Skábmagovat – Reflections of Endless Night

THE WORLD’S NORTHERNMOST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ FILM FESTIVAL

Every January in Inari, 320 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the Skábmagovat Film Festival comes alive. It’s an international and communal event that brings people together to celebrate our wealth of cultural heritage.

Two Sámi in front of a screen made of snow.

World’s Coolest Film Festival

Snow theatre

The pride and joy of the festival is the legendary Snow Theatre, where you can watch films in a theatre built of snow, with only the sky and stars above you.

A Versatile Event

Much more than movies

The festival showcases indigenous art in various forms. The programme includes short films, documentaries and feature films that tell stories and offer insights into the world as told by indigenous peoples themselves.

You can also participate in interesting seminars and side programmes or immerse yourself in Sámi music at the Skábma Club.

Kuusi henkilöä hauskoissa eläinpuvuissa.

Keskustelutilaisuus Sajoksessa, muutamasta alkuperäiskansasta jäseniä

International cooperation

Mission

The Skábmagovat Film Festival aims to strengthen cooperation, cohesion and dialogue among indigenous peoples. Films are the greatest way to share information, emotions, worldviews, attitudes, challenges and snapshots of time between cultures.

Since 1999

Festival history

The idea for the Skábmagovat Film Festival began to form in the late 1990s. It was then that people started to think of ways to bring light through cultural means to the polar night that encompasses Inari every winter.

As Inari is one of the most central places in Sápmi, the idea of a Sámi film festival was a natural one. It later expanded into indigenous cinema in general.

The basis for the film festival was for the perspectives of the films to represent indigenous peoples. The only exception to this were the occasional archive screenings, which provided a historical perspective on the portrayal of indigenous peoples. Patrons of the festival have included the spouses of Finnish presidents, Dr Pentti Arajärvi and Mrs Jenni Haukio.

significant years