Stockfish Film Festival
Stockfish Film Festival & Industry Days is a non-profit international film festival held each March at Bíó Paradís, Iceland’s only art-house cinema, which Variety voted one of the coolest cinemas in the world in 2025.
The 12th edition of the festival will take place in Reykjavík from 19–29 March 2026.
Each year, the festival presents a diverse selection of approximately 30 cutting-edge, award-winning international films, alongside screenings from the Icelandic film archives. A central focus of the festival is the grassroots of Icelandic and Nordic cinema, showcasing a wide array of Icelandic short films from the next generation of filmmakers, as well as new Nordic works in progress.
Founded in 2015, Stockfish is the modern continuation of the Reykjavík Film Festival (Kvikmyndahátíð Reykjavíkur), originally established in 1978. The festival is owned and run by all the filmmakers’ associations in Iceland and operates with transparent, professional, and democratic principles, with a strong emphasis on inclusion and equality.
The festival’s mission is to foster collaboration between Icelandic and international film communities while strengthening Iceland’s film industry.
Stockfish hosts a wide range of industry-focused events, including workshops, panels, discussions, masterclasses, and networking opportunities, designed to meet the needs of film professionals while remaining open and accessible to all.
A key part of the program is Shortfish (Sprettfiskur), Iceland’s leading short film competition, which showcases emerging talent in narrative films, documentaries, experimental works, and music videos. Awards are sponsored by KUKL Equipment Rental and RÚV, and the prestigious Eva María Daniels Award grants ISK 1.5 million to an outstanding filmmaker to support the development of their next project.
Another special program section, Physical Cinema, curated by Helena Jónsdóttir, explores the intersection of dance, music, and film. In 2026, films from this program will be screened across Reykjavík and at Bíó Paradís during the festival.
Stockfish showcases some of the most exciting and innovative films on the global festival circuit—titles that might otherwise never reach Icelandic audiences—while also creating space for dialogue about filmmaking, the film industry, and the creative community at large.
Festival passes and individual screening tickets go on sale in February, with the full programme and schedule announced the same month.
Stockfish Film Festival & Industry Days 2026 invites filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema lovers from around the world to gather in Reykjavík for a celebration of film, collaboration, and new ideas.