Skábmagovat Indigenous Film Festival

Indigenous peoples’ film festival Skábmagovat creates standing ground to present indigenous peoples’ films globally – cinematography, that is hardly seen on mainstream media. Skábmagovat is organised annually in Inari, center of Sámi culture in Finland, when the polar night passes.

Skábmagovat Indigenous Film Festival is one of the oldest indigenous film festivals in the world and known for its quality content and one-of-a-kind environment. Its speciality is its outdoor theater which is thoroughly made of snow. Snow theater is an experience even to adept movie consumer as well as festival veterans – films are seen sometimes even under -30 degrees temperature. Surely films are shown indoors too, making enjoyment from feature films possible. Skábmagovat’s screenings are running from Thursday to Sunday, from dawn to dusk. For the last few years we have also had an online festival.

Skábmagovat role as a contributor of the Sámi film industry’s visibility is significant. The festival has established international visitor base from film-industry and other festival organisations looking for new and unique productions for their needs. Naturally it’s completing and diversifying film selection also in Finland.

One of the festival’s most important missions is to maintain indigenous peoples’ mutual relations. Skábmagovat aims to strengthen fellowship, communication and collaboration between indigenous people; films are the best possible way to share information, feelings, worldviews, attitudes, challenges and picture of the times in relation to cultures – Skábmagovat Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival makes also the minorities voice heard. The festival is a natural meeting place for different cultures.

The festival is fully committed to indigenous peoples’ films, but the arena is open for multidisciplinary art projects too in the side program. The program is completed with i.a. workshops, discussion and concert events. We would like to offer our audience surfaces to identify themselves, knowledge and new perspectives. Especially give them new kinds of experiences.