A festival's mid-point is a good time to recalibrate.
Temperatures are forecast to continue in the high 20s and low 30s (Centigrade), so we're hoping the heat is not overbearing on the ground.
Inside the various screening rooms, however, we hope that it is the films themselves that will fire your imagination, which is as it should be for the only Swiss festival dedicated to genre films.
If we were in Neuchatel, how might our day go? After studying the schedule closely, here are our recommendations.
A 93-minute program, Asian Shorts starts at 11:00 and offers six films from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea, with a pleasing variety of themes explored. See the screening details for a little more information about each film.
In the early afternoon, our suggestion is Eva, which we reviewed some 15 years ago: "Moving away from depicting a highly technological future, debut director Kike Maillo chooses to create a world much more closer to our modern day. Eva's futuristic world is closer to vintage aesthetics, with very elegant and moderate visual effects, but very impressive nonetheless. The film takes place in an idyllic mountain town, perpetually blanketed in snow, and the camera manages to capture really spectacular landscapes. It certainly is a beautiful film to watch."
Be sure to check out 4 Tigers from one of our favorite Thai directors, Kongkiat Khomsiri. The festival's description makes us more anxious to see it:
"During World War II, the Axis powers entrusted a shipment of gold to the government to fund a new railway, a project meant to strengthen trade and cripple the Allies. But the gold vanished en route.
"Field Marshal Loet, the era's most powerful ruler, and his ruthless enforcer launched a nationwide manhunt, placing bounties on every outlaw or "Tiger". His brutal strategy: use Tigers to hunt Tigers.
"To consolidate his grip on power, the Marshal aligned with Tiger Fai, the fiercest bandit in central Thailand. But rival forces were already moving against him. Rosarin, a glamorous actress and covert agent of an opposing faction, secretly enlisted Tiger Bai and Tiger Dam, offering them a fortune to bring down the regime. Meanwhile, Tiger Mahesuan, posing as a journalist, uncovered a web of corruption that drew him deep into the blood-soaked conflict.
"Now, the hunt begins, Tigers against Tigers, in a war of loyalty, greed, and survival. Their claws, bullets, and beauty are laced with dark sorcery.
"This is a land of bandits, an age when leaders built nations for their own gain, and ordinary people had nowhere to turn. Armed gangs rose under the banners of justice, rebellion, or pure survival.
"Their power, born of blood and black magic, would earn them a name whispered in fear and legend: 4 TIGERS."
Even though Belgium just soundly defeated the U.S. Men's Team in the World Cup -- grrr! --- I do not hold it against the fine people of Belgium. Indeed, I am happy to recommend Heysel 85 in the early evening time slot.
Directed by Teodora Mihai (who was born in Romania), the film's description fits the tenor of our times: "When violence erupts before the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus at Brussels' Heysel Stadium, killing 39 people, the mayor's daughter and a journalist with Italian roots are drawn into the heart of the tragedy, caught between professional duty, family loyalty, and moral responsibility."
Staying on the World Cup theme, I can think of no finer way to celebrate the sport than Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer in the open air -- and absolutely without charge (i.e. free!).
Go! Have fun! Cheer for your favorites!
Since you're already at the Open Air theatre, and already in a World Cup frame of mind, why not stay and enjoy Goal of the Dead? Here's the official synopsis:
"Paris Olympique is playing Capelongue in Northeast France. It is a routine fixture for the famous club, but a major event for the village. On match day, things get crowded, sweaty and loud. Is it just the intensity of the ultras or the emergence of an unknown, highly contagious infection? A love letter to eighties exploitation cinema."
Have fun today! Stay hydrated!
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.