Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), 15th Edition : 3rd- 11th July 2015, Switzerland

“As Orson Welles once said - “ Look what 700 years of democracy have brought to Switzerland: chocolate and the cuckoo clock”. Well since the picturesque city of Neuchâtel is precisely the Home of Swiss chocolate and watches, you might conclude that it is the quietest place on earth.”

Created in 2000, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) has become a major film event in Switzerland in just 14 editions. Indeed, the NIFFF’s quality and original programs, as well as its prestigious guests, convinced both the public and the critics.  NIFFF is taking place at Théâtre du Passage, Arcades,  Jardin anglais, Temple du Bas, Apollo and the Rex.

The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) is a Swiss film festival dedicated to fantastic movies. It was created in 2000 by a group of friends and is now renowned nationally and internationally as an unavoidable reference in genre cinema. The NIFFF defines itself through a rich and diversified programming, constructed around three central axes : Fantastic cinema, Asian cinema and Digital images. The films shown at the Festival are very diversified, going from worldwide expected movies by renowned directors to unknown and underground films d’auteurs. Famous fantastic film directors have already honored the NIFFF with their presences, including George A. Romero, Joe Dante, John Landis, Terry Gilliam, Hideo Nakata.

Since 2000, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) has rocked the city to the ground, welcoming cult guests such as Roger Corman, Phil Tippett, Dario Argento, Ray Harryhausen, Stuart Gordon, Shinya Tsukamoto, Tobe Hooper, Marc Caro and many more.

Now one of the most important film festivals in Switzerland, NIFFF gives away the “Narcisse” Award by Oscar Winner H.R.Giger, the famous designer of Alien. After The bothersome Man in 2006, You, the living by Roy Andersson won the Narcisse award in 2007, leading a high profile selection of over 70 features and shorts, all presented in Swiss or International Premiere.

NIFFF holds various sections, from its International Competition for fantastic features to special programs and workshops devoted to Special Effects and the Digital Image. With two Competitions for feature films (fantastic and Asian) and its side programs the event offer the best platform to promote Fantastic and Asian recent productions in the country.

The 2015 Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival’s  Guests of Honor are Chris Carter (american television and film producer, director, writer and screenwriter : The X-Files, Millennium, Harsh Realm, The Lone Gunmen) and Michael Moorcock (the famous british SF&F writer).

The New Worlds Of Fantasy’s Guest  is John Howe (Canada),  illustrator and production designer.

NIFFF International Critic’s Award Jury : Sarah Stutte (Germany , Deadline-magazin.de), Gilles Esposito (France, mad-movies.com), Lorenzo Del Porto (Italy, Nocturno.it), Raúl Gil (Spain, ScifiWorld.es), Shelagh Rowan-Legg (Canada, TwitchFilm.com).

Neuchâtel (French pronunciation: ​[nøʃatɛl]), Old French: neu(f) “new” + chatel “castle” (French: château), is the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel.

The city has as of December 2013 approximately 33,600 inhabitants (80,000 in the metropolitan area).

The city is sometimes referred to historically by the German name Neuenburg, which has the same meaning, since it originally belonged to the Holy Roman Empire and later Prussia, which ruled the area until 1848.

The official language of Neuchâtel is French (Neuchâtel is situated in Suisse romande or Romandie, the French-speaking parts of western Switzerland ; in 2010 about 1.9 million people, or 24.4% of the Swiss population, lived in Romandie ; the bulk of Romand population lives in the Arc Lémanique region along Lake Geneva, connecting Geneva, Vaud and the Lower Valais).

The movies from the competition are :

TALE OF TALES (Il racconto dei racconti) - Matteo Garrone, Italy, 2015

LIZA, THE FOX-FAIRY - Károly Ujj Mészáros, Hungary, 2015

LOVE - Gaspar Noé, France, 2015

GAZ DE FRANCE - Benoit Forgeard, France, 2015

THE CORPSE OF ANNA FRITZ - Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Spain, 2015

HELLVETIA SHOW - Pedro & Ramon , Switzerland, 2015

POLDER - Julian M. Grünthal & Samuel Schwarz, Switzerland, 2015

HOMESICK - Jakob Erwa, Germany, 2015

Benni Diez, Germany, 2015

MEN & CHICKEN - Anders Thomas Jensen, Denmark, 2015

BRIDGEND - Jeppe Rønde, Denmark, 2015

LOVEMILLA - Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2015

SLOW WEST - John Maclean, UK, 2015

SCHERZO DIABOLICO - Adrián García Bogliano, Mexico, 2015

TURBO KID - François Simard & Anouk Whissell & Yohann-Karl Whissell, Canada, 2015

MAGGIE - Henry Hobson, USA, 2015

EXCESS FLESH - Patrick Kennelly, USA, 2015

EMELIE - Michael Thelin, USA, 2015

WE ARE STILL HERE - Ted Geoghegan, USA, 2015

THE INVITATION - Karyn Kusama, USA, 2015

AVA’S POSSESSIONS - Jordan Galland, USA, 2015

GREEN ROOM - Jeremy Saulnier, USA, 2015

SOME KIND OF HATE - Adam Egypt Mortimer, USA, 2015

CONTRACTED: PHASE II - Josh Forbes, USA, 2015

DEATHGASM - Jason Lei Howden, New Zealand, 2015

STRAYER’S CHRONICLE - Zeze Takahisa, Japan, 2015

YAKUZA APOCALYPSE - Miike Takashi, Japan, 2015

OFFICE - Hong Won-chan, South Korea, 2015

FULL STRIKE - Henri Wong & Derek Kwok, Hong-Kong, 2015

CRUMBS - Miguel Llansò, Ethiopia, 2015

The first characteristic of the NIFF festival is a rich and diversified programming constructed around one central axis:

Fantastic cinema and two complementary axes: Asian cinema and Digital Images.

FANTASTIC CINEMA : PIONEERING AESTHETICS FOR THE SEVENTH ART

The concept of “fantastic cinema” upon which the NIFFF’s programming is based, is open and encompasses those films which transcend the commonly accepted view of ’normal reality’ defined by the ’laws of nature.’ These transgressions can take many different forms, from the most spectacular to the more subtle. They can actually allow us to enter completely imaginary worlds, introducing a minute doubt into our habitual perception of everyday reality.

The festival is interested in all these divergences. This allows the programming to include a huge variety of films: from blockbusters to films d’auteur, from black comedy to Sci-Fi, and from stop-motion animation to CGI. The aim of the Festival is to emphasize both the creativity of the genre today and its role in the history of cinema here and abroad.

The NIFFF offers five competitions : an international competition, an Asian competition, a Best Swiss Short Film Competition, a Best European Short Film Competition and a Swiss Video Art Competition entitled Actual Fears and inaugurated in 2008.

Since its creation, the NIFFF has been programmed each year during the first week of July, except in 2001. In 2015, the NIFFF celebrates its 15th edition and counts amongst the major cinematographic events in Switzerland, supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture.

ASIA: FANTASTIC FOR NEW TRENDS

Over the years, the vitality of Asian cinema has been acknowledged internationally. Despite the fact that Asian cinema produces its fair share of blockbusters and wins awards in many of the largest film festivals, its access remains very limited in Switzerland ; hence, the Festival’s decision to launch New Cinema from Asia, a competition devoted to Asian cinema only. This competition is not restricted to fantastic films, as it also encompasses other major popular genres : thrillers, comedies, kung fu and sword films. Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong are well represented, but films from less expected countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines also attract remarkable attention. A unique opportunity to explore the tremendous diversity of this booming cinema, still largely unrecognized here.

DIGITAL IMAGES: THE CINEMA OF TOMORROW

From the very beginning, “fantastic cinema” was closely associated with technology. Thanks to special effects, filmmakers were able to give form to their imaginary worlds. Today, developments in computer technology produce extraordinary results in the creation and manipulation of images. To take the measure of these recent technologies, the festival not only presents a selection of films created with digital imagery, but also organizes a symposium bringing together designers, scientists and industrialists. Screenings, meetings, workshops and demonstrations give experts and laymen a unique opportunity to discover the latest artistic and technological innovations in the field of digital images.

For more information, please visit : www.imagingthefuture.ch

Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) : List of Award Winners

http://www.nifff.ch/2015/site/en/program/program

Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), 15th Edition : 3rd- 11th of July 2015, Switzerland