Neuchatel 2017: SUPER DARK TIMES, THE ENDLESS & EL BAR Awarded at Festival Closing Ceremony
After nearly two weeks of glorious sunshine and fantastic cinema in the beautiful Swiss town of Neuchatel, the heavens opened and the skies turned grey for their festival’s final day.
The Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) ended with a presentation of its prestigious awards at a sold-out Closing Ceremony, before a screening of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. Winners included director Kevin Phillips who walked away with the night’s biggest prize for his stunning debut feature Super Dark Times. Back in Neuchatel for the third time in their careers, festival favorites Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead were present to receive the two awards they won in person. The directing partners took both the NIFFF International Critics Award and the Imaging the Future Award (for Best Production Design) for their latest feature, The Endless. The award for Best European feature went to Alex De La Iglesia for his inventive comedy thriller, El Bar.
Takashi Miike was the guest of honour at this year’s festival and his fans came out to support the veteran director resulting in his latest feature, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable taking the Audience Award.
Here is the full list of award winners:
H.R. Giger “Narcisse” Award For Best Film: Super Dark Times
Dir. Kevin Phillips
Imaging the Future Award: The Endless
Dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Silver Melies For Best European Feature: El Bar
Dir. Alex De La Iglesia
Special Mention: Mon Ange, dir. Harry Cleven
NIFFF International Critics Award: The Endless
Dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Denis-De-Rougemont Youth Award: Hostile
Dir. Mathieu Turi
RTS Audience Award: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamonds Are Unbreakable
Dir. Miike Takashi
Taurus Studio Innovation Award: Sons of Bitches
Dir. Arnaud Bauer
H.R. Giger “Narcisse Award” For Best Swiss Short Film and Silver Melies For Best European Short Award: Die Brucke Uber Den Fluss
Dir. Jadwiga Kowalski