Reykjavík International Film Festival
RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival – is one of the biggest and most diverse cultural events in Iceland. RIFF is an independent non-profit organization. Our staff works all year round to organize the festival but we could not do that without the help of volunteers from all over the world that come to Reykjavík every year to help out.
For eleven days every fall since 2004, Icelandic locals and tourists alike are able to go to the cinema and enjoy the best and freshest of international film making. Our guests can also meet and chat with directors about their works, attend panels and workshops, concerts and exhibitions, and even watch interesting films under even more interesting conditions, for instance in a swimming pool or in the filmmaker’s home.
The festival also manages the RIFF industry office, complete with a video library, information and guest services, and co-organizes networking meetings and dinners for the attending professionals. The festival shows a wide range of dramas and non-fiction films from over 40 countries.
The festival highlights independent film making from all over the world with the emphasis on up-and-coming filmmakers, with the main prize – the Golden Puffin, being awarded only to first or second-time directors.
RIFF was founded in September 2004, by a small group of film professionals and film enthusiasts led by Festival Director Hrönn Marinósdóttir, with the goal of presenting new and progressive quality films, supporting innovation in filmmaking, networking between professionals from various parts of the world and fostering social and cultural dialogue.
Our film categories
In New Visions, up-and-coming directors present their first or second feature film and compete for our main prize, the Golden Puffin. These films challenge cinematic conventions and pave the way for tomorrow’s cinema.
Every year a few distinct films make the headlines on the festival circuit. These are exciting – and sometimes masterful – works, some by established filmmakers, others by newcomers. Here we have the cream of this past year’s crop.
Can we sustain our way of living indefinitely or must we change our lifestyles? Can our planet handle prolonged maltreatment? Do we behave ethically towards one another? The films in A Different Tomorrow shed light on environmental and humanitarian topics because, sometimes, the right film can change the world.
Our documentary programme aims to educate and inform, but also to mediate knowledge in new and exciting ways. A great documentary ignites our imaginations and can have a profound impact on its viewer and society by presenting unexpected viewpoints or new information.
Music plays a key part in our lives and popular culture. Cinema Beat focuses on documentaries that provide insight into the lives of musicians and their cultures, and furthermore, transport audiences to a specific time and place.
SMART7 is a new category at RIFF that is the result of a collaboration between seven European film festivals which have joined forces in a network that connects similar goals and visions. In this category we screen award-winning films by emerging directors from each of the seven participating countries.
The film festivals participating in the network are: New Horizons in Poland, IndieLisboa in Portugal, Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece, Transilvania International Film Festival in Romania, FILMADRID in Spain, Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris in Lithuania and Reykjavik International Film Festival in Iceland.
Our films for 2024 will be announced soon.
Art films are often auteur-driven projects by visionary individuals with extreme talent. In this section, we celebrate a few of these masters and screen their work.
RIFF is the meeting point of Icelandic and international cinema. Icelandic Panorama presents new films that have strong Icelandic connections.
At night ghosts, zombies and various ghouls come out. At night we also commence RIFF’s Midnight Thrills with intense horror films that scare the life out of us in a good way.
A finely curated selection of brave, artistic and intimate international short films chosen with care. Be prepared to witness a wide range of talented and diverse voices which will take us on a journey beyond the borders of reality, expand the scope of our imagination, and revolutionise cinema.
The Golden Egg Competition is a selection of films from up-and coming directors participating in the RIFF Talent Lab.
Reykjavík International Film Festival, RIFF, is all about the experience, and while few things measure up to watching a good film at the cinema, we feel that it is important to spice up our program with a few special events.
Honorary Guests 2023
Vicky Krieps
Creative Excellence Award
Luca Guadagnino
Creative Excellence Award
Isabelle Huppert
Creative Excellence Award
Nicolas Philibert
Creative Excellence Award
Catherine Breillat
Honorary Guest
Luc Jacquet
Green Puffin Award
Örn Árnason
YoungRIFF Honorary Award
Our guests throughout the years have included: Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh, Ruben Östlund, Milos Forman, Peter Greenaway, Costa Gavras, Hanna Schygulla, Béla Tarr, Aki Kaurismäki, Hal Hartley, Shirin Neshat, Susanne Bier, Atom Egoyan, Abbas Kiarostami, Dario Argento, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo, James Marsh, Lone Scherfig, Marjane Satrapi, Aleksandr Sokurov, Andrea Arnold, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrike Ottinger, Damo Suzuki, Darren Aronofsky, Deepa Mehta, Werner Herzog, Olivier Assayas, Valeska Grisebach, Jonas Mekas, Laila Pakalnina, Sergei Loznitsa, Mads Mikkelsen, John Hawkes, Claire Denis and Katja Adomeit.
