Culture & Art

Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) 2026: 32nd edition in Geneva, 30 October to 8 November

  • Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 8, 2026
  • Geneva

About the event

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) holds its 32nd edition from 30 October to 8 November 2026, with a programme of films, series and immersive experiences.

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Founded in 1995, GIFF was one of the first festivals in the world to include television in its programme. Its professional strand, GIFF PRO, devoted to audiovisual innovation, runs from 3 to 6 November 2026, with the Nuit Numérique on 4 November. The programme is announced on 8 October 2026.

The Prix Film & Beyond 2026, given to an interdisciplinary artist for a whole career, goes to the producer and director Mira Nair. She discusses her practice in a moderated talk at the Théâtre Pitoëff on 31 October 2026, and a selection of her works is shown throughout the festival; the tribute is organised with the Cinémathèque suisse and HEAD – Genève. The Tales of Swiss Innovation section is dedicated to Exit Void, a Geneva collective of independent filmmakers founded in 2015 by Emral Kadriov, Birdjan Kadriov and Alessandro Bucolo, whose music videos are screened in the presence of the collective's members.

A focus on the screenwriter Fanny Herrero, creator of the series Dix pour cent and Drôle, brings episodes of both series, the feature Dix pour cent, le film, and a moderated talk. The first titles of the Highlights section are Club Kid, the first feature by Jordan Firstman, Look Back by Kore-eda Hirokazu in its Swiss premiere, and a new work by the digital artist Mélanie Courtinat.

This year the Pop TV programme is devoted to the music video, in two parts: one, conceived with Flux Laboratory, looks at the choreographers Damien Jalet, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Marion Motin; the other, with the Tourne-Films Festival Lausanne (TFFL), traces the history of the Swiss music video.

Swiss works appear across the main sections. Les Indes by Nicolas Chapoulier and Pauline Julier is in the international feature film competition, screened in Swiss premiere with the filmmakers present.

The international immersive experiences competition includes Captures by the studio Structurals and Owelle, and Sunset Motel by Gilles Jobin, while Res Natura by Mélanie Courtinat and Julien Mercier competes in Future Is Sensible in its world premiere. Highlights adds Frank & Louis by Petra Volpe, Virages by Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter, the series Placée by Léa Fazer in international premiere, and Future Frontiers by François Moncarey and Grègór Belibi Minya.

Useful details

Good to know

  • Dates: 30 October to 8 November 2026 (32nd edition); GIFF PRO 3 to 6 November; Nuit Numérique 4 November.
  • Venue given in the Ville de Genève listing: Théâtre Pitoëff, Rue de Carouge 52, 1205 Genève; the city listing marks it as not accessible by wheelchair.
  • Hours: the Ville de Genève listing gives 10h to 22h for each listed festival day.
  • Early Bird pass: 110 CHF instead of 165 CHF, on sale until 7 October 2026 at midnight; it covers all screenings and conferences of the festival, and GIFF PRO except private activities.
  • All screenings are by reservation; ticketing opens on 8 October 2026, the day the programme is revealed.
  • GIFF PRO conferences are open to the public; the Swiss Series Storytelling Award (CHF 20'000, for a documentary series) is presented at the GIFF PRO closing event on 5 November at the maison communale de Plainpalais.

Lineup

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Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a Thai filmmaker, film producer, visual artist and Professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo.More

Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Apichatpong has directed several features and dozens of short films.

Abel Ferrara

Abel Ferrara is an American filmmaker, actor and musician.More

Closely associated with the independent film movement in the United States, he is known for his provocative and often-controversial films which use and redefine neo-noir imagery.

Peter Greenaway

Peter Greenaway is a British filmmaker and visual artist.

Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook is a South Korean filmmaker and former film critic.More

Widely regarded as a leading figure in South Korean and 21st-century world cinema, he is known for films that blend crime, mystery, and thriller elements with other genres.

Woodkid

Yoann Lemoine, known professionally as Woodkid, is a French music video director, graphic designer, composer, and singer-songwriter.

Riad Sattouf

Riad Sattouf is a French cartoonist, comic artist, and film director.More

Sattouf is best known for his graphic memoir L'Arabe du futur and for his film Les Beaux Gosses.

Alexandre Astier

Alexandre Astier is a French writer, director, editor, scriptwriter, humorist, actor and composer.

Jean-Michel Jarre

Jean-Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and record producer.More

He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient, and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanied by vast laser displays, large projections and fireworks.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Geneva International Film Festival 2026 take place?

The 32nd edition runs from 30 October to 8 November 2026 in Geneva, with films, series and immersive experiences. GIFF PRO, the professional programme, runs from 3 to 6 November.

Who receives the Prix Film & Beyond 2026?

The producer and director Mira Nair. She gives a moderated talk at the Théâtre Pitoëff on 31 October 2026, and a selection of her works is screened during the festival.

What does the Fanny Herrero focus include?

Episodes of her series Dix pour cent and Drôle, the feature Dix pour cent, le film, and a moderated talk with the screenwriter.

Which titles have been announced for the Highlights section?

Club Kid, the first feature by Jordan Firstman; Look Back by Kore-eda Hirokazu, shown in Swiss premiere; and Indulto, the new work by the digital artist Mélanie Courtinat.

How much does a pass cost and when do tickets go on sale?

An Early Bird pass costs 110 CHF instead of 165 CHF until 7 October 2026 at midnight and gives access to all screenings and conferences. Ticketing opens on 8 October 2026, and every screening requires a reservation.

Can the public attend GIFF PRO?

Yes. GIFF PRO is attended by more than 800 image professionals, industry figures and theorists, and its conferences, organised around the themes Gamification of Cinema, Extended Realities, BR.AI.N and Series, are all open to the public. The Nuit Numérique takes place on 4 November.

Which Swiss works are in the 2026 programme?

Les Indes by Nicolas Chapoulier and Pauline Julier in the feature film competition; Captures by Structurals and Owelle and Sunset Motel by Gilles Jobin in the immersive competition; Res Natura by Mélanie Courtinat and Julien Mercier in Future Is Sensible, in world premiere; and in Highlights, Frank & Louis by Petra Volpe, Virages by Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter, Placée by Léa Fazer and Future Frontiers by François Moncarey and Grègór Belibi Minya.

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