Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival Reviews and Interviews 2023

This year's NIFFF was quite intently focused on Asian cinema. It was not only the retrospective of Katsuhito Ishii, but also the Asian competition, with “Marry My Dead Body” receiving the Audience Award and the fact that Nuhash Humayun's “Foreigners Only” won both the Youth Award and the Audience Award for Best Short Film. Most of all, however, because “Tiger Stripes” was the winner of the Grant Award, the H.R. Giger “Narcisse” for Best Feature. Even UK-produced, “Raging Grace”, which won two awards, has Filipino Max Eigenmann as its protagonist.

Our coverage includes interviews with the person of honor (Ishii) along with the big winner Amanda Nell Eu and Anurag Kashyap, whose film “Kennedy” also screened.

You can check the full articles by clicking on the titles

Film Review: Tiger Stripes (2023) by Amanda Nell Eu

The metaphor for the body changes women experience when their puberty begins is quite palpable in the movie, with Eu even playing with the blood associated with menstruation, in a way that manages to be both realistic and part of the horror aspect of the movie. As many people (also according to the director) consider teenage girls overly emotional, crazy or hysterical, she decides to play with the whole concept, by having such a girl transforming into such a monster, additionally generating hysteria to the rest of the girls in the school, as one of the most memorable scenes in the movie highlights. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Interview with Amanda Nell Eu

Film Review: River (2023) by Junta Yamaguchi

“River” is a film that shows that creativity can be accomplished on a low budget. There are commendable filmmaking efforts paired with excellent writing. The concept of people trapped in a two-minute time loop is creative. It makes for an entertaining experience to see these characters handle it while communicating with one another, along with funny humor. With each reset, the situation becomes far more drastic as it takes a toll on the folks affected, which does help add stakes and intensity to the story. It helps that sci-fi elements are creatively done through filmmaking techniques with precise editing and cinematography. (Sean Barry)

FIlm Review: Marry My Dead Body (2022) by Cheng Wei-hao

This aspect owes a lot to three particular components. Although the relationship between Ming-han and Mao Mao is expectedly bumpy at the beginning, with the latter actually taking over the body of the former on occasion with tragicomical results, their interactions eventually help both the deceased to understand better what exactly was going on with his life and to deal it with the help of his ‘hubby', who also realizes the mistake of his homophobic ways. That this prejudice is presented as actually going both ways is definitely another rather smart element in the whole context here. In that fashion, the way both protagonists move beyond their preconceptions, eventually becoming close friends, is one of the best aspects of the narrative, despite the fact that the slapstick humor deriving from the absurdness of the relationship actually carries on throughout the movie. This component also benefits the most by the acting, with Greg Hsu and Ming-han and Austin Lin as Mao Mao giving rather convincing performances, also showcasing a very rewarding chemistry. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Interview with Anurag Kashyap

Film Review: Mad Fate (2023) by Soi Cheang

Implementing the usual chaos that characterized similar Hong Kong movies in the past, Soi Cheang creates a pastiche that includes a number of genre elements in an evident effort to entertain. The Taoism of the Master, the murderous intent of Siu-tung, who does want to escape his fate though, the torturous cruelty of The Murderer, and the sense of justice peppered with an intense lack of objectivity regarding the rehabilitation of criminals, create an explosive amalgam that carries the movie for the majority of its duration. Add to that a bit of comedy, particularly through the Master's shenanigans and the way he becomes friends with the knives-obsesses Siu-tung, a bit of (melo) drama regarding their past, and an intense sense of agony on how the whole thing will end and you have the penultimate genre movie. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Animation Review: Deep Sea (2023) by Tian Xiaopeng

The stunning visuals will be the first aspect to hook and reel in watchers. Fine details such as particulates and skin pores only scratch the surface of the film's rich imagery. The eye-catching, beautifully saturated hues draw the viewer into a fantasyland that at times appears like a painting brought to life. However, just as effectively, the world can become a murky landscape. Whether it be in wonder of ocean life or fear of the deep, the visuals seep with the sense of the sea. This extends to the animation as well. Nanhe moves with fluid grace. In addition, the ocean inhabitants' facial features contort and exaggerate to accentuate expressions. In effect, every inch of the imagery consults attributes of water as the guiding design philosophy, crafting a strong visual unity. (Aaron Hinojosa)

Film Review: Bhediya (2022) by Amar Kaushik

One of the finer aspects here is a solid and engaging atmosphere brought about by director Kaushik's mixing of comedy with a stern ecological message. The lighthearted atmosphere allows this one to be filled with an innumerable amount of sight gags, slapstick humor, and visual features surrounding the gradual transformation, which helps to make Bhaskari's condition more relatable as time goes on. Far more than just being a simple klutz or the clumsy oaf most would assume, the focus goes on simply performing outrageous slapstick sequences filled with the opportunity to offer up snarky jokes and comebacks about the situation. This continues nicely with the influx of constant wordplay and rapid-fire jokes emitted, which keep everything light and generally fun enough, revolving around everything from misunderstood local customs to misinterpretations and the absurdity of the situation. (Don Anelli)