Iceland has positioned itself as the world's default snow and ice filming destination. Game of Thrones, Interstellar, Prometheus, Star Wars, True Detective. The list is long and the marketing has been effective.
But here's what most line producers don't realize: Alaska has more glaciers, more ice caves, more dramatic terrain, more wildlife, and more varied winter landscapes than Iceland. And you never leave the United States to access any of it.
No International Freight or Customs
Shipping camera packages, grip trucks, wardrobe, and props internationally adds cost, time, and risk. Shooting in Alaska means domestic freight. FedEx, UPS, air cargo from LA or New York with no customs declarations, no carnet requirements, and no risk of gear sitting in a bonded warehouse.
No Work Visas or Permits for Foreign Nationals
Your entire crew can fly to Anchorage on a domestic ticket. No visa applications, no immigration paperwork, no delays at the border with cases of equipment.
Same Currency, Same Legal System, Same Insurance
Your production insurance works. Your contracts are governed by US law. Your payroll runs through standard US systems. None of the financial complexity of an international shoot.
Direct Flights From Every Major US Hub
Anchorage is a 3.5-hour flight from Seattle, 5.5 hours from LA, and 6 hours from New York. Multiple daily nonstops. Your crew lands, clears no customs, picks up rental vehicles, and is on location the same day.
Same Time Zone as the West Coast
Alaska is one hour behind LA. Call sheets, client approvals, and agency communication happen in real time. No 8-hour time difference killing your workflow.
More Glaciers Than Iceland
Alaska contains over 100,000 glaciers covering more than 28,000 square miles. Iceland's entire landmass is 40,000 square miles. Alaska has more glacial ice than Iceland, Norway, and the European Alps combined.
Ice Caves
Alaska's glacier systems produce stunning ice caves with the same blue-ice interiors that have made Iceland famous on screen. We access them regularly for productions and know which caves are stable, which are seasonal, and how to get your crew inside safely.
Northern Lights
Alaska sits directly under the auroral oval. Fairbanks is one of the best aurora viewing locations on earth, with displays visible more than 200 nights per year. No need to fly to Scandinavia or Iceland for northern lights content.
Wildlife That Iceland Cannot Offer
Iceland has puffins and horses. Alaska has brown bears, moose, caribou, wolves, bald eagles, humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, and the largest salmon runs on the planet. If your creative calls for wildlife, there is no comparison.
Terrain Diversity
Glaciers, Arctic tundra, boreal forests, volcanic landscapes, coastal fjords, temperate rainforest, mountain ranges, river systems, and remote islands. All within a single state. Iceland offers dramatic landscapes, but Alaska offers dramatically more variety.
True Detective Season 4 was set in Alaska but filmed in Iceland. The production cited Iceland's established film infrastructure as the reason. That gap no longer exists.
Alaska Production Company provides the complete production infrastructure that visiting crews need: local crew staffing, equipment sourcing, location scouting, permitting across all land jurisdictions, basecamp operations, wilderness safety, transportation, lodging, and full logistical coordination. We support productions from 3-person documentary teams to 30-person international commercial crews.
The next production that needs glaciers, ice caves, snow, and Arctic terrain doesn't need to leave the country to get it.
Alaska has no state income tax and no statewide sales tax. Your crew payroll and equipment purchases cost less here than in most US states before you even factor in incentives. Iceland's VAT is 24%.
No more sitting on the sidelines. Stand out with compelling, story-driven visuals from the Last Frontier.
