26th INTERNATIONAL FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL OF GERARDMER
The 26th INTERNATIONAL FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL OF GÉRARDMER will take place from 30 January to 3 February 2019.
In 1973, Lionel Chouchan, honorary chairman of the supervisory board of HOPSCOTCH Group, created the International Fantasy Film Festival of Avoriaz. In three years, the festival introduced Steven Spielberg (Duel), Richard Fleischer (Green sun) and Brian De Palma (Phantom of the Paradise). It changed name and became the International Fantasy Film Festival of Gérardmer in 1993.
For this 26th festival, the feature-length film panel will be co-chaired by renowned film-makers, Benoît Delépine & Gustave Kervern; the other members of the panels will be unveiled on 16 January. In addition, the festival will honour comedian Udo Kier (over 200 films under his belt!) and cult director Eli Roth, two major figures of genre cinema!
This year, the International Fantasy Film Festival is creating a new section, Retromania, in which fantasy films with cult status, as well as popular, unknown, rare or banned films will be presented in their restored versions. These films, which continue to influence contemporary film-makers and permeate the memory of cinema enthusiasts, are features by a desire to transgress cinematic codes. They are also the testimony of an era. This year, among others, a restored 4K version of Maniac by William Lustig and The Blood Rose by Claude Mulot will be shown.
The festival continues to evolve
In 2017, it created its foundation, as an endowment fund, called Gérardmer Culture Initiatives, to contribute to funding the event, and more generally culture in the Gérardmer area.
In order to unite decision-makers, this foundation runs a Patronage Club focused on regional and national companies, but which is also accessible to individuals. Its aims are to:
. Allow the festival to exist. Organise shows, meetings and educational activities during the event. Support cultural projects carried out throughout the year in the area in the long term.
The members of this Patronage Club, in addition to being partners of the festival, also participate during the year in cultural events contributing to showcase the cultural riches of the Gérardmer area.
This year, on the fringes of the festival, a fantastic novella competition is open to students in from 3rd year of secondary school to the baccalaureate year, and young people not attending school between the ages of 14 and 18. The winners will receive their prizes at an official ceremony at the Grimoire (the festival’s literary show). A “Fantastic image” competition is also being organised by the Atelier Canopé des Vosges. It offers primary and secondary schools an opportunity for their students to interpret and produce scripted images. All productions will be exhibited in Gérardmer throughout the Festival.
The next meetings:
Wednesday 23 January 2019
Online launch of the 2019 programming schedule
Thursday 24 January 2019 at 15.00
Opening of online session reservations and ticket sales for the 2019 session
Saturday 26 January 2019 at 9 a.m.
Ticketing opens at the Tilleul Space
Saturday 2 February 2019 at 20:30 (the Saint-Barthélemy de Gérardmer church) Magic Lands concert (music of fantastical films) given by the Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Fédération Musicale des Vosges (in partnership with the École de Musique de Gérardmer) Free entrance
The festival’s partners:
– Région Grand Est (“Main partner of the Festival”)
– Vosges département
– Town of Gérardmer
– Massif des Vosges
– FNADT
– DRAC – Préfet de la Région Grand Est (mentioned)
– Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC)
– Groupement des Hôteliers et des Restaurateurs de Gérardmer
– SYFY
– Joa Casino
– Sacem
– Copie Privé
– Je Vois la vie en Vosges
– La Cinémathèque
– Serge Louis Alvarez
– Les Cristallerie Saint Louis
– Fnac
– Allociné
– L’Est Républicain
– Vosges Matin
– Sens Critique
– France Bleu