Iceland Review Playlist | Film Music

2026-03-14 - 21:06

One of the biggest dates in Iceland’s cinema calendar, the Stockfish Film and Industry Festival, begins next week. To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a special playlist featuring music by Icelandic artists composed for film and television. From haunting orchestral scores to minimalist electronic soundscapes, these tracks highlight the distinctive sonic world Icelandic composers have brought to the screen. Film music created by Icelandic artists is often characterised by an ethereal, otherworldly quality. Expansive textures, slow-building arrangements, and a careful use of silence are common elements, evoking the island’s dramatic landscapes, shifting weather, and long winter nights. The result is music that feels both intimate and vast, capable of underscoring quiet emotional moments as effectively as sweeping cinematic vistas. Add Your Heading Text Here Ólafur Arnalds. Photo: Carstor. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain. Over the past two decades, Iceland has produced some of the most sought-after composers working in film and television today. Among them are Hildur Guðnadóttir, Ólafur Arnalds, and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose work has helped shape the sound of contemporary screen scoring. Their music has accompanied globally acclaimed productions such as the HBO miniseries Chernobyl, the British crime drama Broadchurch, and the science-fiction film Arrival. This playlist offers a glimpse into that rich tradition, bringing together pieces that demonstrate the range and depth of Icelandic film composition. Whether sparse and atmospheric or swelling with orchestral power, each track reveals how Icelandic artists continue to leave a profound mark on the sound of modern cinema.