Preview: BIFFF 2026 - The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
- Dirk Vandereyken
- Feb 19
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
Preview: BIFFF 2026
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
April 3-18, 2026, Brussels Expo (Palais 10)
There are only a few events that this journalist marks in his calendar every single year – multi-day happenings I simply would not want to miss. The Cannes Film Festival is one of them, as are Paris Fashion Week, Essen Spieltagen, Dragonmeet, UKGE, and – until Donald Trump became president again – Gen Con. For some 34 years now, BIFFF has also belonged on that selective list, a festival I have described in countless articles over the years as the ‘most fun, coolest’ film festival in the world.
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In the past I was more closely involved as a volunteer staff member and never missed a single day, but even now that it has become impossible for me to attend continuously from start to finish, the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival is once again firmly marked in my agenda, and there are sixteen crosses on the calendar at home – one for each day of the festival, which with its 44th edition will not only run longer than ever before, but will also without any doubt once again attract some 50,000 fans of fantasy, horror, science fiction, and cult cinema to Brussels, all eager to explore – and perhaps occasionally even push – the boundaries of imagination and cinematic daring.
Although the full programme will only be revealed on March 16 – as usual just a few weeks before the festival kicks off – a number of titles that will be screened this year have already been announced, along with a whole series of side events that once again look well worth attending.
Code of Conduct
Despite a selection of films that year after year brings together a fascinating range of genres and countries of origin, one of the main reasons to attend the festival remains its unique atmosphere. Those who prefer silence and have a problem with a bit of shouting in the theatre can still find something to their liking at BIFFF by choosing a more serious film, preferably one screened during the afternoon.
However, the majority of visitors are blessed with a huge dose of self-deprecating humour, often combined with an extensive knowledge of fantastic cinema and a whole range of references to other genre movies… and they certainly do not shy away from offering the occasional comment during a screening – something that, at its best moments, can be extremely effective on the audience’s funny bones.
Each screening begins with a short introduction by the moderator, and if guests are present – which is very often the case – a few questions are already asked on stage beforehand. Yet anyone visiting BIFFF for the first time may initially be surprised that the usually impatient audience soon starts calling for a song. It does not matter how famous the guest may be – yes, even big names such as Guillermo Del Toro have had to face this – the regulars want to see someone who can entertain them and, above all, someone who is able to laugh at themselves.
A fairly public secret: guests are warned in advance that the audience will quickly start chanting ‘Une chanson! Une chanson!’ and some even try to prepare themselves – though this does not always work out equally well, often with hilarious results. Anyone who wants to hear more from the guests can always attend the Q&A session that follows the screening.
Next comes the intro film, which allows the audience to warm up by shouting things like ‘Les boules!’ when the Atomium appears (I invariably shout ‘Paris’, though I have no idea whether enough people find that funny), collectively coughing when smoke appears on screen (‘Fumer tue!’ is a typical remark from the audience), advising the carriage on screen to take another direction, or howling like a werewolf when the full moon appears (which, incidentally, happens with every film), and so on. It immediately sets the tone for what is to come.
Anyone even slightly sharp-minded will quickly notice: most of the shouting happens in French. Usually, however, it consists of rather simple words and catchphrases, and even those with only a very basic knowledge of Voltaire’s language will quickly get the hang of it. Thus there is ‘La porte!’ when a character forgets to close a door (and also when someone enters the theatre late), and ‘Derrière toi!’ when the killer appears and is not immediately noticed.
Anyone who has been attending BIFFF for a while will undoubtedly have a number of favourite anecdotes about things shouted in the theatre, such as the man who once managed to shout ‘Mais où est Spock?’ from beginning to end during a Star Trek film, or that memorable martial arts movie in which – well… – kung fu masters in the style of the Pied Piper of Hamelin lead zombies (clearly actors with white paint or talcum powder on their faces) away by playing flutes… while those zombies follow them hopping like rabbits (though on two legs).
The film was screened during the legendary Night, and every time the screen briefly went black near the end the audience cheered – until it turned out the film still had quite some time left, provoking cries such as ‘Noooon! Pitié!’ and ‘Tenez bon, les gens!’ In other words, even a bad film can result in a wonderfully entertaining experience.
The most enjoyable thing about all that shouting is that it always relates to the film itself: it is not random chatter, nor irritating conversations between audience members about things unrelated to what is happening on screen. As a result, it usually contributes to the experience rather than distracting from it – you really have to experience it yourself to fully understand.
Much as we enjoy audience participation, as mentioned earlier not every film lends itself to it, and if recent history is anything to go by, Silent Screenings will probably be organised again for those whose ears are a little too sensitive or who simply cannot appreciate a bit of lively audience interaction during a film screening.
Extra Activities
From March 16 onward we will know more, but it is already almost certain that a whole range of side events will be organised again this year. Various forms of art related to the fantastic genre are a given, but the traditional make-up contest, the bodypainting contest, and family screenings will most likely also be present.
Absolutely not to be missed: the Night – a marathon of four late-night films that only ends in the early hours of the morning with pastries, fruit juice, tea, and coffee, with visitors pulling out all the stops to amplify the atmosphere even further (think football horns and toilet rolls flying through the air) – and the Bal des Vampires, where hundreds of costumed guests show off their best dance moves, often to music such as darkwave, gothic rock, industrial, EBM, synthpop, alt-rock, and metal.
What We Already Know
At the time of writing, several film titles have already been announced. One of the most striking premieres of this edition will undoubtedly be Corporate Retreat, which will celebrate its world premiere at BIFFF on April 5. The trailer already looks promising and shows how the slick Cliff ( ) takes his girlfriend along to a company outing against her will, but it does not seem to take long before the retreat turns rather bloody.
The fact that the film appears to combine satire, psychological thriller, and survival horror leads us to suspect that Corporate Retreat may well become an instant audience favourite. Several members of the cast and crew are also expected to attend – writer-director Aaron Fisher and actors Alan Ruck (among others Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Speed, Twister, and Star Trek: Generations), Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, Memory of a Killer), and Sasha Lane (American Honey, Utopia, The Crowded Room) will all be present. Make sure to arrive early for the sing-along and the Q&A afterwards!
Also announced: the beautifully shot Spanish horror film Gaua by Paul Urkijo Alijo (who, as far as we are concerned, only makes excellent films filled with pagan rituals, dark magic, and shadowy forests, from Errementari to Dar-Dar and Irati), the hilarious time-travel movie Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, and The Mortuary Assistant, based on the extremely creepy video game of the same name, starring Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire, The Greatest Showman, The Crown, House of Cards, Castle Rock) and Willa Holland (Gossip Girl, The Flash, Arrow).
Much more news coming soon!
More info: www.bifff.net
Text: Dirk Vandereyken
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