For its 40th anniversary, the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival returns from 29 August to 10 September with a plethoric edition, to say the least, which will multiply encounters and events. The festival will also be held for the first time at Brussels Expo, a large site that should be able to accommodate its large audience. With no less than six competitions, thematic sections (such as a brand new documentary section), prestigious masterclasses (with, amongst others, Barry Sonnenfeld and John McTiernan) and festive events, the festival intends to come back with a vengeance after two editions prevented or amputated by the pandemic.

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In European Competition, we find 8 features from around the world, including the local and challenging but stunning Belgian film Megalomaniac [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Karim Ouelhaj
scheda film] by Karim Ouelhaj, already prized at Fantasia. At its side, the French film The Five Devils [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Léa Mysius, discovered in Directors’ Fortnight this year in Cannes; the Austrian film Rubikon [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Leni Lauritsch
scheda film] by Magdalena Lauritsch, a science-fiction film presented as a premiere; Piggy [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Carlota Pereda
scheda film] by Carlota Pereda (Spain/France), a kind of re-reading of the Carrie myth selected in Sundance; the Dutch film Moloch by Nico van den Brink; Hinterland [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Stefan Ruzowitzky
scheda film] by Oscar-winning Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky (co-produced with Luxembourg), presented in Locarno on the Piazza Grande; Cop Secret [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Hannes Þór Halldórsson
intervista: Hannes Þór Halldòrsson
scheda film] by Hannes Þór Halldórsson, an Icelandic comedy also discovered in Locarno in the Competition; and finally, Piety [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Eduardo Casanova, a co-production between Argentina and Spain. These films will be competing for the very sought-after Méliès prize.

The BIFFF also welcomes an International Competition, in which there too eight films will be competing: Huesera by Michelle Garza Cervera (Mexico/Peru), Tiny Cinema by Tyler Cornack (United States), Virus 32 by Gustavo Hernandez (Argentina/Uruguay), American Carnage by Diego Hallivis (United States), The Witch Part Two: The Other One by Park Hoon-jung (South Korea), Studio 666 by BJ McDonnell (United States). Two European co-productions will take part in this International Competition: Summer Scars [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Simon Rieth
scheda film] by French filmmaker Simon Rieth, presented last May during Critics’ Week in Cannes, and Vesper [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kristina Buožytė e Bruno S…
scheda film] by Lithuanian filmmaker Kristina Buožytė and French filmmaker Bruno Samper, a dystopia selected in Competition in Karlovy Vary, co-produced between Lithuania, France and Belgium.

Let us note that the festival is setting up a brand new Competition this year, the Emerging Raven Competition, intended for first and second works. It will allow the discovery of ten films by new filmmakers who dare to make genre films, including the first feature film by Belgian director  Véronique Jadin, Employee of the Month [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Véronique Jadin
scheda film], a feminist and joyfully macabre comedy discovered at Tribeca and Fantasia, but also the Swiss film Mad Heidi [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein, You Lie You Die by Spanish filmmaker Héctor Claramunt, The Visitor from the Future [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by François Descraques (France) and the Franco-Senegalese co-production Saloum [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Jean-Luc Herbulot.

The other competitions organised by the festival are the Black Raven (dedicated to thrillers) and the White Raven (ex 7th parallel competition). The Critics' Prize will be awarded to one of the 10 films selected from the various competitions.