– The main award has gone to the unconventional ghost story by Dave Boyle, while You Are the Film won over the audience; Nightborn and Pinocchio: Unstrung also got some love
The Méliès jury (Aline Magrez and Gregory Zalcman) and BIFFF’s Chris Orgelt presenting the Silver Méliès for Best European Feature Film for Nightborn by Hanna Bergholm (© Pierre-Yves Jortay/BIFFF)
The 44th edition of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) ran from 3-18 April in Brussels. The decision to rearrange the festival so that it would last three weeks, theoretically enabling every visitor to watch all of the films, paid off: festival attendance went up by almost 30% compared to 2025, thanks to an increase from 45,600 to nearly 60,000 visitors – undoubtedly a sign that demand for film and culture is peaking. There were other impressive statistics, too: more than 7,000 litres of beer were consumed over the course of the gathering. On 18 April, the event’s main competitions wrapped up with an awards ceremony.
The three main prizes were handed out by an international jury consisting of actress Tuppence Middleton (Sense8, The Imitation Game), producer and film editor Michael Doherty (Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead), Belgian actress and screenwriter Daphné Huynh (Wallifornia Dreamin’), and Norwegian writer-director Thea Hvistendahl (Handling the Undead). The Golden Raven was presented to Dave Boyle’s Never After Dark. The Japanese ghost story is about a travelling medium who specialises in helping the spirits of the dead cross over. When she receives a request to rid a remote Japanese hotel of an unwanted spirit, however, things do not go according to plan.
The Silver Raven was shared between two films: Matt Johnson’s Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie and Hoon-jung Park’s Tristes Tropiques. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a Canadian time-travel mockumentary in which Johnson and his co-writer, Jay McCarrol, star as fictionalised versions of themselves. They play a musical duo called Nirvanna the Band, who are trying to fulfil their dream of performing at a legendary Toronto club. However, they accidentally travel back in time to the beginning of their careers.
The Silver Méliès for Best European Feature Film went to Hanna Bergholm’s Nightborn. The body-horror flick deals with postpartum depression, and illustrates how this insidious and often unrecognised disorder can destroy a family. The film premiered at the 2026 Berlinale. The Méliès jury, which consisted of Belgian director Aline Magrez, Belgian producer Gregory Zalcman and Cineuropa director Valerio Caruso, also gave a Special Mention to Pinocchio: Unstrung by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, in honour of its unconventional take on the horror genre and its attention to detail.
As in previous years, the BIFFF presented a variety of awards in several different categories. The Black Raven category, which recognises the best thriller, showcased the potential of Kazakh cinema: the Black Raven statuette went to Sicko by Aitore Zholdaskali. The movie, which screened at IFFR earlier this year, centres on a cash-strapped couple embroiled in a toxic web of social media, violent criminality and spiralling greed. Fellow Kazakh film Zhaza by Darkhan Tulegenov received a Special Mention.
The White Raven is the accolade intended for films that are the most unconventional, revolutionary and challenging to categorise. This year, Makoto Ueda‘s You Are the Film won the award, and there was a Special Mention for Yesterday Island by Australian director Sam Voutas. The former is a quirky ode to the silver screen, reminiscent of The Truman Show, and it also received the Audience Award. Meanwhile, the Critics’ Prize went to Yesterday Island.
The closing title was Obsession by Curry Barker. It tells the story of a lonely geek who uses a magic wish to make his crush fall in love with him, only to face sinister consequences when his heart’s desire is granted. The final evening concluded with the traditional Bal des Vampires costume party.
Here is the full list of award winners:
International Feature Film Competition
Golden Raven
Never After Dark – Dave Boyle (Japan)
Silver Raven (ex-aequo)
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie – Matt Johnson (Canada)
Tristes Tropiques – Hoon-jung Park (South Korea)
European Feature Film Competition
Silver Méliès
Nightborn – Hanna Bergholm (Finland/Lithuania/France/UK)
Special Mention
Pinocchio: Unstrung – Rhys Frake-Waterfield (UK)
Black Raven Competition (thrillers)
Black Raven
Sicko – Aitore Zholdaskali (Kazakhstan)
Special Mention
Zhaza – Darkhan Tulegenov (Kazakhstan)
White Raven Competition (radical/innovative films)
White Raven
You Are the Film – Makoto Ueda (Japan)
Special Mention
Yesterday Island – Sam Voutas (Australia)
Emerging Raven Competition
Emerging Raven
Mārama – Taratoa Stappard (New Zealand)
Special Mention
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant – Thunderlips (New Zealand)
Critics’ Prize
Yesterday Island – Sam Voutas
Audience Award
You Are the Film – Makoto Ueda
Short films
Best International Short Film
The Quinta’s Ghost – James A Castillo (Spain)
Silver Méliès for Best European Short Film
Señuelo – Martha G Ayerbe (Spain)
Belgian Competition Grand Prix
Drosera – Boris Tilquin, Maud Carpentier (Belgium)
Special Mention
Once in a Full Moon – Bande James Bond (Belgium)
BeTv Award
The Immaculates – Baptiste Pelletier, Emile Devetter (Belgium)
Cinergie Award
The Bear’s River – Anaïs Mauzat (Belgium)
Youth Jury Award
Drosera – Boris Tilquin, Maud Carpentier
Special Mention
Home Sweet Home – Emile Devetter, Nicola Florin (Belgium)
