In our latest blog post, our Head of Programme, Malin Bergström, shares her love for the one event that captures Brussels at its most bizarre and brilliant: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
Along with the cherry tree blossoming every spring in Brussels, stormy clouds gather near the Atomium with explosive lighting exposing the city to the gothic – the absurd – the scary – the exciting – the monstrous – the tongue-in-cheek – the all bonkers and fabulous – Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, or BIFFF to the locals.
The festival offers two weeks of events celebrating the cultures of horror, thriller and science fiction genres, including some 70+ films (newer and older productions), exhibitions, masterclasses in writing and film, film and book fairs, vampire balls, with content for kids as well as adults – and perhaps most importantly, content for the kids within us. Over its 43 years the festival has grown immensely, inviting large name directors and producers from all over the world, and has created a wonderful sense of unity in its audience who are all there to not only enjoy the films shown, but to revel in the quirkiness of the festival’s approach of film viewing together. It makes each film viewing a completely unique experience. Imagine a full cinema room where people loudly joke at the movie, cheer when the baddies meet their destruction, and follow visual cues LOUDLY – such as meowing when cats appear and howling if the film shows the moon. Watching a scary film has never been this fun!
“Here we are, all together, laughing evil in the face.”
When I was first introduced to the festival soon after arriving in the city, I was immediately drawn to the colourful and comics-like posters and the vast selection of films. Being a child of the 80s and 90s in the Finnish countryside, I grew up with horror films and coloured my life by them – I longed for the ensemble dynamic of kids going on adventures, finding treasures, looking for dead bodies, fighting foes that the adults cannot see (admittedly, I’m still super creeped out by clowns). I was particularly drawn to the friendships born in the face of evil, and perhaps in a sense I still colour my life with friendships and unity while dealing with the evils of the world. As a child, I stood up against the grim monsters on the screen stubbornly, hiding the fact that the films indeed were quite scary to me. These days I rarely get through a horror film without covering my eyes and I absolutely detest jump-scares. That’s where film viewing experiences such as the ones at BIFFF brings me back to the adventures of my youth – because here we are, all together, laughing evil in the face. A room of strangers turns into a gang of kids for 90 minutes or so, achieving that sense of effortless belonging we can see in the films, and it all happens without us having to move out of our chairs.
I look forward to BIFFF every spring, more so than to the cherry trees.
To me, BIFFF is something that is quintessentially Brussels. It’s silly, vast, and over the top, in the best way. The coming together and cheering of audience in a room, that normally is expected to keep quiet demonstrates this Brusselian sense of protest and determination of joy, where anyone can voice their thoughts, or simply enjoy the comments of others. And as I joined in at the opening ceremony this year, I was happy to see how the festival takes care of its moviegoers – we perhaps are somewhat of a niche audience, but here the focus on Safer Spaces and inclusive behaviour is emphasised stronger than what I’ve seen in any other cultural event. We are all united to overcome the monsters that surround us, be they imaginary or real threats (and for goodness sake, we have plenty of those), even if it is only for a moment, in the darkness of the cinema. This marrying of realities and the absurd can only be achieved in a city like Brussels – a unique city, with a unique people protesting in the shadows of evil. And I look forward to BIFFF every spring, more so than to the cherry trees.
https://www.tiktok.com/@finncultblx/video/7493481151873502486?_r=1&_t=ZN-8vYE2Gc3tEE
Practical Info
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF)
Dates & Time: BIFFF takes place 8.-20.4.2025
Location: Heysel Brussel Expo, Palais 10
Accessibility: The spaces in Heysel Brussel Expo are equipped for people with reduced mobility. For more information please contact the BIFFF team.
After Us, the Flood / Jälkeemme vedenpaisumus (2024) directed by Arto Halonen.
Dates & Time: 17.4.2025, 19:00 CET
Country: Finland
Audio: Finnish
Subtitles: EN / FR / NL
Running time: 96′
Genre(s): romantic comedy, science-fiction, time travel
Audience: 16+
Competition(s): International
Tickets
Cover image provided by BIFFF.