Taking place in the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, just 650 miles from the North Pole, the Arctic Film Festival is the world’s northernmost independent film Festival.

With the ambition to spread the power of independent cinema in the most remote corners, every year we set our big screen in the otherworldy surroundings of Svalbard, celebrating independent filmmaking.

The Arctic Film Festival serves as a platform for cinephiles and filmmakers to reflect on the future of our planet and our role within it. Through a special cinematic experience, we aim to address global-scale problems and provide a unique opportunity for environmental filmmakers to screen their indie films in the world's northernmost inhabited area where climate change affects the region more than anywhere else.

We are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, we feature carefully curated programmes dedicated to environmental issues of the Arctic and beyond. And we are proud and excited to receive thousands of amazing films from all over the globe.

The Arctic Film Festival is organised by HFP, a pioneer organisation that runs Film Festivals and other events showcasing and championing ideas of diversity. Through our global series of film Festivals that spread over 13 countries, we open the path to voices with a compelling story to share. Our main mission is to honour independent cinema and establish a network of artists eager to join forces and spread their work across all nations. HFP runs 25 film Festivals worldwide.

Awards & Prizes

The Festival's award-winning films are presented at the end of the screenings and are announced on our official website and social media.

All winners receive our official award certificate.

Rules & Terms

✓ All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles (if in a different language).

✓ All films must have been made in or after 2025.

✓ Short films must not exceed 45 minutes.

✓ Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.

✓ By submitting to us, you give us consent and right to screen your film in front of a live audience, and, under special circumstances, online screening.

✓ Nominations: These are all the films that have been nominated for an award in a category. Not all nominated films will be screened.

Official Selection: These are all the nominated films selected for screening, which will be notified via email. If you received a Nomination email, but no Official Selection email, it means your film will not be screened, but is still a contender for an award in its category.

Award Winners: Chosen from the Nominations (which includes the Official Selection).

✓ Professional Feedback: An experienced film professional will review your submitted project and provide written feedback of approximately 1–3 pages, depending on the length of the film. Feedback is delivered within 1–3 months following the festival event. This optional add-on cannot be combined with discount codes. To request Professional Feedback, please indicate your selected submission category in your Cover Letter or Director’s Statement.

✓ We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with.

✓ We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through email and our online platforms.

✓ We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status or whether your work has been made available online.

✓ We do not accept partial screeners, trailers, or screener links that require access other than password protected links.

✓ Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file doesn’t work or doesn’t have English subtitles (if in a language other than English), it will be automatically rejected, without a refund. Please contact the festival team ASAP if there are any issues with the submission process, and a solution will be found.

✓ We cannot provide refunds.

✓ If you have submitted your project in the previous year, please do not resubmit the same project to the current edition.

✓ By submitting to us you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.

✓ We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.
15 Reviews
Overall Rating
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Networking
  • Thiago Cardoso

    I'm so happy and thrilled that Arctic Film Festival was Outros Abrigos'/Fostering Dreams' 1st international festival and prize between a plenty of great films. Thank you the jury for believing and supporting this story with so much warmth and hope.

    Though I couldn't attend the festival, the AFF team kept me in touch with every single update.

    Muito obrigado!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks so much, Thiago, for your lovely message! It means a lot to know that the festival’s spirit resonated with you. We hope you'll have the chance to visit the Arctic someday and we'd be delighted to meet you there!

  • Josefine Ljungkvist

    Unfortunately i wasn’t able to be there physically for the festival, but i had questions that were answered quickly by the organizers. Sincerely nice and passionate people! Great coverage of the festival on instagram, so i felt like i was there in a way. Hope I can go next year, thank you for everything & for believing in our film :-)

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Josefine, for your kind words and support. We're so happy to hear that the festival connected with you, even from afar. We hope to welcome you to the Arctic one day and share the experience with you in person!

  • RORY RYDER

    Lost Silverfish of Berlin (2024)

    The Arctic Film Festival is truly something special! I was so honoured to be nominated by the world’s most northern film festival.. what an incredible recognition. Although I wasn’t able to attend this year (it’s quite a journey!), I highly recommend that filmmakers consider reaching out to their country’s embassy for potential support with travel and accommodation. Experiencing a festival in such a unique and awe-inspiring part of the natural world would be unforgettable.

    This festival is not only set in a remarkable location but is also dedicated to celebrating films that dare to be different. A huge thank you to the amazing team for supporting independent voices and creating such a warm, inspiring space for filmmakers.

    Rory Ryder
    Director, Lost Silverfish of Berlin
    www.silverfishberlin.com

    September 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much, Rory, for your generous words and for sharing your experience! It means a lot to us to hear that the festival’s spirit and mission resonated with you, even from afar. We hope that one day the journey brings you all the way to the Arctic so we can welcome you in person.

  • Marcel Hobi

    Dear festival, dear festival organisers there in the north
    I am delighted to have won the
    award in the Best Animated Film category at the 7th edition of the Arctic Film Festival for my film LOVE BUBBLES. A big thank you to everyone!

    July 2025
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    Response from festival:

    It was wonderful screening your film Marcel! Thank you for trusting us with your work. Congratulations once again!

  • Caroline Strong

    What an absolute honour to be part of this incredible festival! Thank you to the organisers for putting the health of our planet front and centre. Our team were blown away to have The Bough Breaks nominated in two categories and especially for SDG Films - Goal 15: Life on Land. Congratulations to everyone who took part! Caroline, Danny & Gabriel - Mousehole Films.

    July 2024
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