Sections and Prizes

COMPETITIONS

The International Fantastic Film Competition presents new feature films that reach beyond the borders of reality. These include science fiction, fantasy and horror films, but also films with elements of the surreal, the supernatural, dream-like narratives and magic realism. Also included are films depicting the incursion of horrific, but real-world violence and extreme fear into daily life.

Films in this section compete for The Golden Octopus.

The Silver Méliès Competition groups European fantastic films. The winner receives a Silver Méliès, an award which allows it to compete in the Golden Méliès competition, organised by the MIFF (Méliès International Festivals Federation) (www.melies.org).

The Crossovers Competition presents the latest in black comedy, film noir, broadly-defined thrillers and crime films, but also the bizarre and strange at the border of the fantastic.

The winner is awarded the Crossovers Grand Prix.

The International Animated Film Competition brings you the latest in animated features for adults and older adolescents on a wide range of subjects.

Selected films compete for the Golden Stork.

The Short-Film Competition is composed of three parts: for international fantastic short films, competing for the Golden Octopus; for animated films, which compete for the Best Animated Short Film award; and Made in France, presenting new French productions, competing for the Best of the Made in France award.

European fantastic shorts from all categories will compete for the Silver Méliès, a prize which allows the winner to compete in the Golden Méliès competition held by the MIFF (Méliès International Festivals Federation) (www.melies.org).
A high-school jury from across the Grand Est region will award the three student jury prizes for the best fantastic film, all categories considered.

All juries, except the student jury, have the option of awarding a Jury Special Mention Prize.

NON-COMPETITIVE SECTIONS

The Midnight Movies section presents more extreme films, such as forays into gore, sex and rock’n roll, among other extravagant over-the-tops.

Special Screenings propose documentary films, but may also include directorial tributes and new features outside competition.

The Retrospectives are dedicated to cinema heritage and include thematic programmes of repertory classics, directorial tributes and The Eccentric Night, a midnight-to-dawn binge revival of glorious duds, curated by the Cinématèque française.

The VR Film Corner proposes an international selection of virtual reality films that attest to new achievements in this fast-growing field of audience immersion.