Neuchatel Announces Complete NIFFF EXTENDED Program

While many old guard festivals continue to put their heads in the sand regarding emerging trends in on-screen story telling and the impact of emerging technology - Hello, Cannes, I'm looking at you and your absurd blockade of films made for SVOD distribution - the genre circuit is, in many ways, leading the charge to embrace what is coming. Enter the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival and thir NIFF Extended program of events and panels designed to dive deep into emerging technology along with good old fashioned ink and paper.

The complete NIFF Extended program has just been announced, check out the full slate of activities below!

NIFFF EXTENDED: Genre films as a fertile ground for reflection and multidisciplinary innovation

The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival is happy to unveil the 2017 NIFFF EXTENDED programme, and to renew its FANTASTIC WEB CONTEST in search of web series projects, in collaboration with the RTS. Renowned guests, like Ted Schilowitz (Futurist at 20th Century Fox, US) and Pascal Conicella (Kenzan Studios, CH), who work in audio-visual storytelling (STORYWORLDS), as well as Jean-Claude Mézières (Valérian et Laureline, FR) and Alain Damasio (author, FR), who play an important role in contemporary fantasy literature (NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY), will partake in conferences and exclusive discussions. Other domains like digital creation and new technologies (IMAGING THE FUTURE), represented by Jonathan Fawkner (Framestore, UK), video game development (EPIC GAME JAM), and the evolution of serious games and gamification (GSGS’17), will also be explored at length. NIFFF EXTENDED is a free, complimentary event to the festival, and all panels will involve around 100 Swiss and international experts.

GSGS’17 / 30.06.17 - 01.07.17 / Gamification & Serious Games

The GSGS’17 symposium is about answering professional demand and offering a creative initiative to solve technical, training, environmental, communicational and managerial issues through the lens of playfulness. Bringing together 50 Swiss and international talents, this event bridges the gap between academia and professionals. On top of the 60 presentations, the audience will actively participate through round tables and various forums. Times and programme: www.gsgs.ch

EPIC GAME JAM / 30.06.17 – 02.07.17 / Video game creation

The EPIC GAME JAM is back for an exciting 4^th edition. Registration begins on June 1^st at 8 p.m., on www.epicgamejam.com.

IMAGING THE FUTURE / 03.07.17 – 04.07.17 / Digital creation and new technologies

MONDAY 03.07.17 / 09:00 - 17:30

FUTURES INTERFACES

Talks about CHI (Computer Human Interface), BCI (Brain Computer Interface), sensitive interfaces and facial recognition.

Cherine Fahim Ph. D, NeurotechX + Endoxa Neuroscience, CH // José del R. Millan, Ph. D, EPFL, CH // Centre suisse d’électronique et de microtechnique (CSEM) // More guests TBC

INDIES STUDIOS GROW BIG GAMES

Small studios with limited human and financial means but big, multi-platform (console, PC, mobile) successes ? How to remain artistically independent and create games capable of taking on industry leaders.

Brjann Sigurgeisson, CEO, Image & Form, SW // Jehanne Rousseau, CEO, Spiders Games, FR // More guests TBC

TOOLS UNLIMITED

Tools used every day by world-renowned VFX studios are becoming more accessible to independent creators. Discover the pipelines for quick and professional results.

Rainer Duda, VFX Sup, DE // More guests TBC

TUESDAY 04.07.17 / 09:00 - 17:30

FOCUS ON GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2

Discover the VFX of James Gunn’s blockbuster in depth with their main supervisors.

Jonathan Fawkner, VFX Sup, Framestore UK // Alessandro Cioffi, VFX Sup, Trixter, DE // More guests TBC

RUSSIAN VFX

IMAGING THE FUTURE secures its role as an international pole for new imaging technologies by turning to Russia, where VFX expertise has proven its value, with many blockbusters boasting an impressive, creative and unique array of visual effects that makes them stand out from Western productions.

Arman Yahin, Principal, Main Road Post, RU // Victor Luckysov, Owner / Animation Director, Asymmetric VFX Studios, RU // Pavel Bezborodov, VFX Supervisor, CGF, RU

THE LADIES’ TOUCH

Three international female experts will lead this panel discussion about the evolution of video games and VFX. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to discuss the importance of gender diversity in digital creation.

Jehanne Rousseau, CEO, Spiders Games, FR // More guests TBC

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HORAO

An installation from studio Z-1 (Camille de Dieu and Laurent Novac) with Alexandre Serex (HE-Arc Engineering student) set up at Max et Meuron (Théâtre du Passage) from June 30^th to July 8^th, 2017.

STORYWORLDS / 05.07.17 / Audio-visual writing

In a time defined by a constant reshaping of the way we perceive reality, STORYWORLDS focuses on the impact of this evolution on supernatural fiction. New possibilities are appearing in the domain of imaginary fiction and, as a result, the process of writing is entering a new era.

14:00 - 15:00 WHEN REALITY BECOMES STRANGER THAN FICTION: DYSTOPIA, OR THE OUTER LIMITS

Dr. Bob Bishop, President and founder, International Centre for Earth Simulation (ICES), CH

Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli, Director Global Risk and Resilience Cluster, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, CH

Pascal Conicella, Founder and artistic director, Kenzan Studios, CH

15:15 - 16:15 ON THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMERSIVE MEDIA ON STORYTELLING

Conference with Ted Schilowitz, Futurist 20th Century Fox, US

Followed by a discussion with European experts

Emmanuel Cuénod, director Festival Tous Ecrans - Geneva Int'l Film Festival, CH

Domenico La Porta, Head of New Medias, Wallimage Creative & director of the R/O institute, BE

Fabienne Tsai, Associate Researcher at the Spatial Media department of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, FR 

16:30 – 18:00 FANTASTIC WEB CONTEST II: THE MOST EXTRA-ORDINARY PITCHING SESSION

The RTS and the NIFFF are calling for Swiss supernatural Web series projects for the second time.

From gorefests to fairy tales, the selected projects will compete before the jury decides which one will go into production. Information: rts.ch/fiction

NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY / 06.07.17 / Contemporary fantasy literature

The pioneering role of French science fiction will be celebrated by our literary symposium. Festival-goers will be able to interact with legendary authors, like the great Jean-Claude Mézières, creator of Valérian and Laureline, who will discuss his cult comic book a couple of months before Luc Besson’s adaptation is released. Alain Damasio, Catherine Dufour and Norbert Merjagnan will also be here to tell you all about their shared fictional universe, while Beb-deum will highlight the hybridity of his work.

13:30 - 14:30 BEB-DEUM: FROM HEAVY METAL TO THE POSTHUMAN, with the Maison d’Ailleurs

14:45 - 15:45 FREE THE FUTURE : THE WORLDS OF DAMASIO, DUFOUR AND MERJAGNAN

16:00 - 17:00 FROM COMICS TO SCREEN: MEET JEAN-CLAUDE MÉZIÈRES

17:00 - 18:00 BOOK SIGNINGS at Max et Meuron (Théâtre du Passage), with Payot Libraire

Practical information

Registration: professional accreditation requests can be submitted on www.nifff.ch until June 16^th. Online booking for GSGS’17, IMAGING THE FUTURE, STORYWORLDS and NEW WORLDS OF FANTASY from June 15^th, 2017, on www.starticket.ch

Location: Théâtre du Passage, Passage Max-de-Meuron 4, 2000 Neuchâtel

Complete programme: from June 15^th, 2017, on www.nifff.ch