s Loveable – Special Jury Prize, Best Actress and more awards at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and our Opening Film.
- Pedro Almodóvar‘s The Room Next Door – Winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film at Venice, with an outstanding 20-minute ovation record and our Closing Film
- Mati Diop‘s Dahomey – Berlinale Golden Bear Winner for Best Film.
- Saulė Bliuvaitė‘s Toxic – Winner of the Golden Leopard for Best Film at the Locarno International Film Festival.
- Pepe – Silver Berlin Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale.
Other highly anticipated films include Super Happy Forever (Opening Film, Critics’ Week, Venice International Film Festival 2024), The Substance (Best Film at Toronto’s Midnight Madness section), and the 4k restoration of Wim Wenders‘ classic Paris, Texas (Palme d’Or Winner, 1984), a screening that will count with the presence of Nastassja Kinski, who will be one of our honorary guests, an award that will be given by Gísli Örn Garðarsson on opening night ceremony, September 26th. Other honorary guests this year are Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund and last but not least the South-Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, who due to last minute cancellation will join us virtually.
Spotlight on Resistance: A New Section
A special highlight for 2024 is the new section, „To the Resistance,“ dedicated to films that confront social, political, and personal struggles. It will feature works from renowned filmmakers such as Ben Rivers and Sergei Loznitsa and some of the most oustanding titles of 2024 like the Berlinale Best Documentary Winner No Other Land and Rotterdam sensation 78 Days, reflecting the festival’s commitment to powerful, impactful storytelling
Renowned Names and Breakthrough Talents
The 2024 lineup is packed with films from some of the most influential names in cinema today, including:
- Pedro Almodóvar, Miguel Gomes, Alice Rohrwacher, Wim Wenders,Claude Barras, Athina Rachel Tsangari, who will be awarded as Emerging Master after the successful Venice premiere of his latest, Harvest. and many others.
- Stellar performances by leading actors and actresses, including Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Margaret Qualley, and Caleb Landry Jones.
Films Competing in the New Visions Category
RIFF also promotes innovative and daring works of emerging voices through the New Visions Competition, with films like:
- 78 Days by Emilija Gašić, premiered at Rotterdam
- Eat the Night by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, Cannes Quinzaine sensation
- Lovable by Lilja Ingolfsdottir, Karlovy Vary winner also the RIFF’s Opening film
- Pepe by Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias
- Super Happy Forever by Kohei Igarashi
- Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė
- Viet and Nam by TRUONG Minh Quý, the most successful film of this year Cannes Un Certain Regard
- Vittoria by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffmann
A Truly Global Festival
The festival represents voices from over 60 countries around the world, with entries from nations including Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, India, Mexico, Vietnam and South Korea. For example, Oscar winner director of recent arthouse hit Parasite, Bong Jong Hoo will be awarded with the Creative Excellence Awarrd in a Ceremony post the screening of the Black and White version of his 2009 masterpiece Mother. This version, chosen by the director himself, will be a unique experience as this versions has been rarely shown outside South Korea. As well, as every year at RIFF, Indigenous stories will also be honored bringing a rich tapestry of cultural diversity and unique storytelling perspectives to the forefront.
Get Ready for RIFF 2024
RIFF 2024 promises to be a landmark event in the film calendar, bringing together cinematic masterpieces, passionate storytelling, and a diverse array of voices from around the globe. Join us in celebrating the power of cinema from September 26 to October 6th, 2024, in Reykjavik.
For media inquiries, accreditation, materials, interviews or more information, please contact: press@riff.is
