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"When the Light Breaks" by Rúnar Rúnarsson (2024; Iceland, The Netherlands, Croatia, France)

Icelandic Film Centre

The Icelandic Film Centre plays a key role in the vibrant Icelandic film industry, through its financial support scheme, international promotion of Icelandic cinema and other initiatives intended to further develop film making and film culture in Iceland.

The Icelandic Film Centre funds Icelandic films and promotes them abroad. Additionally, and crucial to the development of new generations of filmmakers, The Icelandic Film Centre also nurtures film culture in Iceland by supporting domestic film festivals, seminars and workshops where foreign and local professionals collaborate in both film and television.

The Icelandic Film Fund operates under the auspices of the Icelandic Film Centre. The role of the Icelandic Film Fund is to further Icelandic filmmaking by providing financial support. A project supported by the Icelandic Film Fund must have connections with Icelandic culture unless special cultural grounds exist for deciding otherwise. 

Grants made by the Icelandic Film Fund are divided among the various branches of filmmaking as follows:

  • Full-length feature films
  • Documentaries
  • Short films
  • Television fiction
  • Minority co-productions
  • Promotion of Icelandic films

Grants from the Icelandic Film Fund can be made to support the writing of manuscripts, film development, production, post-production and promotion.

The Icelandic Film Centre also handles applications for the reimbursement scheme of eligible costs incurred in the production of film and TV projects in Iceland.

Kvikmyndamidstod Íslands

  • Hverfisgata 54, 101 Reykjavik
  • email hidden; JavaScript is required
  • (+354) 562 3580
  • https://www.icelandicfilmcentre.is
  • person

    Number of inhabitants

    393,396 (2024)

  • euro

    Budget in 2023

    10M€

  • local_movies

    Number of projects supported in 2023

    114

Film Education - EFAD Members' Initiatives

The Icelandic Film Centre has developed digital study materials, based on foreign models, to promote film and media literacy at all education levels, and worked closely with the school system on implementing film literacy in curriculums.

In 2021 and 2022 the Icelandic Film Centre hosted conferences on creating content for young audiences, with workshops and lectures from renowned experts, academics, and producers in the field of children's media. 

The Icelandic film Centre has also collaborated with domestic film festivals on events connected to young audiences and film literacy, such as Reykjavik International Children's Film Festival and EFA’s Young Audience Film Day.

Sustainability - EFAD Members’ Initiatives

The Icelandic Film Centre aims to promote sustainability in the production of Icelandic films. To work toward this goal, IFC requires beneficiaries of production grants to submit a provisional and final report of the production's commitment to sustainable practices.

In 2022 The Icelandic Film Centre adopted GREEN FILM – a rating system designed to promote environmental sustainability for audiovisual productions – to encourage the producers with whom it cooperates to adopt environmentally sustainable work practices. 

In 2024 The Icelandic Film Centre launched a one-year pilot project to assess carbon emissions during film production, aligning with Iceland's Film Policy 2020-2030 goals for sustainability. Partnering with the Green Producers Club, they'll utilize the Green Producers Tool (GPT) to analyze emissions, aiming to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of filmmaking in Iceland.

Useful links

Gender & Inclusion - EFAD Members' National Reports & Studies

The Icelandic Film Centre collects and publishes data on the relative percentages of grants awarded by gender of key positions – producer, screenwriter, and director, in its continuing commitment to gender equality throughout the Icelandic film industry.

Useful links