NIFFF NEUCHÂTEL INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL
02 – 10 JULY 2021 FIA : SUPERMA DESIGN
PRESSKIT DOSSIER DE PRESSE
THE SWISS EVENT FOR FANTASTIC FILM, ASIAN CINEMA & DIGITAL CREATION SUMMARY
NIFFF 2021
PROGRAMME 2021 2 INTERVIEW OF LOÏC VALCESCHINI, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AD INTERIM 4 PRIZE ET JURIES 6 NIFFF IN NUMBERS 8 PRESS OFFICE 9 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 10 CEREMONIES 17 NEW CINEMA FROM ASIA 18 FILMS OF THE THIRD KIND 20 ULTRA MOVIES 21 FORMOSA FANTASTICA 23 NIFFF 20th EDITION 26 CARTE BLANCHE TO A SWISS CELEBRITY : MARTIN VETTERLI 28 SWISS SHORTS (SSA/SUISSIMAGE COMPETITION) 29 INTERNATIONAL SHORTS 29 NEW SHORTS FROM ASIA 30 SPECIAL SCREENINGS 31 SAUVAGE EXTENDED 32
NIFFF EXTENDED
MONDAY JULY 5 : IMAGING THE FUTURE 34 TUESDAY JULY 6 : IMAGING THE FUTURE 35 WEDNESDAY JULY 7 : STORYWORLDS 36 THURDAY JULY 8 : NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY 37
NIFFF INVASION 38
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS 40
1 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
PROGRAMME : Guest in situ : Guest online
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL - Chris Baugh, IE/UK, 2020, 88’ - Swiss Premiere CENSOR - Prano Bailey-Bond, UK, 2021, 84’ - Swiss Premiere CRYPTOZOO - Dash Shaw, US, 2021, 95’ - Swiss Premiere FLASHBACK - Christopher MacBride, CA, 2020, 97’ - Swiss Premiere GAIA - Jaco Bouwer, ZA, 2021, 98’ - Swiss Premiere IN THE EARTH - Ben Wheatley, UK, 2021, 107’, Swiss Premiere KING CAR - Renata Pinheiro, BR, 2021, 97’ - Swiss Premiere KNOCKING - Frida Kempff, SE, 2021, 78’ - Swiss Premiere LAPSIS - Noah Hutton, US, 2020, 108’ - Swiss Premiere MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD - Dodo Dayao, PH, 2020, 91’ - International Premiere POST MORTEM - Péter Bergendy, HU, 2020, 115’ - Swiss Premiere SON - Ivan Kavanagh, IE/US/UK, 2020, 98’ - Swiss Premiere THE FEAST - Lee Haven Jones, UK, 2020, 92’ - European Premiere TIDES - Tim Fehlbaum, DE/CH, 2021, 104’ - International Premiere
NEW CINEMA FROM ASIA BEAUTY WATER - Cho Kyung-hun, KR, 2020, 85’ - Swiss Premiere BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES - Junta Yamaguchi, JP, 2021, 70’ - Swiss Premiere MY MISSING VALENTINE - Chen Yu-hsun, TW, 2020, 119’ - Swiss Premiere THE FABLE: THE KILLER WHO DOESN’T KILL - Kan Eguchi, JP, 2021, 123’ - European Premiere OK! MADAM - Lee Cheol-ha, KR, 2020, 100’ - Swiss Premiere SHOCK WAVE 2 - Herman Yau, HK/CN, 2020, 120’ - Swiss Premiere
2 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
FILMS OF THE THIRD KIND
A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX - Rodney Ascher, US, 2021, 110’ - Swiss Premiere TONKATSU DJ AGETARO - Ken Ninomiya, JP, 2020, 100’ - European Premiere WILD MEN - Thomas Daneskov, DK, 2021, 104’ - European Premiere MARYGOROUND - Daria Woszek, PL, 2020, 78’ - Swiss Premiere
ULTRA MOVIES
COMING HOME IN THE DARK - James Ashcroft, NZ, 2021, 93’ - Swiss Premiere FRANK & ZED - Jesse Blanchard, US, 2020, 90’ - European Premiere MÉANDRE - Mathieu Turi, FR, 2020, 90’ - Swiss Premiere THE SPINE OF NIGHT - Morgan Galen King & Philip Gelatt, US, 2021, 93’ - Swiss Premiere VICIOUS FUN - Cody Calahan, CA, 2020, 96’ - Swiss Premiere WEREWOLVES WITHIN - Josh Ruben, US, 2021, 97’ - Swiss Premiere
FORMOSA FANTASTICA
AS WE LIKE IT - Chen Hung-I & Muni Wei, TW, 2021, 107’- Swiss Premiere GET THE HELL OUT - Wang I-fan, TW, 2020, 95’ - Swiss Premiere MY MISSING VALENTINE - Chen Yu-hsun, TW, 2020, 119’ - Swiss Premiere THE MAGICIAN ON THE SKYWALK - Gilles Yang, TW, 2021, 95’ - European Premiere THE SCOUNDRELS - Hung Tzu-hsuan, TW, 2018, 105’ - Swiss Premiere THE TAG-ALONG - Cheng Wei-hao , TW, 2015, 91’ - Swiss Premiere
SAUVAGE EXTENDED
ANIMALIA SUM - Bianca Kennedy & The Swan Collective, DE/BR/IS, 2019, 9’ - Swiss Premiere HOMINIDAE - Brian Andrews, US, 2020, 6’ - Swiss Premiere ANOTHER SHORE - Théo Fischer, Pablo Perez & Hector Fassa, CH, 2021, 15’ - World Premiere BATVISION - Raffaele Grosjean, Eliane Zihlmann & Oliver Sahli, CH, 2020, 3’ - World Premiere AN ODE TO MOSS - SU, TW, 2020, 6’ - Swiss Premiere A SONG WITHIN US - Fangas Nayaw, TW/FR, 2019, 15’ - Swiss Premiere GREAT HOAX: THE MOON LANDING - John Hsu & Marco Lococo, TW/AR, 2020, 17’ - Swiss Premiere SAMSARA EP. 1 - Huang Hsin-chien, TW, 2021, 17’ - European Premiere
3 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERVIEW OF LOÏC VALCESCHINI ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AD INTERIM
THE NIFFF IS CELEBRATING ITS 20TH EDITION THIS YEAR, AFTER ONE POSTPONEMENT AND A YEAR AND A HALF LONG PANDEMIC. HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT ORGANISING THE EVENT IN SUCH TROUBLED TIMES?
With a great deal of resilience! We had already partially gone through that in 2020 with the special edition but organising a festival during a pandemic is a complex and frustrating endeavour. That is why I am infinitely grateful to my team members for their flexibility and understanding when confronted with the many uncertainties that have made these preparations difficult. Since we definitely had no control over the situation or its evolution, we had to contend with a constant lack of visibility and a complete absence of concrete answers. It forced us to continuously rethink our approach, our format, and our projects. We had to come up with a variety of scenarios and budgets and adapt at all times to current and potential future measures. In late May, we decided on a format that would be able to adapt easily to restrictions all the while offering a diverse and quality programme. We have been working in a state of urgency for weeks. For example, we only learnt very recently that we would be authorized to have an outdoor socializing area at the Jardin anglais, which had to be redesigned in record time to comply with health measures. We have no other choice but to change things around every time a new rule comes into effect, and we must continue to do so until the last day of the festival.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED, THERE WERE STORIES OF FILM PRODUCTIONS SHUTTING DOWN AND FESTIVALS HAVING A HARD TIME FILLING UP THEIR SLATE. HAVE THESE ISSUES HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU?
The pandemic had a massive impact on all industries. Fortunately, it has never actually become a challenge finding new films to show for us. Of course, there were slow-downs and delays in some regions or countries, depending on the local contamination rates and the variants, but the industry has more or less kept going. The programme of all festivals was impacted in 2020, but some events were able to happen physically, and most have maintained an online presence. In Venice, Tallinn, Busan, Sundance, or Berlin, films were still able to leverage the power of the festival circuit. As far as distribution goes, the reality ended up being the opposite of what we thought would happen: despite the boost to streaming platforms and their growing catalogues, too many films piled up in limbo, waiting for cinemas to reopen. This had an impact on release dates and thus on the films’ availability. The industry adapted, and some paradigms have disappeared: in the United States and South Korea, simultaneous (or closely scheduled) physical and online blockbuster releases have taken place.
THE NIFFF HAS DECIDED TO KEEP OFFERING DIGITAL SCREENINGS AND HAS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE HYBRIDITY OF SOME LABELS, SUCH AS NIFFF EXTENDED. HOW DOES THIS WORK AND WHAT ARE THE GOALS?
The hybridity of our 20th edition complies with health measures while building on the lessons learnt last year. Livestreaming of NIFFF conferences started a few years ago. Then, the 2020 special edition
4 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
went entirely digital. The NIFFF set up a VOD platform and launched the ambitious NIFFF TV, which amounted to 9 hours of television programming. We were able to make good use of this enriching experience to offer a strong digital selection for our 20th edition. This way, festival-goers can enjoy some of our films regardless of the situation. This increases inclusivity by allowing people who cannot travel to Neuchâtel to discover some of the programme. Finally, as NIFFF Extended conferences will not be geo-blocked, they can be seen by a wider, more international audience, which is in line with the objectives of this label geared toward industry professionals.
THE 2021 SELECTION INCLUDES MANY FIRST OR SECOND FEATURES. IS THE FANTASTIC GENRE PARTICULARLY INSPIRING FOR NEW FILMMAKERS?
We did notice an incredible number of young filmmakers making genre cinema their own. Two thirds of the International Competition are first or second features. It’s great seeing so much enthusiasm and reminds us how much of an inspiration fantasy can be for emerging directors. It’s the ideal tool to express one’s vision and reimagine the world. The fantastic genre can take any form, can be moulded according to one’s wishes. It can offer rich images, and thus has the potential to inspire widely. See for instance how students at the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD) participated in a workshop driven by Basil Da Cunha to think about the genre and make films within it. For a school more accustomed to studying naturalistic cinema, the initiative shows the immense possibilities offered by fantasy, as demonstrated by the BETWEEN FANTASY AND THE REAL selection.
ASIA IS A BIG PART OF THIS YEAR’S EDITION WITH THE NEW CINEMA FROM ASIA COMPETITION, AS WELL AS THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY FORMOSA FANTASTICA PROGRAMME. ARE FANTASTIC FILMS FROM ASIAN COUNTRIES PARTICULARLY CREATIVE NOWADAYS?
Asian films have always been a big part of the festival, since its first edition actually. Japanese cyberpunk director Shinya Tsukamoto was one of our guests of honour in 2000. Asian cinema is dynamic and descends from unique traditions, but it suffers from a massive lack of visibility, and we hope to rectify that at least in part. This is why we chose to give the spotlight to Taiwanese productions though our special FORMOSA FANTASTICA programme this year. In Taiwan, as well as other Southeast Asian countries, romantic comedies tend to dominate the market, so it is very heart-warming to see that fantasy has managed to find its place in Taiwan’s industry in the last few years. It also fosters many relations with other sectors like digital creation and literature. Since one of our missions is all about promoting and defending new filmmakers, we must stay at the forefront of the genre’s new developments, whether they come from Asia, Switzerland or anywhere else in the world.
5 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
PRIZE & JURIES 2021
H.R. GIGER NARCISSE AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM: International Competition, granted by the City of Neuchâtel, CHF 10,000.- Awarded by the international jury:
· Mona Chollet, author and essayist, CH · Sylvie Lainé, author, FR · Fabien Mauro, author and essayist, FR · Mathieu Turi, filmmaker, FR · Daria Woszek, filmmaker, PL
SILVER MELIES FOR BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE FILM: Nomination by Swiss experts for the Méliès d’Or competition, an award granted to the best European fantastic feature film by the European Federation of Fantastic Film Festivals (EFFFF). Awarded by the international jury.
NIFFF INTERNATIONAL CRITICS AWARD: Granted by 5 international journalists, awarded in the form of promotional services. Given by the critics jury:
· Leonhard Elias Lemke, Journalist, Germany (Deadline, DE) · Ard Vijn, Journalist, Netherlands (Screen Anarchy, CA) · Rául Gil, Journalist, Spain (ScifiWorld, ES) · Andrea Monili, Journalist, Italy (Nocturno, IT) · Laurent Duroche, Journalist, France (Mad Movies, FR)
H.R. GIGER NARCISSE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM: SSA / SUISSIMAGE Swiss short films competition, CHF 10,000.- awarded by the SSA / SUISSIMAGE jury:
· Kantarama Gahigiri, Director, Switzerland/Rwanda · Marie-Eve Hildbrand, Director, Switzerland · Ivana Kvesic, Director, Schweizer Jugendfilmtage, Switzerland
SILVER MÉLIÈS FOR BEST FANTASTIC EUROPEAN SHORT FILM: Nomination for the Méliès d’Or for best European fantastic short film, awarded by the SSA/SUISSIMAGE jury.
6 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
BEST ASIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD: Awarded by the audience to the best film in the New Cinema from Asia competition.
RTS AUDIENCE AWARD: Awarded by the RTS to the film which has received the highest vote from the audience, in the form of support promoting the distribution of the film in French-speaking Switzerland (CHF 5,000).
IMAGING THE FUTURE AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: CHF 5,000 awarded by the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) to the best production design in a film from the International Competition. Awarded by the Taurus Studio Innovation Jury:
TAURUS AWARD FOR INNOVATION: CHF 2,000 worth of sound post-production at Studio Taurus, awarded to the most promising Swiss director by the Taurus Studio Innovation Jury: · Claude Lander, Taurus Studio Founder, Switzerland · Stéphane Morey, General secretary, Cinéforom, Switzerland · Marie Herny, Co-director, Centre de culture ABC, France DENIS-DE-ROUGEMONT YOUTH AWARD: Awarded by students of the Denis-de-Rougemont high school (Neuchâtel).
PUBLIC AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM: Awarded by the public to the best short film of the three short programmes (Swiss Shorts, International Shorts, New Shorts from Asia).
7 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NIFFF IN NUMBERS Tickets sold in 2019 : 39’000 General attendance in 2019 : 49’000
Tickets sold in 2020 : 4’500 General attendance in 2020 : 21’500 (17’000 views on NIFFF TV)
FESTIVAL
· 20 editions · 80 collaborators · 6 locations · 1 Open Air
PROGRAMME 2021
· Artistic works & creations: 106 · Feature Films: 48 · Short Films: 46 · Immersive installations: 8 · TV productions: 2 · World premieres: 10 · International premieres: 4 · European premieres: 8 · Swiss premieres: 52 · Screenings: 133 · Countries represented: 32 · Conferences: 15 · Free activities: 35
8 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
PRESS OFFICE
BEFORE THE FESTIVAL All accreditation forms can be submitted until Monday June 28th. When applicable, the accreditation fee is CHF 70. The accreditation gives acces to NIFFF EXTENDED upon reservation. Our Press Team is at your disposal for interview requests (both online or on site guests), additional information and questions regarding the programme. The press screenings timetable will be available on the press corner on nifff.ch and at the press office during the festival. The films can also be screened prior to the event. If you’d like a screener please reach out to [email protected].
DURING THE FESTIVAL The press office is open to journalists and professionals on the 1st floor of the Théâtre du Passage, Maximilien-de-Meuron 4, 2000 Neuchâtel.
OPENING HOURS Théâtre du Passage, 1st floor
02.07 : 14:00 - 20:00 03.07 - 10.07 : 11:00 - 20:00
CONTACT
Press office Bastien Bento Jennifer Siegrist [email protected] Head of press Press Coordindator T: +41 32 731 07 76 [email protected] [email protected] M: +41 79 934 34 63 M: +41 79 519 64 89
9 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL SWISS PREMIERE Chris Baugh, IE/UK, 2020, 88’ Cast: Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Zoe Kazan World sales: Six Mile Hill Productions, Blinder Films Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM Welcome to the quiet little country town of Six Mile Hill, where curious tourists visit the tomb of Abhartach, a legendary vampire from Ireland. This is where Eugene and his friends grew up, drinking beer and exploiting the tourists’ naivety to con them. One day, they accidentally destroy a famous cairn, and understand that you’re better off not making fun of some legends. The ancient, blood-thirsty vampire must however contend with exceptionally phlegmatic preys. A hilarious reimagining of old Irish myths that both honours and pokes fun at them.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY BAD DAY FOR THE CUT (2017)
CENSOR SWISS PREMIERE
Prano Bailey-Bond, UK, 2021, 84’ Cast : Niamh Algar, Michael Smiley, Nicholas Burns World sales : Protagonist Pictures
FILM In Thatcher’s conservative England, the trend of the video nasties triggers a moral panic. Employed by the censorship board, Enid Baines spends her days watching sordid VHS tapes and suggesting cuts about the most extreme films. One day, while she is working on a particularly brutal slasher, traumas from her past resurface and take Enid to the edge of madness. Prano Bailey-Bond delivers a remarkable directorial debut, a love letter to the horror genre where she aptly combines the morbid elegance of gialli, a typically British sense of dark humour, and a mesmerising and gloomy atmosphere.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
SHORTCUT (2016, short) NASTY (2015, short)
10 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
CRYPTOZOO SWISS PREMIERE Dash Shaw, US, 2021, 95’ Cast : Lorenzo Quinteros, Hugo Soto, Inés Vernengo World sales : The Match Factory
FILM In the 1960s, an avid protector of legendary animals sets out to find a baku, a creature from Japanese mythology that has recently been spotted by a bounty hunter. Accompanied by two acolytes, she engages in a chase that will take them to the four corners of the Earth and force them to face less friendly entities... This audacious and creative animated film with a luxuriant sense of aesthetics is an anticapitalistic, extraordinary eco-fable that incites us to think about the nature of utopias. A raw gem of imagination and visual freedom.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
MY ENTIRE HIGHSCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA (2016)
FLASHBACK SWISS PREMIERE
Christopher MacBride, CA, 2020, 97’ Cast : Dylan O’Brien, Maika Monroe, Hannah Gross Distributor : Capelight Pictures
FILM Nearing 30 years of age, Frederick Fitzell lives a quiet and well-organised life. He is about to get engaged to his girlfriend. His peaceful existence is turned upside down when he starts having nightmarish visions of Cindy, an old high school flame he hasn’t seen in a very long time. Convinced that something has happened to her and that it has something to do with him, Fred sets out on a strange quest where past, present and future intertwine. Prepare for a narrative tour-de-force and existential questions: FLASHBACK quickly takes you on a sensational rollercoaster that might very well make it the new cult movie of an entire generation.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
THE CONSPIRACY (2012)
11 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
GAIA SWISS PREMIERE
Jaco Bouwer, ZA, 2021, 98’ Cast : Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk World sales : SquareOne Entertainment Gmbh
FILM A forest ranger ventures deep into ancient woods during a routine reconnaissance mission. After losing track of her colleague, she bumps into an odd pair: a completely paranoid father and son who are living in the wild. The two men seem to have developed their own religion based on their mysterious relationship with mother nature. GAIA is a striking exploration of South African pagan myths. A radical, bone-chilling proposition of eco-horror that makes the game THE LAST OF US look like a walk in the park. Not sure Rousseau would have ever come up with the “noble savage” if he had seen GAIA.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
THIS COUNTRY IS LONELY (2019, short)
IN THE EARTH SWISS PREMIERE Ben Wheatley, UK, 2021, 107’ Cast : Joel Fry, Ellora Torchia, Hayley Squires World sales : Protagonist Pictures Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM As a virus is wreaking havoc throughout the world, the scientific community rushes to create a vaccine. It’s in these turbulent circumstances that Martin is sent to the Bristol countryside to start his research. A forest ranger tags along. After a while, it seems like nature is awakening around them, until there is no longer any doubt: something else is prowling in the woods. Using the health crisis as a backdrop, Ben Wheatley probes the deepest recesses of the human soul and reconnects with the kind of genre cinema he started in. A horrific phantasmagoria and a sensory experience that will forever be seared in your memory.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
REBECCA (2020) HIGH RISE (2015) SIGHTSEERS (2012) 12 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
KING CAR SWISS PREMIERE Renata Pinheiro, BR, 2021, 97’ Cast : Okado do Canal, Jules Elting, Matheus Nachtergaele World sales : Reel Suspects
FILM Ninho is the son of a taxi company’s owner. He is blessed with an extraordinary gift: he can talk to cars. When a new law makes driving vehicles more than fifteen years old illegal, he decides to renovate old cars with his uncle. Their idea entails a certain number of unforeseen risks… With a corrosive retro futuristic design, this emotionally powerful sci-fi thriller is part eco-fable, part scathing political critique. A breathtaking example of how well genre cinema can be conductive of militant positions about the world we live in.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
ESTRADEIROS (2018) AÇÚCAR (2017) LOVE, PLASTIC AND NOISE (2013)
KNOCKING SWISS PREMIERE Frida Kempff, SE, 2021, 78’ Cast : Cecilia Milocco, Albin Grenholm, Ville Virtanen Distributor : Praesens-film Ag Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM Molly has just moved into a new apartment. Soon, she is disturbed by strange knocking noises that seem to come from upstairs. Worried, she mentions it to her neighbours, but no one believes her. As the knocking intensifies, Molly becomes convinced someone is in danger... As Frida Kempff’s first feature film, KNOCKING is a breathtaking sensory experience where the elegance of the directing perfectly captures the protagonist’s distress. A powerful tale of resilience whose subjective approach encourages the viewer to see beyond appearances.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
DEAR KID (2016, short) CIRCLES (2016, short) WINTER BOY (2015) 13 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
LAPSIS SWISS PREMIERE Noah Hutton, US, 2020, 108’ Cast : Dean Imperial, Madeline Wise, Arliss Howard World sales : Hyde Park International
FILM New York in the very near future: quantum computing is all the rage. To support his young brother suffering from a mysterious illness, Ray takes on a strange job that could pay extremely well. He is tasked with running cables for miles on end between magnetic cubes all through the forest. But quickly, he realises that something doesn’t seem right. A cynical critique of the absurdities of a world where productivity is king, LAPSIS can be seen as an anti-Amazon satire against consumerism and its social consequences. Ray’s story becomes a revolutionary journey with a bitter-sweet after taste that hits close to home.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
IN SILICO (2020) DEEP TIME (2015) CRUDE INDEPENDENCE (2009)
MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Dodo Dayao, PH, 2020, 91’ Cast : Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Glaiza de Castro, Anthony Falcon Festival contact : Epicmedia Productions
FILM In the near future, Manila has almost become a utopia. Only one problem: the capital city is plagued with strange and random power outages that occur after midnight. Whoever finds themselves in an affected area disappears mysteriously. One night, four friends experience one such outage, and must fend off what turns out to be much more than an urban legend. Using horror to ask questions about today’s Filipino society, MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD is a feverish dive in the heart of darkness, a nightmarish journey though dizzying aesthetics.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY VIOLATOR (2014)
14 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
POST MORTEM SWISS PREMIERE Péter Bergendy, HU, 2020, 115’ Cast : Viktor Klem, Fruzsina Hais, Judith Schell World sales : National Film Institute - Hungary Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM Winter 1918. Tomas is a young post-mortem photographer who travels to an isolated village plagued with the Spanish flu. Death is everywhere: in the bodies destroyed by the pandemic, and in the ravages of World War I. And yet, something even more terrifying lurks in the shadows… With this ambitious and spectacular film, Péter Bergendy films the harshness of a Hungary in ruins. The bone-chilling atmosphere goes hand in hand with visually striking horror sequences that are truly unique. More evidence that Hungarian genre cinema is very much alive and isn’t done enthralling us.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY
TREZOR (2018) THE EXAM (2011) STOP MOM THERESA! (2004)
SON SWISS PREMIERE Ivan Kavanagh, IE/US/UK, 2021, 98’ Cast : Andi Matichak, Emile Hirsch, Luke David Blumm Distributor : Praesens-film Ag Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM Laura, who escaped from a cult years ago, is determined to move heaven and earth when her 8-year-old son David contracts a mysterious illness. She will stop at nothing, not even at spilling blood… Seven years after the spine-tingling THE CANAL (NIFFF 2014), Irish prodigy Ivan Kavanagh is back with his most striking horror film yet. Join his astounding main actress in her race against demonic forces. Let the painstakingly crafted tension take you all the way to its extreme and terrifying finale. How far would you go to protect your child?
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY NEVER GROW OLD (2019) THE CANAL (NIFFF 2014)
15 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
THE FEAST EUROPEAN PREMIERE Lee Haven Jones, UK, 2021, 92’ Cast : Caroline Berry, Stefan Cennyd, Sion Alun Davies Distributor : Praesens-film Ag Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM A wealthy family invites a local businessman and their farming neighbour to a flashy diner at their luxurious and isolated home in the heart of the Welsh countryside. They want to buy some land that the locals consider sacred. However, Cadi, a mysterious young woman hired that day to help in the kitchen, will turn their plans upside down… THE FEAST is a slow- burner that deploys a dark atmosphere and an anxiety-inducing soundscape that build up to a devastating conclusion. A rare opportunity to experience a horror film in the Welsh language, through a perverse, anti-consumerist eco-revenge tale.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY DOCTOR WHO: REVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS (2021, TV show) WANT IT (2015, short)
TIDES INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Swiss release: 26.08 (D) / 22.09 (F) Tim Fehlbaum, DE/CH, 2021, 104’ Cast : Nora Arnezeder, Iain Glen, Sara-Sofie Boussnina Distributor : Praesens-film Ag Nominated for Silver Méliès for best fantastic European feature film
FILM In the near future, a global catastrophe has killed most of mankind. A small fraction found refuge on a remote exoplanet. Two generations later, the space colonizers are struggling to keep their species alive and send scouts back to find out whether Earth is inhabitable again. After HELL (2011), Swiss filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum leverages once more the power of climate disasters to propel and ambitious and impressive sci-fi film. Visually breathtaking, TIDES blends location shooting with astounding visual effects to better convey a number of pressing questions.
SELECTIVE FILMOGRAPHY HELL (2011) 16 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
CEREMONIES
OPENING CEREMONY
LAPSIS SWISS PREMIERE Noah Hutton, US, 2020, 108’ Cast : Taylor Hess, Jesse Miller, Joseph Varca World sales : Hyde Park International
A delivery man takes on an odd but well-paying new job: to run cables between metal boxes through the forest. Although he lives in a world where productivity reigns supreme, resistance is
CLOSING CEREMONY
TEDDY SWISS PREMIERE
Ludovic Boukherma & Zoran Boukherma, FR, 2020, 88’ Cast : Anthony Bajon, Noémie Lvovsky World sales : WTFilms
Teddy works in a massage parlour. While a wolf stirs up the anger of the villagers, the young man is scratched by a beast. The strange events have only just begun...
17 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NEW CINEMA FROM ASIA
Year after year, Asian cinema has given undeniable proof of its vitality to audiences worldwide. And yet, those films remain hard to see in Switzerland. That is why the festival wanted to have a purely Asian competition called New Cinema from Asia. It focuses on the popular genres affiliated with fantasy, such as thrillers, swordplay movies, comedies, kung fu flicks, and so on.
BEAUTY WATER SWISS PREMIERE
Cho Kyung-hun, KR, 2020, 85’ Cast: Moon Nam-sook World sales: M-line Distribution
Yaeji dreams of being the most beautiful. A wish granted thanks to a new cosmetic product that allows her to sculpt her body as she pleases. A gory Faustian fable in a cruel world.
BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES SWISS PREMIERE Junta Yamaguchi, JP, 2020, 70’ Cast : Asakura Aki, Tosa Kazunori, Fujitani Riko Festival contact: Third Window Films
As he is coming home, a coffee shop owner bumps into himself… from two minutes in the future. Dizzying time loops await in this creative and surprising film.
MY MISSING VALENTINE SWISS PREMIERE Chen Yu-hsun, TW, 2020, 119’ Cast : Liu Kuan-ting, Patty Lee, Duncan Lei World sales : Mandarinvision
A young woman who cannot wait to finally go on a date for Valentine’s Day wakes up and realises February 14th has come and gone… This original romantic comedy is a breath of fresh air.
THE FABLE: THE KILLER WHO DOESN’T KILL EUROPEAN PREMIERE Kan Eguchi, JP, 2021, 123’ Cast : Junichi Okada, Fumino Kimura, Shinichi Tsutsumi World sales : Nippon Television Network Corp. (NTV)
Akira has left his life as an assassin behind and is now working for a design company. But when a hitman targets one of his colleagues, his cover is blown. The sensational sequel to The Fable, winner of the NIFFF 2019!
18 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NEW CINEMA FROM ASIA
OK! MADAM SWISS PREMIERE Lee Cheol-ha, KR, 2020, 100’ Cast : Jeon Woon-jong, Bae Jeong-nam, Uhm Jung-hwa World sales : M-line Distribution
A family wins a vacation in Hawai. But wait! The plane is hijacked by terrorists. Tough luck… for them! To protect her own, the mother must reconnect with her former self. Best action comedy of the year!
SHOCK WAVE 2 SWISS PREMIERE
Herman Yau, HK/CN, 2020, 120’ Cast : Andy Lau, Sean Lau, Ni Ni Festival contact: Universe films
A former bomb-disposal expert is found unconscious on a crime scene. With no memory of what happened, he sets off on a race against time to uncover the truth. Hong Kong action cinema at its finest in this spiritual sequel.
19 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
FILMS OF THE THIRD KIND
The most anticipated premieres of the festival let the audience explore the relationship between thrillers and fantasy films.
A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX SWISS PREMIERE
Rodney Ascher, US, 2021, 110’ Cast : Nick Bostrom, Joshua Cooke, Erik Davis World sales : Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
Are we living in a virtual reality, an entirely fabricated world? Immerse yourself in this disturbing and bone-chilling documentary that lets people who believe this make their case.
TONKATSU DJ AGETARO EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Ken Ninomiya, JP, 2020, 100’ Cast : Asaka Kôdai, Ikema Natsumi, Iseya Yûsuke World sales : Pony Canyon Inc
What do fried breaded pork and DJing have in common? Agetaro will have an epiphany while trying to seduce his neighbour. When the art of frying becomes the secret ingredient.
WILD MEN EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Thomas Daneskov, DK, 2021, 104’ Cast : Rasmus Bjerg, Zaki Youssef, Bjørn Sundquist Distributor : Koch Media
Martin has a mid-life crisis. He abandons his family and goes live as a hermit in the Norwegian mountains. But surviving in the wild proves harder than expected, especially after he meets Musa,
MARYGOROUND SWISS PREMIERE Daria Woszek, PL, 2020, 78’ Cast : Grazyna Misiorowska, Janusz Chabior, Barbara Kursaj World sales : Media Luna New Films Ug
Mary is a 50-something indoorsy cashier who lives for work and Jesus. One day, she overdoses on hormonal patches and is assaulted by her senses. She now has a new quest: to lose her virginity.
20 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
ULTRA MOVIES
Midnight screenings that unveil the strangest aspects of genre cinema.
COMING HOME IN THE DARK SWISS PREMIERE James Ashcroft, NZ, 2021, 93’ Cast : Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell Distributor : Swift Productions
A teacher is forced to confront his past when thugs take him and his family on a nightmarish road trip. A journey into the heart of evil that will leave its mark.
FRANK & ZED EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Jesse Blanchard, US, 2020, 90’ Cast : Jerry Bell Jr., Aaron Booth, Randolph F. Christen World sales : Puppetcore Films
As the threatening fulfilment of a prophecy fans the flames of paranoia, villagers take up arms against Frank and Zed, two friendly monsters. A gem of humour, good film craftsmanship, and gore.
MÉANDRE SWISS PREMIERE
Mathieu Turi, FR, 2020, 90’ Cast : Gaia Weiss, Peter Franzen, Romane Libert World sales : WTFilms
Following a bad encounter, a young woman wakes up in an air duct. She must get out without fal- ling in the many deadly traps on the way. An unrelenting claustrophobic thriller.
THE SPINE OF NIGHT SWISS PREMIERE
Morgan Galen King & Philip Gelatt, US, 2021, 93’ Cast : Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt World sales: Yellow Veil Pictures
In this ultra-violent, retro-style animated epic – boasting an all-star voice cast – an ancient black magic falls into the wrong hands and unleashes centuries of suffering upon mankind.
21 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
ULTRA MOVIES
VICIOUS FUN SWISS PREMIERE
Cody Calahan, CA, 2020, 96’ Cast : Evan Marsh, Amber Goldfarb, Ari Millen World sales : Breakthrough Entertainment
A wannabe screenwriter discovers a mutual aid group for serial killers. A misstep that will take him down a spiral of violence. A bloody good comedy.
WEREWOLVES WITHIN SWISS PREMIERE
Josh Ruben, US, 2021, 97’ Cast : Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil Distributor : Telepool Gmbh
A forest ranger arrives in a small, snow-covered village with eccentric inhabitants. The deadly attack of a mysterious creature quickly brings up the worst in the community.
22 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
FORMOSA FANTASTICA
This cross-disciplinary and ebullient cycle will include features and short films, immersive installations, as well as conferences – a diverse programme that reflects the heterogeneity of the Taiwanese production and its contemporary renewal. The audience will be able to discover a wealth of never seen before films through the work of a new generation of genre filmmakers, as well as large-scale local productions. This programme is held with the support of the Taïwanese Ministry of Culture, the Taïwan Cultural Center in Paris and Taïwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA).
AS WE LIKE IT SWISS PREMIERE
Chen Hung-i & Wei Ying-chuan, TW, 2021, 107’ Cast : Aggie Hsieh, Puff Kuo, Camille Chalons World sales : Swallow Wings Films Co.,ltd.
The burgeoning love between Orlando and Rosalind in a futuristic Taipei, free and without Inter- net. A charming and colourful reimagining of Shakespeare where all the characters are played by women.
GET THE HELL OUT SWISS PREMIERE
Wang I-fan, TW, 2020, 95’ Cast : Bruce Hung, Megan Lai, Herman du Plessis Festival contact : Eric Chou
The Taiwanese parliament becomes the scene of a massacre when a virus turns elected officials into hungry zombies. Politics has never been so deadly!
THE MAGICIAN ON THE SKYWALK EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Yang Ya-che, TW, 2021, 100’ Cast : Kaiser Chuang, Berant Zhu, Edison Song World sales : Public Television Service Foundation
Taipei, 1985. In the heart of the Chunghua market, a boy is enthralled by the powers of a magician, the subject of local urban legends. A fascinating and ambitious adaptation of the eponymous novel.
THE SCOUNDRELS SWISS PREMIERE Hung Tzu-hsuan, TW, 2018, 105’ Cast : Wu Kang-ren, J.C. Lin, Nikki Hsieh World sales : Ablaze Image
A disgraced basketball player crosses paths with a dangerous bank robber. An unlikely alliance for this exhilarating thriller with explosive action choreographies. 23 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
FORMOSA FANTASTICA
THE TAG-ALONG SWISS PREMIERE
Cheng Wei-hao, TW, 2015, 99’ Cast : Hsu Wei-ning, River Huang, Liu Yin-shang Festival contact : Eric Chou
Wei investigates the mysterious disappearance of his grandmother, the victim of a curse. Based on an urban legend, this box-office smash hit revitalized the Taiwanese horror film industry.
CONFERENCES
THE LANDSCAPE OF GENRE CINEMA IN TAIWAN 03.07, Passage 2, 14h
In just a few years, Taiwanese genre movies have taken the spotlight and Taiwan has become a leading country in fantasy films. Meet filmmakers and industry experts to better understand why the island’s production is so dynamic.
· Muni Wei, director (AS WE LIKE IT) · Ko Yi-sen, producer (GET THE HELL OUT) · John Hsu, director (DETENTION) · Ryan Cheng, film critic · Therese Yang, programmer, Golden Horse Fantastic Film Festival · Moderator: Wafa Ghermani, Taiwanese cinema specialist
LITERATURE OF THE IMAGINARY IN TAIWAN 08.07, Passage 2, 14h
Wu Ming-yi and Chi Ta-wei, two major figures of Taiwanese literature, will talk about their works that combine magic realism and science fiction in the light of rich and complementary themes such as global warming, eco-responsibility, cultural identity, and gender/queer theories.
· Wu Ming-yi (LE MAGICIEN SUR LA PASSERELLE) · Chi Ta-wei (PERLES, MEMBRANE) · Moderator: Gwennaël Gaffric, Taiwanese literature specialist
24 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
FORMOSA FANTASTICA SHORTS
AS USUAL DAISY LONG LAND Liu Kuan-wen Yu Yu Huang Liang-hsin TW, 2018, 7’ TW, 2018, 10’ TW, 2017, 6’ No dialogue No dialogue No dialogue SWISS PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE
THE WEATHER IS LOVELY WANDER IN THE DARK WHERE AM I GOING? Lien Chun-chien Redic Hsu Huang Yun-hsien TW/CN, 2020, 14’ TW, 2016, 15’ TW, 2018, 15’ No dialogue No dialogue No dialogue SWISS PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE
IMMERSIVE INSTALLATIONS
Find the whole XR programme in SAUVAGE EXTENDED (p. 28).
A SONG WITHIN US AN ODE TO MOSS SAMSARA EP. 1 Nayaw Fangas Su Huang Hsin-chien TW, 2019, 15’ TW, 2020, 6’ TW, 2021, 20’ No dialogue No dialogue No dialogue SWISS PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE EUROPEAN PREMIERE
THE GREAT HOAX John Hsu & Marco Lococo TW/AR, 2020, 17’ No dialogue SWISS PREMIERE
25 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NIFFF 20th EDITION
On the occasion of NIFFF’s 20th edition, a series of «cartes blanches» and conferences, as well as a publication, will allow us to take a look at fantastic cinema and its evolution over the last two decades, in parallel with the festival.
CARTES BLANCHES OLIVIER MÜLLER : HOTEL Jessica Hausner, AT/DE, 2004, 76’ Cast: Franziska Weisz, Birgit Minichmayr In the Austrian Alps, a hotel staff member discovers that his predecessor disappeared in strange circumstances. Was it a simple murder, or are more obscure forces at play here?
PIERRE-YVES WALDER : IT FOLLOWS David Robert Mitchell, US, 2014, 100’ Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto
An entity passing from one host to the next targets young people giving in to carnal pleasures. The only way to stay alive is to pass on the curse like an STD. A modern classic.
ANAÏS EMERY : KAJILLIONAIRE Miranda July, US, 2020, 104’ Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger
A couple of con artists have spent 26 years training their only daughter to take up the mantle. During a hold-up, they persuade a stranger to join them. Their entire world is about to be turned
NIFFF 2000 - 2020 : REPÉRTOIRE DES IMAGINAIRES
A bilingual book (French and German) will be published specifically for this anniversary edition. The collector’s item will be composed of many essays, pictures, and documents telling the tale of the festival since its inception in 2000. Interviews and in-depth articles will recount the NIFFF’s history, as well as explore the ecosystem of fantastic films and its evolution over the last 20 years. The guests’ interventions and film screenings will offer the opportunity to go into it in depth.
Infos: CHF 60, available during the festival or online (NIFFF.CH)
26 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
CONFERENCES
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE NEUCHÂTEL 20 ANS D’AGITATION CULTURELLE 04.07, PASSAGE 2, 14:00 – 15:15
As NIFFF celebrates two decades of fantastic films in Neuchâtel, experts and other figures will discuss the evolution of the genre and its stakes, as well as how the way we perceive and make such films has changed to the point they have become a major genre of cinema.
• Anaïs Emery, NIFFF cofounder and former director, CH • Antonin Rousseau, Festi’neuch director, CH • Violaine Dupasquier, cultural administrator, CH • Patrice Neuenschwander, City of Neuchâtel former cultural delegate, CH • Moderator : Michel Vust, NIFFF committee
HOW FANTASTIC FILMS CONQUERED THE WORLD 04.07, PASSAGE 2, 16:00 – 17:00
Since the creation of the NIFFF in 2000, fantasy has mutated to become one of the dominant genres in the audiovisual industry. Experts and filmmakers shed light on this paradigm shift.
• André Ovredal, filmmaker (TROLLHUNTER, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK), NO • Annick Mahnert, programmer, producer and Frontières director, CH • Grégory Chambet, partner, WTFilms, FR • Moderator : Pierre-Yves Walder, NIFFF future director, CH
27 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
CARTE BLANCHE TO A SWISS CELEBRITY: MARTIN VETTERLI
This year, Martin Vetterli has carte blanche! By choosing three science fiction films, the President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne invites us to explore his relationship to spectulative fiction.
ALPHAVILLE Jean-Luc Godard, FR/IT, 1965, 99’ Cast: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff
A private investigator arrives in Alphaville, a futuristic city on another planet, ruled by an evil scientist who has outlawed emotions. Godard in all his glory.
FAHRENHEIT 451 François Truffaut, UK, 1966, 112’ Cast: Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack
A book burner rekindles his love for literature and freedom. In François Truffaut’s adaptation, the dystopian world of the cult novel strangely resembles ours.
HOMBRE MIRANDO AL SUDESTE Eliseo Subiela, AR, 1986, 105’ Cast: Lorenzo Quinteros, Hugo Soto, Inés Vernengo
Rantés, who just got admitted at the asylum, says he has come from another planet to study humans and their behaviour. His designated psychiatrist is fascinated by the alien’s discoveries.
28 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
SUISSE SSA / SUISSIMAGE SHORT FILMS COMPETITION
DRUCKABFALL PHLEGM Andreas Elsener, CH, 2021, 19’ Jan-David Bolt, CH, 2021, 6’ WORLD PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE
HEXEBÖDELI RISE & SHINE Adrian Perez, CH, 2020, 12’ Arnaud Baur, CH, 2021, 11’ SWISS PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE
KINGDOM LE VIGNERON ET LA MORT
Bettina Oberli, CH, 2020, 11’ Victor Jaquier, CH, 2021, 19’ REGIONAL PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE
LITTLE MISS FATE INTERDIMENSIONAL MELANCHOLY Joder von Rotz, CH, 2020, 8’ Team Tumult, CH, 2019, 1’ REGIONAL PREMIERE INTERNATIONAL SHORTS
A STRANGER FROM THE PAST MON AMI QUI BRILLE DANS LA NUIT Jan Verdijk, NL, 2020, 5’ Grégoire de Bernouis, Jawed Boudaoud, SWISS PREMIERE Simon Cadilhac, Hélène Ledevin, FR, 2020, 9’ ESCAPING THE FRAGILE PLANET SWISS PREMIERE Thanasis Tsimpinis, GR, 2020, 17’ NIGHT OF THE LIVING DICKS REGIONAL PREMIERE Ilja Rautsi, FI, 2020, 20’ HORRORSCOPE SWISS PREMIERE Pol Diggler, ES, 2019, 5’ SHOEGAZING SWISS PREMIERE Servane d’Alverny, FR/UK, 2021, 13’ SPRÖTCH INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Xavier Seron, BE, 2020, 20’ SWISS PREMIERE
29 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NEW SHORTS FROM ASIA
CARNIVOROUS BEAN HOW TO DIE YOUNG IN KIDS ON FIRE SPROUT MANILA Kyle Nieva, PH, 2020, 19’ Vahid Nami & Navid Nami, Petersen Vargas, PH, 2020, 12’ SWISS PREMIERE KR, 2021, 5’ SWISS PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE
GOLD IS EATING PEOPLE INVISIBLE EYES NIGHT BUS Su Xia, CN, 2020, 8’ Jung Seung-hee, KR, 2021, 9’ Joe Hsieh, TW, 2020, 20’ SWISS PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE SWISS PREMIERE
TEMPLE OF DEVILBUSTER Wang I-fan, TW, 2020’, 24’ SWISS PREMIERE
30 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
AUX FRONTIÈRES DU FANTASTIQUE Short films programme, CH, 2021, 78’ In the presence of the directors
As part of a workshop on fantasy, students from the Geneva University of Arts and Design explore myths and folk tales through singular stories that examine the genre’s image.
APRÈS PER VOI OGGI LA LUCE DEL Louis Gonidec, CH, 2021, 18’ SOL NON SPLENDER Andrea Bordoli, CH, 2021, 18’
MAX ET LES ÉTRANGES STRAY DOG Nathan Clément, CH, 2021, 23’ Côme Chatelain, CH, 2021, 19’
TEMPS MORT
Jean-Jacques Lagrange, CH, 1966, 65’ In the presence of the director
As an extension to the roundtable of Wednesday 7th (p. XX), we will screen this fascinating drama about two scientists that get trapped in a reality where time goes faster.
31 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
SAUVAGE EXTENDED
As part of its fruitful collaboration with the Neuchâtel Natural History Museum, the NIFFF is setting up a series of immersive high-tech installations related to the SAUVAGE exhibition, which rethinks the relationships between humans, animals, and nature.
ANIMALIA SUM SWISS PREMIERE
Bianca Kennedy & The Swan Collective, DE/BR/IS, 2019, 9’ In partnership with Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF)
This zany mockumentary imagines a future where insects have become our primary food. A colourful miniature and hand-made world with watercolour painting.
HOMINIDAE SWISS PREMIERE
Brian Andrews, US, 2020, 6’ In partnership with Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF)
In a world of X-rays inhabited by strange creatures, meet the arachnoid hominid, an intelligent human/spider being who fights for its survival and that of its offspring.
ANOTHER SHORE WORLD PREMIERE
Théo Fischer, Pablo Perez & Hector Fassa, CH, 2021, 15’
This immersive sound installation will take you through ten tales of the future. You will make your own decisions. Which one will change history? Which path will you take?
BATVISION WORLD PREMIERE
Raffaele Grosjean, Eliane Zihlmann & Oliver Sahli, CH, 2021, 3’
Have you ever wondered how bats see the world? Now you can find out: become one and discover echolocation with your own ultrasounds!
AN ODE TO MOSS SWISS PREMIERE
SU, TW, 2020, 6’ En collaboration avec Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)
Take in the intoxicating music and let yourself drift in this apocalyptic stroll through nature and technology. A sensory piece that offers troubling serenity.
32 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
SAUVAGE EXTENDED
A SONG WITHIN US SWISS PREMIERE
Fangas Nayaw, TW/FR, 2019, 15’ In partnership with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)
A troupe is rehearsing a native Taiwanese ritual on stage. Sing in unison and rediscover the magic and spiritual ties humans share with nature.
GREAT HOAX: THE MOON LANDING SWISS PREMIERE
John Hsu & Marco Lococo, TW/AR, 2020, 17’ In partnership with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)
The country needs you: be the first Taiwanese astronaut to walk on the Moon! Well, sort of... Hilarious reimagining of the Kubrick conspiracy theory. A great example of how to make fun of the politicisation of space.
SAMSARA EP. 1 EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Huang Hsin-chien, TW, 2021, 17’ In partnership with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)
A trip through time and space to save the human race from extinction. Prepare to have your beliefs shaken with this sensory and immersive experience.
33 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NIFFF EXTENDED
A free complement to the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), the NIFFF EXTENDED label is a series of conferences that aim at exploring the future of cinema and the audiovisual industry. The various topics (digital creation, new information technology, audiovisual screenwriting, and contemporary literature) make this multidisciplinary forum for reflection and networking the perfect opportunity to gather about a hundred experts who will be sharing their vision of what is to come. All conferences will be available in a hybrid format, on site in Neuchâtel and online.
JULY 5 : IMAGING THE FUTURE
IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING: THE BUZZING HUB OF TAIWAN
Focus on immersive creations from Taiwan • Estela Chen, producer, Serendipity Films at the MHNN: discover a spellbinding musical • Grace Lee, programmer and producer, installation, a mystical native ritual, a journey Kaohsiung Film Festival through time and space, as well as the most epic • Aurélien Dirler, consultant, Taiwan Creative moon mission... These high calibre experiences Content Agency - TAICCA will be presented by their creators. • Moderation: Laetitia Bochud, CEO, Virtual Switzerland
SHOWCASING SAUVAGE EXTENDED PART 1, TAIWANESE XR AT NIFFF
Focus on immersive creations from Taiwan • Huang Hsin-chien, director, SAMSARA EP. 1 at the MHNN: discover a spellbinding musical • François Klein, producer, A SONG WITHIN US installation, a mystical native ritual, a journey • SU, director, AN ODE TO MOSS through time and space, as well as the most epic • John Hsu, director, GREAT HOAX: THE MOON moon mission... These high calibre experiences LANDING will be presented by their creators.
VIRTUAL PRODUCTION, REAL POSSIBILITIES
The growing virtualisation of production modes • Hasraf ‘HaZ’ Dulull, producer & director is revolutionizing the film industry. Lucerne- • Claudio Antonelli, artistic director, VRFX based studio VRFX, British producer and director • Pascal Achermann, CEO, VRFX Hasraf ‘HaZ’ Dulull, and representatives from • Norbert Kottmann, virtual production the ZHdK Immersive Arts Space will highlight specialist, Immersive Arts Space, ZHdK the possibilities offered by virtual production by • Miriam Loertscher, film researcher and media introducing their projects and work processes. psychologist, ZHdK
34 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
MONTREAL, A LEADING INCUBATOR FOR DIGITAL CREATIVITY
With a strong presence in terms of immersive • Myriam Achard, chief, New Media installations, video games, digital arts, and Partnerships & PR, Phi Centre public interactive installations, Quebec is home • Laurence Dolbec, producer, Interactive to one of the richest ecosystems of digital Studio, National Film Board of Canada – ONF creativity in the world. Meet major players and • Janicke Morissette, partner and creative learn more about their experience of the future. director, Silent Partners • Moderation: Laetitia Bochud, CEO, Visual Switzerland
JULY 6 : IMAGING THE FUTURE
GODZILLA: FROM PRACTICAL TO DIGITAL EFFECTS
A look at the technical and visual evolution of • Fabien Mauro, film critic and Japanese the legendary monster franchise, from its first cinema specialist onscreen iteration in 1954 to today, and the • Volker Engel, VFX supervisor, GODZILLA, 1998 transitional landmark, a critical step in INDEPENDENCE DAY going from analogue to digital.
EXPLORING THE GROUNDBREAKING TRIOSCOPE TECHNOLOGY
Noticed for its aesthetics, the Netflix show THE • Katarzyna Jarzyna, producer, JUICE LIBERATOR will be the subject of a case study. • Marko Zari, VFX supervisor, JUICE The producer and the VFX supervisor from Polish studio Juice will discuss the innovative Trioscope technology and its potential for audio-visual productions.
SHOWCASING SAUVAGE EXTENDED: PART 2, SWISS AND INTERNATIONAL XR AT NIFFF
Spotlight on two Swiss experiences at the MHNN • Théo Fischer, Pablo Perez & Hector Fassa and on the works presented in collaboration creators, ANOTHER SHORE with the Geneva International Film Festival • Eliane Zihlmann & Raffaele Grosjean, (GIFF). The installations include becoming a bat, creators, BATVISION discovering multiple stories from the future, an • Paola Gazzani Marinelli, programmer, arachnoid hominid, and a mockumentary about Geneva International Film Festival - GIFF the world of insects.
35 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
JULY 7 : STORYWORLDS
WHAT SCIENCE FOR THE FICTION?
Some technologies seem to have been born • Marc Atallah, director, Maison d’Ailleurs out of sci-fi ideas, and in a pandemic-ridden • Max Monti, Innovation & Tech Transfer world that has just been reminded of how manager, HE-Arc close tales of the future can be to reality, the • André-Serge Porret, vice president, dialogue between science and fiction is more integrated and wireless systems, CSEM productive than ever. Which one influences the Neuchâtel other? Scientific and literary experts give you • Sylvie Lainé, author an overview.
FRENCH GENRE SERIES: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WAVE?
French-speaking genre series have become • Marie Enthoven, writer and showrunner, popular over the last few years, partially INVISIBLE because of the emergence of new distribution • Nicolas Peufaillit, writer, LES REVENANTS, channels and the democratisation of the INVISIBLE, CAID, UN PROPHETE fantasy genre. Meet the new generation of • Charlotte Sanson, writer and showrunner, screenwriters involved in this revolution. 7 VIES DE LEA • Moderation: Nicolas Dufour, journalist, Le Temps
WHEN TÉLÉVISION SUISSE ROMANDE WAS EXPLORING SCI-FI
Most probably encouraged by the international • Jean-Jacques Lagrange, Filmmaker success of science fiction in the 1950s, the • Moderation : Didier Bufflier, Restorer and Télévision Suisse Romande TV network ArchiveLab manager, Data and Archives repeatedly won renown for its own attempts Department, RTS well into the 1980s. Jean-Jacques Lagrange, pioneer of the RTS and member of the Groupe 5, will honour us with a retelling of his experiences alongside restorer Didier Bufflier, who managed to locate these archival gems.
36 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
JULY 8 : NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY
LITERATURE OF THE IMAGINARY IN TAIWAN
Wu Ming-yi and Chi Ta-wei, two major figures of • Wu Ming-yi, author, L’HOMME AUX YEUX Taiwanese literature, will talk about their works À FACETTES, LE MAGICIEN SUR LA that combine magic realism and science fiction PASSERELLE in the light of rich and complementary themes • Chi Ta-wei, author, MEMBRANE, PERLES such as global warming, eco-responsibility, • Moderation & translation: Gwennaël Gaffric, cultural identity, and gender/queer theories. translator, editor and specialist in Taiwanese literature
SAUVAGE: HOW CAN IMAGINATION SHAPE REALITY? As part of the SAUVAGE exhibition and in • Frederik Peeters, comic book author, OLEG, collaboration with the MHNN, this roundtable SACCAGE, A MA, LUPUS invites artists and researchers to discuss • Yannick Rumpala, lecturer in political the links between sciences, storytelling, and science at University of Nice, author, behaviours in order to highlight the relationships HORS DES DECOMBRES DU MONDE, between humans, their natural environment, CYBERPUNK’S NOT DEAD: LABORATOIRE and the animal kingdom. D’UN FUTUR ENTRE TECHNOCAPITA LISME ET POST-HUMANITÉ) • Antoine Jaquier, author, SIMILI-LOVE • Moderation: Boris Bruckler, librarian & curator
37 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
NIFFF INVASION During the 9 days of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, NIFFF INVASION will take over the city with a series of free activities for people of all ages, with the support of the City of Neuchâtel. OPEN AIR CLASSICS RELOADED
GRAUZONE
Fredi M. Murer, CH, 1979, 99’ Cast: Giovanni Früh, Olga Piazza As the illness of melancholia spreads rapidly amongst the population, the Swiss government at- tempts to manage the situation. Science-fiction at its finest in this masterpiece of Swiss cinema. THE BIRDS
Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1963, 119’ Cast: Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Rod Taylor Birds start attacking people in this iconic thriller from the master of suspense. Reawaken your fear of the wild with this timeless masterpiece.
EL ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO
Guillermo Del Toro, MX/ES, 2001, 106’ Cast: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi During the Spanish civil war, young Carlos is admitted to a Catholic orphanage. He soon realises the place has many secrets… Quintessential Del Toro in this third film from the Mexican master.
THE NEVERENDING STORY
Wolfgang Petersen, US, 1984, 102’ Cast: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach A boy discovers a magical book in his school’s attic. It tells the story of a young warrior who must, with the help of his dragon Falkor, save the fantastic world of Fantasia. A cult classic!
PREDATOR
John McTiernan, US, 1987, 107’ Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo During a mission in Latin America, an elite commando unit is hunted by an alien warrior. Put on your fatigues and relive this peak of action movie testosterone.
38 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
KIDS@NIFFF
KID-O-NIFFF In collaboration with AnimaFilms RPN Short films programme (75’)
Twenty or so animated shorts directed by students in Neuchâtel.
02.07, REX, 17:00
LANTERNE MAGIQUE LE VILAIN PETIT CANARD Garri Bardine, RU, 2010, 75’
Our usual collaboration with the Lanterne Magique will be an opportunity to rediscover Andersen’s tale, adapted by the master of Russian animation Garri Bardine. A treasure of fine filmmaking.
03.07, ARCADES, 14:00
FANTOCHE INTO THE ANIMATED WOODS Short films programme (60’)
Nothing is more exciting than the woods in these animated films: full of magic, adventures, and fun! It’s never too late to explore nature and our climate.
04.07, PASSAGE 1, 11:00 10.07, PASSAGE 1, 11:00
GALAXIE DÜRRENMATT Short films programme (60’)
For the centenary of Dürrenmatt’s birth, high school students from Neuchâtel pay tribute to the famous playwright with a series of short audiovisual creations inspired by his work.
05.07, ARCADES, 14:00
39 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
ORGANISATION
BOARD COMMUNICATION & SPONSORING President: Nathalie Randin Communication & Sponsoring Director: Vice-president & Founder: Fanny Guichard Pierre-Yves Jeanneret Communication Coordinator: Roxane Fleury Secretary: Michel Vust Marketing & Promotion Coordinator: Committee members: Christelle Michel, Zoé Dupraz Damien Schaller Marketing & Promotion Assistant: Gaia Boeri Digital Communication Coordinator: Joy DIRECTION Kowalczyk Artistic Director: Loïc Valceschini Social Media Coordinator: Eugénie Constantin Communication & Sponsoring Director: Communication Assistant: Caio Oliveira Fanny Guichard Head of Press: Bastien Bento Administrative & Operational Director: Press Coordinator: Jennifer Siegrist Laura Lambert HOSPITALITY PROGRAMMING Hospitality Coordinator: Pauline Bessire Artistic Director: Loïc Valceschini Guest Coordinator: Matthieu Béguelin Program Coordinators: James Berclaz-Lewis, Accreditation Coordinator: Sébastien Alice Moroni Scheiwiller Selection Committee (features): Lucas Arpin, Car Fleet Coordinator: Frédéric Ravier Arnaud Aubelle, Frederike Dellert, Christelle Ticketing Coordinator: Laure Bailly Michel, Marina Richter, Valeria Richter, Ticketing Coordinator Assistants: Manon Pierre-Yves Walder Fonjallaz, Elaine Pinheiro, Adria Puerto y Selection Committee (shorts): Molina, Estelle Sapin James Berclaz-Lewis, Léa Eigenmann, Volunteers Coordinator: Marie-Elodie Sebastien, Julia Schubiger, Marina Richter, Frochaux Alex Rallo, Moritz Schneider Gerber, Christelle Volunteers Coordinator Assistant: Laetitia Michel, Sonia Pfeuti, Raphaëlle Pralong Gauchat Consultants: Anne Delseth, Joanne Giger, Volunteers Hospitality: Manon Baecher, Lucas Adam Torel Moser NIFFF Extended Coordinator: Audrey Powell COVID Managers: Fabien Goiffon, Gaël Rovero NIFFF Extended Consultants: Boris Bruckler, Ian Failes SCREENINGS & LIVESTREAM NIFFF Invasion Coordinators: Marie Klay, Technical Supervisor: Mike Pfenninger Yannick Schader DCP Master: Marie Geiser Programming Assistant: Léa Eigenmann Redhat Gnome: Clément Borel Swiss Knife : Jean-Marie Lehmann ADMINISTRATION & HUMAN RESOURCES Deaf Guy: Thibault Otz Administrative & Operational Director: Movie Hacker: Lionel Bize Laura Lambert Live Recording: Kris Samulewicz Administrative & Operational Coordinator: Live Recording Assistant: Laura Bücher Désirée Domig Projectionists: Laure Donzé, Issam Chouadhi, Administrative Assistant: Carl Ahnebrink Carole Monbaron Print Traffic Coordinator: Sébastien Scheiwiller Technical Intern: Damian Rognon Digital Subtitling: Manlio Lapi, Dialoghi di Luce 40 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
TRANSLATORS & INTERPRETERS Translators & Interpreters: Joseph Barnes, Alexandre Rallo, Georges Wyrsch
WEBSITE & DIGITAL PLATFORM Website: Maxime Gambarini, VNV SA Digital Platform: Pantaflix
PROGRAM BROCHURE Coordinator: James Berclaz-Lewis Redactors: James Berclaz-Lewis, Thibaud Ducret, Léa Eigenmann, Roxane Fleury, Thomas Gerber, Chloé Hofmann, Loïc Valceschini
VENUES Venues Supervisor: Matthieu Vouga Venues Coordinators: Stéphanie Jeannet, Nora Munk, Yanick Michel, Luca Pirreli
INFRASTRUCTURES & EVENTS Festival Off Coordinators: TavelEvenements Tent Supervisors: Marc Ci Balokok Food & Beverage: Matthieu Caillet, Federico Santa Cruz, Anthony Straubhaar, Linda Virchaux Bars Staff’s Supervisors: Alejandro Benavides, Sébastien Oulevay Cups Manager: Johan Cattin, Maël Cattin
POSTERS & NIFFF VISUALS Supermafia Collective
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO Photographer: Miguel Bueno Video Coordinator: Nicolas Wilhelm, Motini Production Video Assistants: Marion Delavelle, Iris Petit, Alexandre Gambarini
TROPHY Design: H.R. Giger Realization: Yves Cernuschi
And finally, warmest regards to the members of the AANIFFF, to all the wonderful staff, the volunteers and people without whom the NIFFF would not exist… 41 NIFFF NIFFF EXTENDED NIFFF INVASION INFOS
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
PRESENTING PARTNER
MAIN SPONSOR MAIN MEDIA PARTNERS
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
OFFICIAL PARTNERS SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS FANTASTICA FORMOSA PARTNERS
OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS
OFFICIAL SERVICE & SUPPLY PARTNERS
1834
CARRIER & TRAVEL PARTNERS TICKETING
VENUE PARTNERS CULTURAL PARTNERS
SUPPORTS
42 DOSSIER DE PRESSE