For the 24th edition of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF, 4–12 July), our audience will once again be able to meet renowned guests as part of our specialized and industry-oriented section NIFFF EXTENDED, including concept artist Aleksi Briclot, comic book author Boulet, Neuchâtel-based producer and director Jean de Meuron, and French writer Ketty Steward. The guest of honor of our New Worlds of Fantasy literary forum, illustrator Emil Ferris, will also be in attendance for an exclusive public talk. In addition, two roundtable discussions about environmental challenges will take place.
Unfolding over four days of free conferences and public events with world-renowned guests, NIFFF EXTENDED – with the support of SRG SSR – aims to discuss the major challenges faced by audiovisual productions in the fantasy genre, both in Switzerland and elsewhere.
IMAGING THE FUTURE – ANIMATION, VFX, AND VIDEO GAMES
The IMAGING THE FUTURE symposium, which has become a great platform to exchange ideas, brings together experts from various industries such as movies, contemporary art, video game design, engineering, and sociology.
Known for his career in Hollywood, notably as a collaborator of Roland Emmerich’s, Neuchâtel-based producer Jean de Meuron will present the European premiere of EDGE OF SPACE (USA, CH, 2024), his first short film as director. A key figure of the illustration industry, French artist Aleksi Briclot will give a masterclass about his work for Marvel Studios.
ALEKSI BRICLOT MASTERCLASS
© Marvel Studios
JEAN DE MEURON AT THE EDGE OF SPACE
© JdM Entertainment
As far as visual effects are concerned, the Important Looking Pirates studio will discuss their work on the SHOGUN TV series (Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks, USA, 2024), which earned them an Emmy Award. The LUAL (CH) and Deconstructeam (ES) studios will talk horror game design as part of the AHEAD OF THE GAME: DESIGNING EXISTENTIAL DREAD roundtable discussion, while the ART OF SUSTAINABILITY conference will focus on the ways the industry can be more responsible in terms of environmentalism.
VFX BREAKDOWN: SHOGUN
© FX
AHEAD OF THE GAME:
DESIGNING EXISTENTIAL DREAD
© Deconstructeam / © LUAL Games
THE ART OF SUSTAINABILITY
© Fabbula
NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY – CONTEMPORARY FANTASY LITERATURE
NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY is a free literary forum for all audiences, comprised of roundtable discussions, conferences, and book-signing sessions.
Famous for her comic book MY FAVORITE THING IS MONSTERS (2017), American artist Emil Ferris will discuss her career and her creative process during an exclusive public talk, followed by a book-signing session. Another highlight this year: a performance-talk from French author and illustrator Boulet, who will be giving the spotlight to his love for horror stories.
A CONVERSATION WITH EMIL FERRIS
© Whitten Sabbatini
RENCONTRE AVEC BOULET
© Boulet
The CRÉER POUR LA TERRE roundtable discussion – the result of a collaboration with the Ecotopiales festival – will cast a new look at artistic creations by imagining a healing fantasy literature that can take care of the living with French author Ketty Steward among others. Finally, the (DÉ)POSSÉDER L’ART? roundtable discussion, organized in collaboration with the Assises francophones de l’art libre, will discuss the complex challenges related to intellectual property in relation to creation, production, and lawmaking.
CRÉER POUR LA TERRE
LA BELLE VERTE (Coline Serreau, 1996)
(DÉ)POSSÉDER L’ART?
OTHER UNMISSABLE EVENTS
Pacôme Thiellement will moderate a conference dedicated to David Lynch. The French essayist and video-maker, who is a Lynch expert, will thus pay homage to the legendary director who passed earlier this year. Finally, there will be a roundtable discussion relating to the TAKE CARE! retrospective, which explores the theme of care in genre cinema.
NEW ‘SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT’ FOCUS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNINE
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) is pleased to unveil SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT, a new special program organized in collaboration with the University of Neuchâtel (UniNE) that will be introduced at this year’s 24th edition (4-12 July). It will immerse the audience in rather… terrifying campuses through three iconic feature films.
FANCY ATTENDING FRIGHT SCHOOL?
“With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us”
SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT, the cult song from Nirvana, is also how the NIFFF chose to call the three-film series that will be shown as part of our collaboration with UniNE. Through countless fantastic films, including a few that are now classics, campus horror has become fertile ground for unbound imagination and a genre onto itself. With this collaboration, the NIFFF and UniNe are hoping to rekindle the nostalgia of our audience members, who will be able to (re)discover these cult movies on the big screen. Now, there’s something that should make Monsieur Robert happy!
What better film than CARRIE (1976) to get started? An American teenager who is being bullied by her classmates, her professors, and her mother sees an opportunity for revenge when she discovers she has supernatural abilities… This bloody coming of age was a resounding commercial and critical success. By adapting Stephen King’s first novel, Brian de Palma explores and goes beyond very modern themes, such as the pangs of adolescence, bullying at school, and toxic family relations. The film made a star out of main actress Sissy Spacek, who impresses with a performance that combines vulnerability and liberating fury, while also introducing a young charismatic actor called John Travolta, here in ones of his first roles.
Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Laura Harris, Jordana Brewster, Usher… Robert Rodriguez gets the hottest Hollywood stars of the 90s together in THE FACULTY (1998), which has become a cult sci-fi flick for an entire generation. When aliens take control of the teachers at the (fictional) Herrington High, surviving suddenly becomes a bigger priority than nailing the exams…
Perhaps a little less well-known, WHISPERING CORRIDORS (Park Ki-hyeong, 1998) is a true hidden gem. In a girls-only Korean school, the spirit of a pupil who had committed suicide nine years prior starts haunting the place… One of the first movies of a new era in the industry after the end of dictatorship and censorship, the film provides a biting critique of South Korea’s education system. Five sequels would eventually follow.
CARRIE
Brian De Palma, US, 1976
© 1976 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc
Caught between a fanatically religious mother and cruel classmates, Carrie White’s life is pure hell. When they decide to play one final — and bloody — prank on her, the young girl snaps. Her revenge is apocalyptic. A classic that’s as heartbreaking as it is horrifying.
THE FACULTY
Robert Rodriguez, US/MX, 1998
Welcome to Herrington High, a school where survival matters more than graduating. Robert Rodriguez brings together the who’s who of 90s young Hollywood in this cult classic.
WHISPERING CORRIDORS
Park Ki-hyeong, KR, 1998
At Jookran Girls’ School, the dead mingle with the living, unearthing a sinister past. This thinly veiled critique of the national education system played a key role in the revival of South Korean cinema after a period of strict censorship.
NIFFF ON TOUR : JUNE APPETIZERS
In collaboration with various partners, the NIFFF continues to promote fantastic films all year round. This June, you can immerse yourself in the world of video games with EAT THE NIGHT (in partnership with les Culturateurs) or tread the dangerous waters of JAWS (in partnership with the Cinémathèque suisse).
EAT THE NIGHT
Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel
(FR, 2024,106’)
Tuesday, June 3rd, 8 p.m.
Les Caves du Château, Place Pestalozzi, Yverdon-les-Bains
Pablo and his sister have grown up playing Darknoon together, an online video game that is about to be shut down. The siblings grow apart when Pablo becomes close to the mysterious newcomer Night. Shown at last year’s NIFFF in the Third Kind category, the latest film from Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel brilliantly captures the intimacy and sexual tension between Pablo and Night in hypnotic and intensely sensual scenes, set to an immersive soundtrack.
More info
JAWS
Steven Spielberg
(US, 1975, 122’)
Friday, June 13th, 9 p.m.
Cinéma Capitole, av du Théâtre 6, Lausanne
After the mangled body of a young woman is found on Amity beach and a second incident is reported soon after, there is no more room for doubt: there is a shark on the loose. Fear takes hold of the seaside community… Flirting with the horror genre, Steven Spielberg’s second feature traumatized swimmers the world over with its mechanical shark. Its virtuoso direction – which deftly plays with the rare appearances of the creature – left an indelible mark in the minds of several generations of cinephiles.
More info
AFFFTERS – THE CHERRY ON TOP
As part of NIFFF INVASION, you can enjoy a free music program at the Jardin anglais’ OFFF area every evening of the festival. For bigger party animals, the NIFFF is teaming up with DTK and Théâtre de la Maison du Concert for fantastic AFFFTERS (more details TBA).
NIFFF 2025 – NIFFF INVASION IS TAKING OVER THE CITY!
NIFFF INVASION is a free program that offers activities all over town. The 2025 edition has more for children and includes several works of art related to the theme of ‘care’, echoing the TAKE CARE! retrospective. The NIFFF INVASION label, which is part of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF, 4–12 July), is coproduced and financed by the City of Neuchâtel.
OPEN AIR – WELCOME TO THE HALLES OBSCURA
As usual, our CLASSICS RELOADED section will give our audience an opportunity to (re)discover five cult films for free. This year, festivalgoers will also be able to try out our brand-new Open Air, which now includes deckchairs, chairs, and the outside seating areas from the Place des Halles restaurants. Live the spellbinding story of four young Australian women who disappear mysteriously in PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (Peter Weir, AU, 1975), embark on an epic journey filled with swordfights and romance in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee, CN/TW/HK/US, 2000), or feel the apocalyptic wrath of CARRIE (Brian De Palma, US, 1976)! For even more thrills, come experience the burning passion of a couple on the road to perdition in WILD AT HEART, shown to honor the memory of the late David Lynch, (US, 1990), or come laugh with us at the iconic lines from the likeable, ghost-hunting misfits of GHOSTBUSTERS (Ivan Reitman, US, 1984). Everyone in the audience will feel the buzz under the stars of the Halles Obscura! This is the name that was selected for the 2025 Open Air among nearly 200 audience suggestions sent as part of a competition organized by the NIFFF.
PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
Peter Weir, AU, 1975
Synopsis : Young girls in bloom vanish in the mountains. A mystery in broad daylight, a sensual awakening, a haunting spell. A cult film that served as an aesthetic blueprint for directors from Coppola to Guadagnino.
Trailer
GHOSTBUSTERS
Ivan Reitman, US, 1984
Synopsis : Ghosts, iconic one-liners, and pure 80s energy: a team of misfits faces the supernatural with flair. A legendary pop comedy where Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray let loose. Who you gonna call?
Trailer
WILD AT HEART
David Lynch, US, 1990
Images courtesy of Park Circus/Universal
Synopsis : Mad love, raw violence, dream and nightmare intertwined: Wild at Heart blazes like a rock’n’roll scream in Lynch’s desert. A road movie of passion and perdition. “Treat me like a fool, treat me mean and cruel, but love me!”
Trailer
CARRIE
Brian De Palma, US, 1976
© 1976 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc
Synopsis : Between a fanatically religious mother and cruel classmates, Carrie White’s life is pure hell. When they decide to play one final — and bloody — prank on her, the young girl sees red. Her vengeance is apocalyptic. A classic that is as heartbreaking as it is horrifying.
Trailer
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
Ang Lee, CN/TW/HK/US, 2000
Synopsis : Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, and Zhang Ziyi in a breathtaking ballet of swords and silence: a dizzying epic where love, honor, and fate collide between heaven and earth.
ENCHANTING MORNING STREET ART PERFORMANCES
Tales, circus shows, theater plays, songs, and clown acts: the CCHAR (Centre de Création Helvétique des Arts de la Rue) will take center stage in the morning, for the first time on Place du Coq D’Inde this year instead of Place des Halles. Our street art performances program runs from Monday, July 7th to Friday, July 11th, 11 a.m. each day, and is suitable for people of all ages.
Behind the Mist
Cie Amandine Berger – Website
Monday, July 7, 11:00 AM, Place du Coq d’Inde
All audiences / Duration: 45 minutes / Storytelling
Description : What if, in a distant future, the stories of yesterday and today had paved the way to a brighter world? In this performance, a storyteller from times to come initiates us into the Mysteries to reveal which tales have endured through the ages and what new myths have arisen.
From forgotten fables to prophecies come true, the audience will discover how the dreams of the past helped shape a desirable tomorrow. What faces will the Living bear? What wisdom will our descendants choose to preserve? A journey between past and future, where imagination weaves the stories of what is yet to be.
We Said No Touching
Cie Le Cirque Compost – Website
Tuesday, July 8, 11:00 AM, Place du Coq d’Inde
All audiences / Duration: 45 minutes / Circus
Description : They are two. They adore each other. They move forward together. And above all: they must not touch. If they do, they must start all over again. They are touching – yet must not touch.
As their bodies express themselves, a delicate balance of skill and tenderness unfolds. They explore the possibilities of two bodies moving in harmony without contact—or almost.
A reflection on physical connection emerges.
What does it mean to touch? What does it do? What do we do with it?
Theatron
Cie The Big Bang Company – Website
Wednesday, July 9, 11:00 AM, Place du Coq d’Inde
All audiences / Duration: 50 minutes / Theatre
Description : The history of theatre told in under an hour.
A quick journey through time that takes us to Ancient Greece, Elizabethan England, and, of course, the land of Molière—before ending our epic in the curious realm of contemporary theatre.
Expect rap, puppets, and mustaches along the way.
The Polyphonic Wardrobe
Collectif Les Aimants – Website
Thursday, July 10, 11:00 AM, Place du Coq d’Inde
All audiences / Duration: 30 minutes / Baroque song
Description : The Polyphonic Wardrobe is an old wardrobe left behind on a roadside, a street corner, or a patch of grass in a park or meadow. On its door, a sign reads “Open me,” inviting the audience. When the door swings open, three polyphonists come to life to perform one of their delightfully anachronistic songs, then close the doors once more.
Light-hearted and offbeat, The Polyphonic Wardrobe is a musical interlude—like a human-sized music box.
Out of Order
Cie du Petit Monsieur – Website
Friday, July 11, 11:00 AM, Place du Coq d’Inde
All audiences / Duration: 50 minutes / Clown performance
Description : “As simple as a phone call”: refreshing, accessible, and for all audiences.
Well… not for this impeccably dressed little man, slightly uncomfortable in his tight-fitting suit with too-short sleeves.
Because the phone booth door won’t open, and since he’s not one to give up, he tries every possible way to pick up the receiver.
This leads him into absurd postures and unbelievable acrobatics.
It’s a merciless battle: man versus machine—
Except the man isn’t a brawny Schwarzenegger, but rather a perfectly ordinary little fellow.
BRINGING OUR YOUTH’S DREAMS TO LIFE
Who said the fantasy genre was just for grown-ups? As part of KID-O-NIFFF, Neuchâtel-based pupils aged 5 to 15 will present their stop-motion animation short films, created during workshops organized by the SEEO (Service de l’enseignement obligatoire) and managed by the Filmetic association. Drawing inspiration from the theme Mysteries of the Night, these original short films are equal parts creative, poetic, and enigmatic. The films directed by students aged 15 to 19, who are closer to the world of digital and urban legends, will be shown on the big screen at the FANTASTIC SHORTS special screening.
As far as features are concerned, the NIFFF will be showing SPACE CADET (Kid Koala, CA, 2025), a tender, spellbinding musical fable about memories and the passing of time. Perfect for the whole family.
After having successfully explored science fiction in 2024, the Lanterne Magique will be back with a cine-conference dedicated to the supernatural. Professeur Patate will take us on a new journey that also takes us back to our roots, to show us how, unbeknownst to us, we’ve all been in contact with the genre from our very early years… Finally, an animated shorts program made in collaboration with Fantoche will invite young audience members to explore the theme of ‘care’ in a sensitive and poetic way.
DOUDOU MONSTRES
KID-O-NIFFF
FANTASTIC SHORTS
NIFFF 2025
SPACE CADET
Kid Koala, CA, 2025
While Celeste sets off to explore the stars, her faithful guardian Robot stays behind on Earth, facing the emptiness left by her departure. A vibrant musical fable about memory and the passing of time – to be enjoyed with the whole family!
LA LANTERNE MAGIQUE
Fantastic cinema at child’s eye level
Contrary to popular belief, some naysayers argue that fantastic cinema is a genre only meant for adults. In a brand-new film lecture by Professor Patate, La Lanterne Magique sets out to prove otherwise. In its broadest sense, the fantastic is intrinsic to the spirit of childhood, which thrives on imagination. Without even realizing it, we’ve all experienced it from an early age…
Peppered with evocative film clips, this cine-conference will be both an introduction and a return to our imaginative roots.
DER KLEINE VOGEL UND DAS BLATT
FANTOCHE
CARE CRAZE
Our 2025 retrospective inspires others! The CAN Centre d’art Neuchâtel is giving a carte blanche to Neuchâtel-based artist Maria Guta. Through her project named CARE, TAKEN, which goes hand in hand with the NIFFF’s TAKE CARE! retrospective, she will explore the ways horror and fantasy films can aestheticize suffering and vulnerability while also questioning gender norms and myths about beauty and desire.
Still as an extension to the TAKE CARE! retrospective, the ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ exhibition will cast an unusual look at the imagination of the medical world. From hygienicist utopias of the 15th century to the fetishizing of bodies put under duress by modern therapeutic devices, the Maison d’Ailleurs will highlight a duality that distinguishes between the flesh and the soul.
Finally, the Villa’s mission is simple: to heal the soul through groundbreaking installations and state-of-the-art treatments. In the ephemeral sanatorium, you can wander from one game to the next, be fully immersed in the world of the Colibri Foudre book, experience a musical exhibition from Bastien Bron (in collaboration with He-Arc), or discover the imaginary animals of artist Mary-Audrey Ramirez (in collaboration with Octobre Numérique). The whole healthcare team is looking forward to helping you every step of the way to reach a better version of yourself.
MARIA GUTA
Carte blanche du CAN
GAME SELECTION AT THE VILLA
COLIBRI-FOUDRE
© Paul-Emile Boucher
MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO
© coll. Maison d’Ailleurs
FORCED AMNESIA
© Mary-Audrey Ramirez
TIME TO WRITE!
Author, musician, and journalist Magali Bossi will once again be moderating a writing workshop. This year, it will take place as part of the Tour du Fantastique. Have you ever dreamed of meeting fantastical creatures covered in feathers, fur, or scales, or of coming up with legends where robots meet fairies? This is for you!
REGISTRATION FORM
© Sarah Adatte / NIFFF 2024
NIFFF 2025 – MUSHROOM PICKING IN THE STREETS OF NEUCHÂTEL
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) is proud to reveal the trailer for its 24th edition (4-12 July) and to unveil its open-air mushroom picking event, a life-size interactive game where the greatest explorers can win big prizes.
TRAILER
With the NIFFF two months away, it’s time to release this year’s wonderful trailer created by the eponime studio, enticing us to look closer at the mystical world of the poster and to pay closer attention to the mushrooms through an immersive and hypnotic spreading effect. This gradual movement creates an impression of depth and sets an atmosphere of mystery which perfectly sums up the 24th edition.
AN ENCHANTING URBAN GAME
On May 29th, the City of Neuchâtel will turn into the backdrop for a magical quest! Inspired by the mushroom theme of its poster and trailer, the NIFFF invites you to partake in a very special adventure. Go looking for 7 mushrooms that have grown at the edge of the near-perfect circle of a fairy ring, a mysterious natural phenomenon located in carefully selected locations.
A series of clues posted on our social media accounts will help you find them, and a digital map will guide your progress throughout this enchanted quest. For every mushroom found, the winner will receive a mystery prize from one of our fantastic partners, as well as tickets for NIFFF 2025!
The best mushroom hunters will be invited to a special prize giving ceremony during the NIFFF, for a unique event where the visible and invisible worlds collide…
The spell is cast. Now it’s up to you.
EARLY BIRD PASS
Good news for those who can’t wait! The NIFFF is already putting its Early Bird passes up for sale! This discounted rate (CHF 180 instead of 195) is valid until May 18th.
TICKETING
SAVE THE DATE – NIFFF 2025
Full line-up and ticket bookings: Thursday, June 19
TAKE CARE! – CURE ME IF YOU CAN
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) is proud to unveil this year’s retrospective: TAKE CARE!, a watchful examination of care through the lens of the fantasy genre. As part of the 24th edition (4-12 July), this special program will take you on a journey through space and time over the span of a century with about twenty feature films – some cult, some underseen.
THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS
“Take care!” We’ve all heard it before: a well-meaning idiom that often rings like a gentle call to do the impossible. At first glance a sign of concern, it actually shrouds a much more complex and ruthless system. This expression all too often neglects to take the reality of the person we are speaking to into consideration, therefore reminding them of what they cannot (or can no longer) do.
Echoing themes of SCREAM QUEER (2022), FEMALE TROUBLE (2023), and EAT THE RICH (2024), the NIFFF 2025 retrospective puts the spotlight on care, which does not always end up being a straightforward endeavor, especially as portrayed in genre cinema. The 20 TAKE CARE! films will implicitly paint the portrait of anxiety and suspicious societies in which people must contend with healthcare systems deeply rooted in inequalities (whether they relate to the intimacy of the bodies or the public institutions themselves). This downward spiral affects those who try to take care of themselves as well as people taking care of others. The NIFFF invites you to explore films from various time periods and countries, all haunted by mad doctors, body mutations, shady nurses, and terrifying hospitals.
In Michael Crichton’s COMA (1978), the hospital becomes the setting for sinister acts of trafficking, a reflection of the fears and fantasies surrounding the supposed omnipotence and impunity of the medical profession. With THE CURED (2017), David Freyne offers his own take on the zombie genre with a story centered around the difficult rehabilitation of “infected” people that have since been cured — a striking metaphor which socio-political themes resonate louder than ever today. Mental health is at the forefront of A PAGE OF MADNESS (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1926), a film which explores the gradual emergence of horror that comes with the slow decline of a loved one. Intermittent fasting is taken way too far in Jessica Hausner’s CLUB ZERO (2023), while Yorgos Lanthimos questions the boundaries between the parental desire to protect and child abuse with DOGTOOTH (2009), in which parents isolate their three children from the outside world. The concept of care is riddled with paradoxes and excesses, but it can also inspire a more playful approach to genre cinema, where sadism flirts with black humor. Such is the case in Rob Reiner’s MISERY (1990), in which the care of a dutiful nurse toward an injured writer slowly turns into a grotesque nightmare – a brilliant satire where kindness eventually turns into control.
TAKE CARE! will include a roundtable discussion, and the festival’s cultural mediation program will also offer related screenings and interventions in compulsory and post-compulsory education establishments.
FIRST PART OF THE ‘TAKE CARE!’ LINE-UP
A PAGE OF MADNESS
Teinosuke Kinugasa, JP, 1926
Hoping to get closer to his wife, who is a mental health patient, a former sailor becomes the custodian of an asylum. A gem of black & white Japanese silent cinema, this one-of-a-kind film offers a tender reflection on women’s mental health.
Trailer
COMA
Michael Crichton, US, 1978
A seemingly fit patient falls into a coma after undergoing surgery. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that questions the medical profession, directed by the man who wrote JURASSIC PARK, and starring Michael Douglas and Geneviève Bujold.
Trailer
MISERY
Rob Reiner, US, 1990
Rob Reiner, US, 1990
After a road accident, a famous writer is taken care of by a nurse in a remote cabin. This brutal psychological thriller is a cult adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, which earned Kathy Bates a well-deserved Oscar for her performance as a frightening, creepy, star-struck nurse.
Trailer
DOGTOOTH
Yorgos Lanthimos, GR, 2009
The house is surrounded by a high fence. For these three teenagers, the outside world does not exist. All they have is the life their parents have made for them. When the desire to protect becomes abuse…
Trailer
THE CURED
David Freyne, IE/FR, 2017
After a pandemic turns many people into flesh-eating zombies, a cure is found. Side effects? Anxiety: the rehabilitation of those formerly infected is met with so much suspicion, the world is soon on the brink of chaos once again.
Trailer
CLUB ZERO
Jessica Hausner,
AT/GB/DE/FR/DK/TR/US/QA/BA, 2023
Ever heard of “conscious eating”? They teach it at this private school, but the novel concept eventually turns out to be a little dangerous. Come for the morbid influence and twisted chain of events, stay for the biting satire.
Trailer
SAVE THE DATE – NIFFF 2025
Festival Pass – Early Bird price: Thursday, May 8
Full line-up and ticket bookings: Thursday, June 19
IN 2025, THE ENTIRE PLACE DES HALLES WILL TURN INTO THE NIFFF OPEN AIR
Forget the bleachers, now is the time to fill the cobbled square with seats and deckchairs! Our new Open Air concept is coming to Place des Halles for the next edition of the NIFFF.
This new elegant and less invasive set-up will have a capacity of up to 1,000 people, making the screenings – including several free ones, as is now customary – even more memorable! And with the restaurants on Place des Halles taking active part in this project, film lovers will also be able to make the most of their outside seating areas and savoir-faire.
While eagerly awaiting the line-up for the 24th edition of the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), which will take place from July 4th to July 12th, 2025, genre film fans can rejoice, for the famous Open Air on Place des Halles will be coming back in a new, improved formula that can welcome up to a thousand festival-goers, twice as many as with the bleachers.
On screening nights, the iconic Neuchâtel landmark will turn into a place entirely dedicated to cine-ma: over one hundred deckchairs and some 200 seats will be set up in front of an 18-meter screen installed at the South end of the square for complete, convivial immersion. With the cafés-restaurants joining in the celebrations, you will also be able to use their outside dining areas, which layout will be specially modified to accommodate movie watching wherever you are seating, drasti-cally boosting the Open Air’s overall capacity. Plus, an improved projection booth installed near the Maison des Halles will guarantee the screenings’ quality.
ACCESS FOR RESIDENTS
This new set-up has been designed by the NIFFF and the City of Neuchâtel in close collaboration with the square’s restaurant owners. While it will be business as usual during the day, only people with a valid ticket will be able to access the Place des Halles on screening nights (from 8:45 p.m. onwards). As part of NIFFF INVASION and in collaboration with the City of Neuchâtel, the NIFFF organizes five free screenings of classic films every year (but you still need to book a ticket!). Please note that headsets will be used for late-night screenings.
The residents of Place des Halles (or who must access it to enter their building) will have permanent access and will therefore be able to enjoy all Open Air screenings free of charge.
City of Neuchâtel – NIFFF – Place des Halles restaurant owners
NIFFF 2025 POSTER – GENRE SPREADS LIKE LIGHTNING
For its 24th edition (4–12 July 2025), the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) invites its audience to become immersed in an evolving visual world, where the organic teems with mysteries and fuels mystical stories.
Created by the Lausanne-based éponime studio, the NIFFF 2025 poster draws inspiration from a simultaneously elusive and universal symbol: the mushroom. As if it were blurring the lines between genres, mushroom is a blanket term for a multitude of species. It cannot fall into one sole categorization, and can have countless shapes, colors, and textures. A keeper of enchantments and secrets at times, at others a source of supernatural powers and hallucinogenic visions, the mushroom creates a bridge between what can and cannot be seen, between reality and imagination, and of course safeguards the balance of nature with its healing and poisonous properties. At the junction of art and science, it can become a gateway to yet unexplored universes.
THE FAIRY RING – WHERE SCIENCE, ECOLOGY, AND MYSTERIES MEET
Steeped in beliefs and legends, the fairy ring is a fascinating natural phenomenon that happens underground before making its way to the surface in the form of an enigmatic fungal circle. Not unlike the NIFFF, which invites festivalgoers to let themselves sink into an ecosystem of abundance, where fantasy seeps in and lets the curious minds gather around a shared quest for escapism.
SAVE THE DATE
Festival Pass – Early Bird price: Thursday, May 8th
Full line-up and ticket bookings: Thursday, June19th
WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE 24TH EDITION
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) will soon unveil the colors of its 24th edition, set to spread across the City of Neuchâtel from July 4-12th, 2025. In the meantime, the festival is still touring with NIFFF ON TOUR, a series of fantastic collaborations and events.
COMING SOON TO NIFFF ON TOUR
LA JULIENNE AT THE OUTER LIMITS
From March on and for the fourth year in a row, the NIFFF will be back at La julienne, Maison des arts et de la culture in Plan-les-Ouates (GE), with free monthly screenings: LES MERCREDIS DU FANTASTIQUE (FANTASTIC WEDNESDAYS).
Wednesday, March 19th, 8 p.m.
ANIMALE
Emma Benestan (FR, 2024, 1h40)
In France’s Camargue region, 22-year-old Nejma hopes to win the next bullfighting contest, called “la course camarguaise”. But the locals are troubled by strange deaths attributed to a wild beast. Selected as part of the NIFFF 2024 International Competition, ANIMALE is the sophomore feature of French Algerian filmmaker Emma Benestan.
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Wednesday, April 16th, 8 p.m.
PENDANT CE TEMPS SUR TERRE
Jérémy Clapin (FR, 2024, 1h29)
Elsa grew up in the shadow of her big brother Franck, a young astronaut admired throughout the region. She must now grapple with reality itself and events of cosmic ramifications. Selected as part of the NIFFF 2024 International Competition, Jérémy Clapin’s latest feature masterfully navigates the lines between genres.
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NEW EXHIBITION AT LA MAISON D’AILLEURS
Horizons, from Feb. 15th to Apr. 16th, 2025
Opening on Saturday, February 15th from 5:30 p.m.
Under the artistic direction of Frédéric Jaccaud, the oneiric, thought-provoking Horizons exhibition is an invitation to explore elusive landscapes. From kitsch illustrations of 70s prog rock to 1930s-1950s visions of the future of urbanism, to engravings of the tales of Jules Verne and hyper realistic digital images, Horizons brings to light a history of desirable, fragile imagined places.
STAY TUNED! On Friday, April 11th, the NIFFF will attend a one-of-a-kind film event at the Espace Jules Vernes at la Maison d’Ailleurs.
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THE FRIENDS OF THE NIFFF AT THE JEUDI-OUI
Thursday, April 24th at Neubourg and surrounding area
NIFFF regulars and film lovers, take note! On Thursday, April 24th, the friends of the NIFFF will have a booth at the Jeudi-Oui. The perfect opportunity to meet like-minded people and discover more about what the members of the association do.
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SAVE THE DATE – NIFFF 2025
2025 Poster: Thursday, April 3rd
Festival Pass – Early Bird price: Thursday, May 8th
Full program and bookings: Thursday, June 19th
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL PASS AND GIFT IDEAS
This Christmas, why not surprise your loved ones with something out of the ordinary? With the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), you can offer a way to unforgettable movie-going experiences – thrills, laughter, emotions, and even a chance to meet people from the film industry next summer.
The first 100 Festival Passes are now up for grabs on NIFFF.CH (special price: CHF 160). It’s the perfect gift for lovers of fantastic films, and it usually takes less than 24 hours to be sold out. No time to waste… Get your pass or check out our other NIFFF offers below!
TO CHRISTMAS OFFER
🎁 2025 FESTIVAL PASS
Limited Edition 💥 SOLD OUT
The first 100 Festival Passes are CHF 160 (instead of CHF 195).
With this pass, you can attend any film screening at NIFFF and explore genre cinema in all its diversity, from thrillers to comedies, action, science fiction, and of course horror, all the while enjoying the idyllic, lakeside City of Neuchâtel. Tickets can be booked as soon as the full program is unveiled on Thursday, June 19th, 2025, on NIFFF.CH.
💛 SUPPORT FESTIVAL PASS
NIFFF regulars are familiar with this Festival Pass that makes it possible to see as many films as you want, to meet filmmakers at the festival’s VIP area, and to discover the winners from a front-row seat during the Closing Ceremony. Plus, you get the team’s undying gratitude to boot.
🎫 4 AND 10-TICKET MULTIPASSES
The 4-ticket (CHF 58) and 10-ticket (CHF 130) multipasses can be used by more than one person. You will therefore be able to share unforgettable moments of cinema and discoveries.
TO TICKETING
The Support Festival Pass and the 4 and 10-ticket multipasses can be purchased all year-round on NIFFF.ch. Tickets to specific films can be booked as soon as the full program is unveiled on Thursday, June19th, 2025.
BECOME A MEMBER OF AANIFFF
This year, gift more than a pass – gift a special relationship with the NIFFF! By becoming a member of AANIFFF (Association des Ami·es du NIFFF), you will be joining a community of enthusiasts and enjoy special privileges all year long.
There are various membership levels, each with different advantages.
TO MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
Every year, the AANIFFF (Association des Ami·es du NIFFF), which includes film industry professionals, regular festivalgoers, and stakeholders in the Swiss film industry, financially supports and contributes to the festival’s standing.