Hollywood legend Kim Novak will be a guest of honor at the 22nd Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF), which takes place September 25 to October 5. Novak will attend a special screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo on September 27, followed by a public masterclass.
The program, part of RIFF’s series dedicated to groundbreaking filmmakers, will celebrate Novak’s extraordinary career. Born in Chicago in 1933, she rose to stardom in the 1950s, known for her beauty, mystery, and vulnerability on screen. Her dual role as Judy Barton and Madeleine Elster in the 1958 movie Vertigo remains one of cinema’s most haunting performances, but her work also includes collaborations with Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder, and Sidney Lumet.
The screening begins at 15:00, with a 20-minute break before the masterclass at 17:30, giving Icelandic audiences a rare chance to engage directly with one of the icons of Hollywood’s golden age.
Novak’s appearance at RIFF comes shortly after her emotional return to the spotlight at the Venice Film Festival, where she received the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement and attended the premiere of Alexandre O. Philippe’s documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo. AP reports that the 92-year-old actress initially feared she was not strong enough to attend, but was encouraged by memories of her mother’s voice telling her to “just have fun and enjoy it.”
“It’s one of the very first events that I’ve really had fun, really fun,” Novak told the Associated Press. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who presented the award in Venice, praised her ability to project “frailty, power, mystery,” calling her “endearing, dynamic, mythical and phenomenal.”
For audiences in Reykjavík, the chance to see Vertigo on the big screen and hear directly from Kim Novak is set to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival.
