Neuchatel 2026 Daily: From FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA to YOU ARE THE FILM to SACCHARINE to PHI PHONG: THE BLOOD DEMON

Even though I've not had the pleasure of enjoying Switzerland's premiere genre festival in person, what I love about today's schedule is the variety of events and screenings that are on offer.

Wherever your mood takes you, remember: It's just a movie. (Or a board game. Or an immersive experience. Or a fantasy writing workshop.)

We've already mentioned some of the free events that can be enjoyed every day during the festival, including board games and an immersive experience revolving around a fantasy-horror comic series.

Today, however, we want to highlight the three day Atelier de création fantasy 1, which sounds awesome, because it's a: "Fantasy Writing Workshop. In collaboration with PVH Éditions.

"Discover the world of Morceterre, where art is a source of magic, through three fantasy-themed creative workshops. PVH Éditions is also organising a creative competition during which participants can write, draw or expand the Nuances de Morceterre universe."

Further, "Three authors from the novel Le Bastion des Dégradés will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the universe: Aquilegia Nox, 7 July; Pascal Lovis, 8 July; Sara Schneider, 9 July."

Note that it starts at 10:00, so I hope you're already ready to go!

Starting a little later, at 11:00, is another free event that I don't know much about, but which sounds fascinating: "Arts de rue : HELVETIA." The description reads as follows:

"By the theatre company La Cie de l'Inutile

"In collaboration with the CCHAR

"Do you know Helvetia? Discreet, polite, and mysterious, Helvetia has stood the test of time. Today, she reveals the secrets of her own history and the grand history of Switzerland: Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and their legendary pact; the Unspunnen Stone; epic battles; and extraordinary encounters. So many adventures--whether absolutely true or completely far-fetched--that will be revealed to you by an energetic duo."

(Event details.)

Getting back to safer ground -- i.e., today's selection of films -- George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a phenomenal experience on the big screen. Our own Mel Valentin described it thusly in their review: "Switching from the all-action, all-the-time mode of Mad Max: Fury Road, the prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, charts an altogether different course toward the high standards set by its predecessors, focusing on Furiosa's backstory across two decades, five-chapter titles, and two performers, relative newcomer Alyla Browne as a ferocious preteen Furiosa for the first hour and Anya Taylor-Joy as her equally ferocious twenty-something counterpart."

(Screening details.)

Later in the afternoon, Makoto Ueda's You Are the Film beckons. Running just 68 minutes, the festival has assigned the film a unique genre: "Bubblegum Fuck." Here's a little bit more, also courtesy of the festival: "Madoka writes plays. Kazuma composes music. One day, they decide to go to the cinema. But once there, they realise they can interact through the screen itself, sending fiction into joyful freefall in an absurd and inventive adventure. After River and Rewrite, the brilliant Makoto Ueda makes his directorial debut with an exhilarating burst of creativity."

(Screening details.)

You could spend your entire evening happily rollicking with the mythic blockbuster that is S.S. Rajamouli's Baahubali: The Epic, and we wouldn't blame you one bit. That's a great way to get wrapped up in one film. (Screening details.)

As an alternative, though, here are two other options for enjoying your evening viewing. First, check out Species, as it's titled in Neuchatel, aka Sanguine, as it was unveiled in the Cannes Film Festival this year, where our own Martin Kudlac saw it: "With fast pacing, chic overstylization and hyperbole, [director Marion] Le Corroller delivers the generational statement loud and clear and with a punch, without sliding into overt moralization, while having fun alongside it."

(Screening details.)

Before you wind down in your personal sleeping quarters, why not finish your evening with some Vietnamese fantasy? Phi Phong: The Blood Demon sounds perfect for ensuring you will wake up screaming in the night: "Two apprentice shamans travel deep into the Vietnamese mountains to help their mother, believed to be targeted by the blood demon Phí Phông. As unexplained deaths multiply, the situation spirals out of control. Blending local folklore with atmospheric horror, the film became Vietnam's biggest horror box-office success."

(Screening details.)

The Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival, hereafter referred to as Neuchatel 2026, is "the only Swiss festival dedicated to genre films," per their official description. "The event is mainly devoted to a specific film genre: fantasy. This main theme is complemented by two others: digital creation and Asian cinema."

As one of eight official media partners, we are publishing daily guides to the program, with links to our reviews, where available. You can bookmark our Neuchatel 2026 page for all our updates this year. The festival will run from 3-11 July.