Ice Cinema So Cool, Say Norwegians

Be sure to wrap up warm and take a good supply of dried reindeer meat if you fancy a night out in Kautokeino, in northern Norway.

For a cinema which opened there this week extends the meaning of cool: not only is it made completely from snow, you can drive in to it on your snowmobile.

"We always wanted to create a different film experience," said Anne Lajla Utsi, organiser of this year's Kautokeino Sami film festival, 10 days of big screen entertainment focused on talent indigenous to Finnmark, the home of the nomadic Sami people.

"We've built a snow amphitheatre, with reindeer skins to sit on, and the actual screen is also made from snow," she added.

The festival opened on Monday night with a screening of Taxi to Batsfjord, directed by Per-Ivar Jensen.

The Sami, who once herded reindeer on skis, now all use snowmobiles.

"There are almost as many snowmobiles here as there are people," Ms Utsi said. "That's why we wanted to give audiences the chance to drive straight down from the mountains into a film experience, so to speak."

Audiences rave about the experience of watching a movie under the Arctic sky as the Northern Lights work their magic over the bleak Finnmark tundra.

Ice cream, understandably enough, is not on sale, but hot drinks are available during the intermission from a lavvo - similar to a North American tepee - next door.

Other festival activities include concerts by Sami artists, the reindeer racing world cup, snowscooter competitions, and art exhibitions.