The 11th edition of the Explorers Festival will take place in Húsavík from November 12 to 16, celebrating the spirit of exploration through film, science, and storytelling. Hosted by the Exploration Museum, this year’s festival will showcase 22 films from 17 countries, uniting filmmakers, scientists, and adventurers from around the world.
From the rainforests of Brazil to the glaciers of Greenland, from Iceland’s highlands to the streets of Nepal, the selected films span every corner of the Earth, and beyond.
Festival director Orly Orlyson says the selection this year is the most diverse yet. “Each film tells a story about courage, to explore, to protect, and to understand. These filmmakers take us to places few will ever go, and they remind us why exploration still matters.”
Full list of films:
45 Days – Sensing the Polar Night
Director: Andreas Hartmann | Country: Germany | Runtime: 30:00
In Tromsø, Norway, the sun disappears for 45 days. Locals find light in darkness through skiing, surfing, and community. A poetic film about color, cold, and the beauty of the long night.
A Remote Frontier
Director: Greenland Caves Project / Gina Moseley | Country: Austria / United Kingdom | Runtime: 6:26
Scientists venture into northern Greenland to explore caves older than the ice sheet. Combining stunning landscapes with field science, the film reveals secrets from a warmer past. A brief yet powerful glimpse into Earth’s ancient memory.
A Tale of Two Qallunaat
Directors: Kelly Jean Saxberg, Navalik Tologanak | Country: Canada | Runtime: 47:44
Inuit and Canadian filmmakers revisit two women artists who traveled to the Arctic in the 1970s. Their films, sketches, and memories return home in the spirit of reconciliation. A deeply moving intergenerational dialogue about art, heritage, and healing.
Alone in Greenland
Director: Unai Canela | Country: Spain | Runtime: 1:10:00
At 19, Unai returns alone to Greenland’s tundra, seeking muskoxen and polar bears. Amid silence, ice, and solitude, he discovers the fragility of nature and himself. A cinematic coming-of-age journey through the Arctic wilderness.
Chasing the Arctic Melt
Directors: Stella Papadopoulou, Gunnar Zetterberg | Country: Sweden | Runtime: 19:59
Aboard the icebreaker Oden, scientists study the rhythm of the Arctic melt. Through storms, exhaustion, and friendship, they reveal the human side of research. A compelling story of discovery in a rapidly changing world.
Civil Disobedience
Director: Thomas Østbye | Country: Norway | Runtime: 39:40
Activists from Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil escalate their protests from blockades to art attacks. Østbye captures their doubts, courage, and arrests as cameras keep rolling. A gripping portrait of conscience in action.
Crossing Through the Highlands of Iceland
Director: Dan Razvan Coman | Country: United States | Runtime: 30:34
A stunning aerial journey through Iceland’s interior “F roads,” where glaciers, rivers, and volcanic deserts meet. Coman’s eye for scale and solitude turns landscape into meditation. A breathtaking celebration of nature’s raw design.
First Day of Winter
Director: Mitja Legat | Country: Slovenia | Runtime: 7:45
A nostalgic wish for snow turns cinematic in this charming short. Legat uses creative visuals to summon the childhood magic of winter days gone by. A poetic reminder of changing seasons and enduring wonder.
Green Citizen
Director: Sara Reginella | Country: Italy | Runtime: 50:49
Between pastures and protests, Green Citizen follows Italians reshaping daily life around ecology and shared resources. Through calm observation and lyrical imagery, it reveals collective hope amid crisis. A contemplative vision of sustainability in action.
Iceland, sprakkar land
Director: Doris Rose Buttignol | Country: France | Runtime: 1:15:00
Guided by Icelandic women who have redefined leadership and equality, this film explores how a small island nation turned crisis into renewal. Through three powerful stories, Iceland, sprakkar land reveals a society where empathy meets action and where women shape a sustainable future for all.
Kaeté
Director: Pedro Ciampolini | Country: Brazil | Runtime: 48:00
Three Brazilians: a birder, a surfer, and a bamboo artisan – embody air, water, and earth. Their intertwined stories celebrate coexistence with nature and Indigenous wisdom. A sensory, cinematic hymn to balance and respect.
Kingdom of Fish: The Power of Water
Director: Martin Falklind | Country: Sweden | Runtime: 57:00
In Sweden’s rivers, fish fight to pass human-made dams. Falklind explores how freeing the flow of water restores life and hope. A visually stunning, emotional journey through ecosystems in revival.
Look Down Not Up
Director: Yehuda Goldman | Country: Nepal | Runtime: 51:05
Scientists and citizen-explorers journey through Nepal’s Everest region to document wild mushrooms. Blending science, culture, and music, the film reveals both discovery and danger in foraging traditions. A vibrant meeting of ecology and humanity.
Nodules
Director: Jason Jaacks | Country: United States | Runtime: 19:08
Two marine scientists uncover strange deep-sea rocks that ignite a global mining race. Their discovery raises questions about science, profit, and preservation on Earth’s last untouched frontier. A gripping and timely look beneath the ocean surface.
On Melting Snow
Director: Mojtaba Bahadori | Country: Belgium / Iceland | Runtime: 1:13:00
Following artist Sophie Cauvin, Bahadori merges art, ecology, and poetry to explore landscapes shaped by memory and change. The film becomes a meditation on creation and the planet’s fragile beauty. A visually entrancing fusion of art and environment.
Outside the Frame
Director: Duane Sharman | Country: Canada | Runtime: 1:01:40
Seven wildlife filmmakers reveal the beauty they frame and the devastation they must crop out. Filming endangered species around the world, Sharman captures awe and loss side by side. A moving reflection on humanity’s footprint and the urgency to protect what remains.
Polar Pulse
Director: Clémentine Beyron | Country: France / New Zealand | Runtime: 30:35
A young woman sets out on her first polar expedition in Greenland. From training mishaps to moments of wonder, she finds resilience in the freezing wild. A vivid, personal story of exploration and the rhythm of the Arctic.
Russian Spitsbergen
Director: Stanislav Schubert | Country: Norway / Russia / Svalbard | Runtime: 1:20:00
Amid glaciers and ghost towns, five stories portray life in Russia’s Arctic settlements on Svalbard. Miners, scientists, and explorers endure isolation and climate change in equal measure. A vast, human tapestry of survival at the top of the world.
Space Chasers
Director: Dr. Steven Swancoat | Country: United States | Runtime: 52:00
An OB/GYN from New York follows his passion for astrophotography around the globe. From Chile to Times Square, he meets explorers of the night sky and rediscovers wonder through art and science. An uplifting portrait of creativity among the stars.
The Bear Hunter
Director: Jack Evans | Country: United States | Runtime: 29:11
A lifelong hunter ventures into the Yukon seeking confrontation with the animal he reveres most. The Bear Hunter probes the moral tension between love and killing, nature and domination. A haunting reflection on the ethics of the hunt.
The Rift
Director: Gábor Nagy | Country: Hungary | Runtime: 27:00
Cyclists cross Iceland’s unforgiving interior, facing storms, rivers, and volcanic plains. Filmmaker Gábor Nagy captures their struggle and awe in minimalist, breathtaking images. A visceral story of endurance, nature, and self-discovery.
Wild Proximity
Directors: Michel d’Oultremont, Julien Coquel | Country: Belgium | Runtime: 25:14
A poetic portrait of nature through the eyes of wildlife photographer Michel d’Oultremont. Exploring marshes, forests, and fields near his home, he captures fleeting moments with animals living quietly beside us. A tender reflection on patience, beauty, and the hidden richness of everyday wilderness.
