EU Culture Fund awards RIFF a two-year cooperation agreement

The Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF) has received a prestigious cooperation agreement from Creative Europe MEDIA, the European Union’s culture fund, marking a significant milestone for the festival.

RIFF earned 93 out of 100 possible points in a comprehensive evaluation of its application — the highest score the festival has ever received. As a result, RIFF will receive a two-year agreement worth around ISK 10 million (approx. €67,000) per year.

The announcement was made by RIFF ahead of this year’s festival, which will take place in Reykjavík later this month.

This is not the first time RIFF has received EU funding, but the cooperation agreement is only granted following a thorough review of all aspects of the festival’s operations, including its programming, focus areas, staff qualifications, finances, and management structure.

Exceptional recognition

According to the statement, this result is remarkable, as very few festivals in the Nordic region receive this level of support.

The score of 93 out of 100 is described as extraordinary, with the evaluation carried out by experts in the field of film festivals who have in-depth knowledge of the sector.

“A tremendous honor”

Hrönn Marinósdóttir, RIFF’s director, said the news was fantastic for everyone involved and a strong recognition of the team’s work:

“We’ve received support for our operations before, but we’ve never achieved such a high score in the evaluation.”

She added that the announcement was the perfect boost as final preparations for this year’s festival are underway.

“This recognition gives us a great lift, and I can honestly say that RIFF’s program has rarely been as impressive as it is this year. The selection of films is incredibly exciting, and we are looking forward to welcoming our distinguished guests.”

RIFF will officially unveil the full program for RIFF 2025 in the coming days.

This year’s festival will be held from September 25 to October 5 at Háskólabíó cinema in Reykjavík.