Icelandic Films
Tax incentives
Iceland has tax incentives for film production. The law does not require the films to be in the Icelandic language or to have a domestic cast, but the cash invested through the scheme must be spent within the country. Foreign investors are encouraged to establish limited companies for the shoot.
Historical note
The history of Icelandic cinema begins in 1906, when a three-minute documentary was shot in Iceland by Alfred Lind. The first movie theatre opened in Reykjavík in 1906. Initially, most movie production in Iceland was foreign, largely Scandinavian, using the Iceland landscape for filming Icelandic stories and plays. The first and only all-Icelandic fiction film made during the silent film era was the short "The Adventures of Jon and Gvendur" (Ævintýri Jóns og Gvendar), made in 1923, although several documentaries were made, both foreign and domestic, during that period. The Icelandic documentary film "Moving Pictures" (Ísland í lifandi myndum) was released in 1925. The first color talkie in Icelandic "Between Mountain and Shore" (Milli fjalls og fjöru) came out in 1948. No Icelandic feature films were produced during the period 1960-80; since that time, however, about 60 feature films have been made, in part owing to the establishment of the Icelandic Film Fund.
The history of Icelandic cinema begins in 1906, when a three-minute documentary was shot in Iceland by Alfred Lind. The first movie theatre opened in Reykjavík in 1906. Initially, most movie production in Iceland was foreign, largely Scandinavian, using the Iceland landscape for filming Icelandic stories and plays. The first and only all-Icelandic fiction film made during the silent film era was the short "The Adventures of Jon and Gvendur" (Ævintýri Jóns og Gvendar), made in 1923, although several documentaries were made, both foreign and domestic, during that period. The Icelandic documentary film "Moving Pictures" (Ísland í lifandi myndum) was released in 1925. The first color talkie in Icelandic "Between Mountain and Shore" (Milli fjalls og fjöru) came out in 1948. No Icelandic feature films were produced during the period 1960-80; since that time, however, about 60 feature films have been made, in part owing to the establishment of the Icelandic Film Fund.
