AWARD WINNERS - 2025

The Northern Lights – Fantastic Film Festival has now concluded its third edition, and its very first in Stokkseyri, Árborg. Our new venue exceeded all of our expectations: it’s not only everything we hoped for, but truly fantastic.

All our guests witnessed the northern lights in all their glory and with that, we could feel the festival coming into its own. This new home marks a powerful step towards realising the festivals full potential.

This year we received an incredible number of submissions—fantastic films from 33 countries around the globe. From this, 50 outstanding films were selected for screening and to compete for the NEXUS and AURORA Awards.

Our hearts are brimming with gratitude for the filmmakers who made this years program truly special. Thank you for your beautiful, bizarre, and mind-bending films, and to those who were able to join us in person, welcome to the Northern Lights – Fantastic Film Festival family!

AURORA Award (best live action) /

"A film that captures both the beauty and the fragility of human nature. It portrays genuine connection while revealing the flawed survival mechanism of denial. At its heart lies the purity of unconditional love between siblings, the complexities and dysfunctions of family dynamics, and the profound bond between a mother and her son. Ultimately, it reminds us of the one force that drives us—especially when everything else falls away: love. 

A delicate and emotionally charged film that masterfully explores the conflict between love, duty, and self-liberation in the face of the unimaginable - the Aurora Award goes to FOMO / Armageddon."

Special Mention /

"A bold and visually stunning work of cinematic craft. With brilliant use of sound and a captivating interplay of dialogue and imagery—without a single visible human being—the film transports us beyond the confines of Earth. It tells a powerful story about searching for belonging, about drifting through the cosmos in hopes of finding a place that feels like home. In its quiet, haunting way, the film reminds us that even in the vastness of space, there is always somewhere or someplace where you belong. Special mention goes to TELEOS - 1."

NEXUS Award (best animation) /

"This evocative and romantic film reminds us that animation is not only a craft, but an art form capable of touching the ineffable. A remarkable, wordless meditation on nature and magic, filled with surprise and gentle wonder, this dreamy invitation of a film is a charming poem where the natural and the surreal coexist, urging us to explore our curiosities in one another. 

For its beautiful storytelling and inventive design, the jury is pleased to present the NEXUS Award to RADIX."

Congratulations to our fantastic award winners and the biggest of thanks to all of the fantastic filmmakers who participated in our 2025 edition of the Northern Lights - Fantastic Film Festival! You make us Fantastic!

In closing, a huge thanks to our fantastic volunteers & sponsors! You make us possible!