Industry and funding
GROWING FAST: The Icelandic film and television production sector has grown fast in recent times, and has become a vibrant and dynamic industry, punching well above its relatively small weight. Close collaboration with filmmakers from around the world is common practice.
ICELANDIC FILMS HOME AND AWAY: Around 8-10 full-length features appear annually, 3-4 TV fiction series along with varied other TV programming output, and dozens of documentaries and shorts. Icelandic films regularly appear at the key international film festivals and hundreds of others every year, gathering many awards, and several are widely sold and screened. Icelandic films also generally enjoy much enthusiasm from the domestic audience.
THE HOT SPOT: In recent years Iceland has become a hot spot for international film making, with a number of large productions filming here every year. Several Icelandic production companies specialize in production services and have received excellent international recognition, along with the Icelandic crew members working on those productions.
ICELANDIC FILMMAKERS ABROAD: Icelandic production companies also produce or co-produce several films abroad on a regular basis. A number of Icelandic directors, writers, directors of photography, art directors, sound designers, editors, visual designers, actors and other filmmakers regularly work on films around the world, including large scale productions.
CO-PRODUCING IN ICELAND: Seeking a co-production partner in Iceland? Click on Co-producing with Iceland for the basics. A categorized list of Icelandic production companies can be found here. For information on the reimbursement scheme click here. Furthermore, Film in Iceland has extensive information on filming in Iceland. For their website click here .
Funding
There are two ways that filmmakers can receive funding for their projects: (please note that only companies registered in Iceland can receive funding):
- by applying for grants from the Icelandic Film Centre. The Icelandic Film Centre provides various types of grants – for screenwriting, development, production, postproduction and promotion – to Icelandic film projects. Grants can be applied for at any time throughout the year.
- by applying for Iceland's reimbursement scheme. Iceland offers up to 35% reimbursement of eligible costs incurred in the production of film and TV projects in Iceland.
The Icelandic Film Centre operates according to a law (link in Icelandic only) dating from 2003. When dealing with funding applications for film or television projects, the Centre follows the Regulation on the Icelandic Film Fund set by the Ministry of Culture and Education.
- Creative Europe - MEDIA program of the European Union.
- Eurimages, the European fund of the Council of Europe based on the European Convention
- The Nordic Film & TV Fund.
- Iceland is also party to an audiovisual co-production agreement with Canada and bilateral co-production agreements with Britain and France.