Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival

The Gérardmer Festival: Heir to Avoriaz, Capital of the Fantastic

Founded in 1994 by Lionel Chouchan, the Gérardmer International Fantastic Film Festival took over from the mythical Avoriaz Film Festival (1973-1993) to become the most prestigious European festival dedicated to fantastic cinema. Located in the heart of the Vosges, on the shores of Lake Gérardmer, it transforms this tourist resort into the true world capital of genre film every winter.

A Demanding and Eclectic Program

The festival offers a rigorous official selection including feature and short films in competition, exclusive previews, films out of competition, and a thematic retrospective renewed each year. Screenings take place in several emblematic venues in the town: the Espace Lac, the Casino Cinema, the Maison de la Culture et des Loisirs, and the Paradiso. Each edition highlights a national cinematography or a major genre filmmaker.

A Reference-Setting Award List

The festival's Grand Prix has honored cult films such as Let the Right One In by Tomas Alfredson, The Others by Alejandro Amenábar, The Descent by Neil Marshall, Midsommar by Ari Aster, and Titane by Julia Ducournau. The jury, chaired each year by a cinema personality, also awards a Jury Prize, a Critics' Prize, an Audience Award, and the Grand Est Region Young Jury Prize.

A Popular Event Rooted in its Territory

Beyond the screenings, the festival animates the entire town of Gérardmer with its famous Zombie Walk, quirky late-night screenings, a fantastic short story competition, masterclasses, and meetings with directors. The event attracts tens of thousands of festival-goers each year and is a major economic and tourist driver for the Vosges region during the winter. The audience's conviviality and the snowy mountain setting give the festival a unique warm atmosphere in the international film festival landscape.

2025 Edition: Ghosts and Spirits

The 32nd edition, from January 29 to February 2, 2025, explored the theme of ghosts and spirits with a dedicated retrospective and a focus on Vietnamese horror cinema. The Grand Prix was awarded to In a Violent Nature by Chris Nash (Canada). The Jury Prize was awarded ex-aequo to Exhuma by Jang Jae-hyun (South Korea) and Rumours by Guy Maddin (Canada). The Audience Award went to Oddity by Damian Mc Carthy (Ireland).