Le Maudit Festival

6th Edition — Animals in All Their Forms

The 2025 edition of Maudit Festival explored the theme of animals in all their cinematic forms: "Fun, wild, transformed, from nature, laboratories, or mystical rituals." This theme brought together rare and fascinating works, from classic genre cinema to the most unexpected curiosities.

An Eclectic and Audacious Program

The festival presented a selection of films spanning several decades and continents. The opening night celebrated Italian giallo with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage by Dario Argento (1970), a visual and sensory thriller that launched the career of the transalpine horror master. Wednesday was dedicated to Asian cinema with the very rare Taiwanese film The Fantasy of The Deer Warrior by Chang Ying (1961), a little-known gem blending martial arts and fantasy.

Thursday offered a double feature with The Lair of the White Worm by Ken Russell (1988), a wild adaptation of Bram Stoker, followed by Nowhere by Gregg Araki (1997), a hallucinatory chronicle of Californian youth. Friday featured a memorable marathon with three screenings: Starship Troopers by Paul Verhoeven (1997), a cult militaristic satire, Phase IV by Saul Bass (1974), the legendary graphic designer's only film, and a midnight screening of Gappa by Haruyasu Noguchi (1967), a delirious Japanese kaijū.

Saturday hosted a carte blanche for the Mutoscope short film festival (screening for ages 18+), followed by Nightbreed by Clive Barker (1990) and Ginger Snaps, a cult lycanthropy film. Sunday featured a young audience screening with Soviet animation at Mon Ciné, then Rukus by Brett Hanover (2017) at Le Ciel, a documentary exploring furry culture.

Small Forms and Events

On Friday lunchtime, the "Petites Formes" (Small Forms) screening with free admission offered short films and cinematic shorts, in keeping with the festival's tradition of opening its doors to as many people as possible.

Full Program — 2025 Edition

• Tuesday, January 28, 7 PM — The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento, 1970) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Wednesday, January 29, 7 PM — The Fantasy of The Deer Warrior (Chang Ying, 1961) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Thursday, January 30, 7 PM — The Lair of the White Worm (Ken Russell, 1988) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Thursday, January 30, 9:30 PM — Nowhere (Gregg Araki, 1997) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Friday, January 31, 12 PM-2 PM — Petites Formes (free admission) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Friday, January 31, 7 PM — Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven, 1997) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Friday, January 31, 9:30 PM — Phase IV (Saul Bass, 1974) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Friday, January 31, midnight — Gappa (Haruyasu Noguchi, 1967) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Saturday, February 1, 5 PM — Mutoscope Carte Blanche (short films, 18+ only) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Saturday, February 1, 7 PM — Nightbreed (Clive Barker, 1990) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Saturday, February 1, 9:30 PM — Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000) — Cinéma Juliet Berto
• Sunday, February 2, 10:30 AM — Soviet Animation (young audience) — Mon Ciné, Saint-Martin-d'Hères
• Sunday, February 2, 2 PM — Rukus (Brett Hanover, 2017) — Le Ciel, Grenoble

Highlights of the 2025 Edition

• Theme: Animals — fantastic, mutant, and monstrous creatures at the heart of the program
• Opening with Dario Argento — The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, a giallo masterpiece
• Cult Midnight Screening — Gappa, a rare Japanese kaijū
• Friday Triple Feature — Verhoeven, Saul Bass, and a Japanese giant monster
• Mutoscope Carte Blanche — partner short film festival
• Young Audience Screening — Soviet animation for the little ones
• 6th Edition under the auspices of the Terreur Nocturne association