RIFF - Reykjavik International Film Festival

The 19th edition of the Reykjavík International Film Festival will take place between September 29th and October 9th, 2022. Iceland’s major annual film event, the main purpose of RIFF is to offer a wide selection of groundbreaking, independent cinema, and to highlight the work of young and emerging filmmakers, by presenting only first and second works in the Grand Prix competition category New Visions. The objective of the festival is to increase general interest in independent cinema, increase the level of cinematic literacy and enrich film culture in Iceland by offering different cross-platform programs. --- JIM JARMUSCH honorary recipient @RIFF "My experience at the Reykjavik International Film Festival was fantastic. It is an unusual place (to say the least) and the people are gracious, respectful and also a little wild - a great combination in my opinion. I am very happy to have had this experience and to have met so many cool people interested in films, music, literature, elves and many mysteries of human nature" --- Our Program Over the last few years, RIFF screens annually around 200 films (features and shorts) from more than 40 countries. For your convenience, they are arranged in different categories that have solidified over time. New Visions (Grand Prix Competition) –In New Visions, up-and-coming directors present their first or second feature films and compete for our main prize, the Golden Puffin. These films challenge cinematic conventions and pave the way for tomorrow’s cinema. Open Seas (Out of Competition) – 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. A Different Tomorrow – 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. Documentaries –Our documentary program 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. Icelandic Panorama – RIFF is the meeting point of Icelandic and international cinema. Icelandic Panorama presents new films that have strong Icelandic connections. Masters and Honorary Guests – 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. --- MILOS FORMAN honorary recipient @RIFF: "People were telling me: "In Iceland you will feel as if you are on the moon". So I went there and discovered to Iceland the moon is boring. And to see movies there was really special. Thank you". --- Honorary Retrospective – This section offers a rare opportunity to see the classic films directed by each year’s recipient of the RIFF Honorary Award glint on the silver screen. Our guests of honor in 2021 were Mia Hansen-Løven, Joachim Trier and Debby Harry. Country in Focus – Each year we shine a spotlight in a national cinema. The Netherlands was in focus in our 2021 edition. Our country in focus for 2022 edition will be shortly revealed. Midnight chills –Horror movies and genre cinema have long since become a regular part of festival programming all over the world and now RIFF puts this genre into the spotlight. International Shorts – A finely curated selection of brave, artistic and delicate voices. With urgency and determination, these talented filmmakers make us travel beyond the borders of reality, expanding the scope of our imagination, reinventing cinema within every frame, demonstrated in this section. Arctic and Beyond - Where viewers are taken on cinematic journeys that explore the landscapes and experiences from communities living in the northernmost regions of our planet. Children's Program - A varied array of films for our children and youth, as we believe cinema needs to have its presence in our lives from a very young age. Special Events – Reykjavík International Film Festival, RIFF, is all about the experience, and while few things measure up to watching a good film at the movies, we feel that it is important to spice our program up with a few special events. Among Special Events are movies shown in unconventional venues such as pools and homes for the elderly, panels and RIFF Talks. RIFF Around Town – We believe that films can change the world and we exert to reach out to those who can’t attend RIFF. We spread out and screen influential films at libraries, nursing homes and prisons to name a few locations. RIFF focuses on young filmmakers and progressive film productions. Films that touch people, educate and enlighten. It is our desired goal that most film-lovers can enjoy these films during the festival and therefore we have RIFF Around Town. Honorary Guests Throughout the Years 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.