Meeting point of Icelandic and international cinema at RIFF 2023
RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival – starts its 20th edition on September 28th, running until October 8th. The festival boasts a wide ranging program of over 80 feature films as well as a number of short films from 63 different countries, and a range of special events.
The festival opens with the national premiere of Solitude, the feature film debut of Ninna Pálmadóttir. Solitude recently had its world premiere at TIFF and is heading to the International Film Festival in Chicago after its screening at RIFF.
Additionally, four Icelandic documentaries will be shown at the festival: Togolísa, directed by Alda Lóa Leifsdóttir, The Day Iceland Stood Still, directed by Pamela Hogan, Belonging, directed by Sævar Gudmundsson and Kreshnik Jonuzi, and Mannvirki, directed by Gustav Geir Bollason. To celebrate the 20th edition of RIFF, Icelandic short films that have received awards at the festival over the years will also be screened.
French filmmaking takes the spotlight at the festival, with over 30 films from France being showcased. This includes Sidonie in Japan, directed by Élise Girard, starring Isabelle Huppert in a leading role. Huppert is among the guests of honor at this year's festival, alongside Vicky Krieps and Luca Guadagnino.
Among other films to be screened at RIFF are the Finnish comedy Family Time, the debut film of Tia Kouvo that was previously shown at the international film festival in Berlin earlier this year, Sweet East by Sean Price Williams, which has garnered multiple awards since its premiere at Cannes this spring, Baan by Leonor Teles, which received a warm reception at Locarno this summer, and May December by Todd Haynes. The closing film of the festival is Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos, which won the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival in September.