At the 23rd Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF), we caught up with filmmakers presenting their projects in the Work in Progress showcase (see the news) to discuss the stories behind their movies, their creative ambitions and the challenges of bringing their projects to completion.

Polish director Szymon Radzio and producer Katarzyna Stasiełuk introduce Community, produced by Haka Films and Kontent Productions. Icelandic director Brynja Valdís Gísladóttir and screenwriter and lead actress Ingibjörg Reynisdóttir present Marathon Before Menopause, produced by Iceland's Kisi Productions. Portuguese filmmaker and producer Rodrigo Areias, founder of the internationally established production company Bando à Parte, discusses two projects on which he has different creative roles: as a producer of Mermaid in the Sun, directed by Jorge Quintela, and as the director of the documentary feature Ghost Voices. Finnish director Olli Salmi introduces Couple of Strangers, staged by Artesons Oy. The filmmakers discuss what makes their projects distinctive, where they currently stand in the filmmaking process, and what they are looking for from potential partners and the international film industry.