Let’s go for the Nifff! With brand guests. The Belgian artist Cécile de France will notably be present this Friday when the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, where the new feature film by Yann Gozlan “Dalloway”, will be screened. The festival will offer 127 films until July 12.
The NIFFF opening ceremony will take place in particular in the presence of the director of the Federal Office of Culture Carine Bachmann, the Councilor for the Neuchâtel States Baptiste Hurni (PS), President of the NIFFF, and Céline Vara (Les Vert-Ees), State Councilor in charge of culture. After the speeches, “Dalloway”, an anticipation thriller questioning the drifts of artificial intelligence, will be projected. A film that is inspired by our time: “It is in 2028. So it is not a film of anticipation or science fiction or a dystopia either. We recognize things from our time. It’s always stronger in a thriller if you can identify with the characters. »Explains Cécile de France in an interview with RTN.
This film was praised during the last Cannes Film Festival. Cécile de France interprets a writer there confronted with an artificial intelligence as brilliant as they are advancing to which Mylène Farmer lends her voice: “We had the chance to be able to meet before filming and record her score, we will say! Cécile de France concedes. “And what was interesting for me is to realize how much the specificities of us, human beings. Since I couldn’t help but create a link with it, while in history, I have to start from scratch with my virtual assistant. »»
The 24th edition of the Festival will offer themes such as parenting, mental health, female representations on the screen or queer identities. Fourteen films will be screened in international competition, often in the presence of directors or actors.
The Helvetico-Germano-Austrian film “Mother’s Baby” by Johanna Modern should seduce the public, as was “alpha” by French director Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2021 for “Titane”. His latest feature will be projected as an international premiere.
Well open air
The jury of the international competition is made up of the French writer Jean-Baptiste Del Amo, the American illustrator Emil Ferris, the French author Hélène Frappat, the Taiwanese director John Hsu and the Belgian prodigy stylist Olivier Theyskens.
Of the 127 works offered, 12 of which are world premiere, 40 are short films. Many guests, including actors, actresses, directors and directors, will be present. The event will end Saturday July 12 with the European first of “hi-five”, a Fantastic Korean comedy.
After a record vintage in 2024, with more than 63,000 visitors, the NIFFF has revisited its open air which will have a capacity of 800 spectators. The obscura halls will consist of deckchairs, chairs and terraces of cafes-restaurants in the square, a bit like Piazza Grande in Locarno. The public will be able to see cinema classics there, such as the film “Picnic at Hanging Rock” by Peter Weir. /AJU-ATS
