Reykjavik Film Fest Spotlights Global Cinematic Talents

The 22nd Reykjavik International Film Festival (RIFF), which concluded on October 5, 2025, offered audiences a diverse and compelling lineup of global cinema. Led by festival founder and director Hrönn Marinósdóttir and program director Fréderic Boyer, the 10-day event featured a blend of new festival hits and a stream of visiting auteurs.

The festival opened with the documentary "Kim Novak's Vertigo" by Alexandre O. Philippe, setting the tone for an exploration of cinema's past. While Hollywood icon Novak was unable to attend, a roster of contemporary filmmakers, including Anton Corbijn, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Ursula Meier, introduced their past works and conducted masterclasses.

In addition to showcasing five films fresh from their Venice premieres, the festival highlighted the diversity of Swiss cinema, with directors like Lionel Baier, Klaudia Reynicke, and the Zürcher twins presenting their latest works. Icelandic filmmakers also had a strong presence, with 34 local titles screened, including the award-winning documentary "The Ground Beneath Our Feet" by Yrsa Roca Fannberg.

The festival's tradition of unconventional screenings continued, with "cave-ins" bringing showings of a family film and the claustrophobic classic "The Descent" to the Raufarhólshellir Lava Tunnel. Meanwhile, the main screening rooms near the university campus targeted a young audience, and student filmmakers participated in panels and masterclasses at the Nordic House.