Few festivals can boast being around for almost a quarter of a century. Even less can do it while being a festival that focuses on weird and wild genre cinema from around the World. Fortunately for the folks at L’Etrange Festival in Paris the World is full of freaks and geeks who love making movies and showing them off to appreciative audience. There is more than enough weird and wild out there to keep the festival going for a long time. 

One year away from turning the big 25 still does not keep this year’s festival from including an incredible lineup of films. The sheer amount of information in the press release below is staggering but we will try to draw some attention to the highlights. 

There is John McPhail’s Anna & The Apocalypse, Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy, Luz from Tilman Singer, The Dark from Justin P.Lange, Climax from Gaspar Noé, and a little hometown pride for Lifechanger from our friend Justin McConnell. Upgrade from Leigh Whannell is a blast as well, don’t miss it. 

We have yet to see May The Devil Take You from Timo Tjahjanto but when has that guy ever led us wrong? And screening of Coffin Joe’s adventures in José Mojica Marins’ Embodiment of Evil accompanied with live music should be awesome as well. For the love of pearl, do not miss out on the NIkkatsu retrospective either! 

The proverbial many more is below. Really it should be many, many, many more. This festival is packed! 

L’ETRANGE FESTIVAL PARIS 2018 24TH EDITION

5-16 SEPTEMBER 2018, FORUM DES IMAGES

September… Return from the summer holidays, dead leaves, depression… It’s also time for the strangest event in France. And fortunately this year’s line-up is more insane than ever!

Now in its 24th year, L’Etrange Festival is a window to the world of unusual, avant-garde and cult films.

Weirdness galore all around: 130 screenings, a bunch of unruly guests — 5 world premieres, 6 international premieres, 40 french premieres, 2 live concerts, 2 wildcards and… and… so much more!

It’s all there for the taking – September 5 to September 16

A 12-day movie madness extravaganza starting with the French Premiere of Donato Sansone’s BAVURE and John McPhail’s ANNA & THE APOCALYPSE (opening night) and culminating with Bodo Kox’s THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC BOX.

9TH INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

After BURIED in 2009, BULLHEAD in 2011, HEADHUNTERS in 2012, THE MAJOR in 2013, THE VOICES in 2014, SCHNEIDER VS. BAX in 2015, HEADSHOT and JEEG ROBOT in 2016 and JUPITER’S MOON in 2017, Canal+Cinéma and L’Etrange Festival join forces again to present the Grand Prix Nouveau Genre. This prize consists in the acquisition of the first-window rights by premium pay-tv channel Canal+ Cinéma. 

Among the films selected are: Omar Rodriguez Lopez’s AMALIA (World Premiere), Zoe Berriatua’s UP AMONG THE STARS (International premiere), Sarah Daggar-Nickson’s A VIGILANTE (European Premiere, Shin’ya Tsukamoto’s KILLING, Erik Matti’s BUYBUST (French Premiere), Lars Von Trier’s THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT (presented by Gaspar Noé) and Alejandro Fadel’s MURDER ME, MONSTER previews and Panos Cosmatos’s MANDY.

The 21 films will also be competing for the Audience Award. And advertising campaign will be offered to the winning film by Canal+ as well. The 2017 Audience Award went to Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra’s GOOD MANNERS

EVENTS INCLUDE UP

Meet some of tomorrow’s finest talents: Zhou Shengwei (SHE), Shazzula for (RHIZOM) or Bruno Moural (KAFOU). All are in attendance.

MONDOVISION

How about a stroll in today’s creative laboratory? Don’t miss the french premiere of Bruno Dumont’s COINCOIN AND THE EXTRA-HUMANS (Bruno Dumont in attendance), Benoît Delépine & Gustave Kervern’s delirious I FEEL GOOD (Benoît Delépine in attendance) and Gaspar Noé’s pulsating CLIMAX (in attendance).

DOCUMENTARIES

Spit, rock’n’roll, dreams, angels, mice and modeling clay… L’Etrange Festival is about to mess your minds and your senses with a selection of wonderfully weird documentaries: Fabrice du Welz’s DES COWBOYS ET DES INDIENS (in attendance), Jean Michel Roux’s ANGEL OF THE NORTH (international premiere) (in attendance) and Sami Saif’s THE ALLINS (French Premiere).

23RD INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

70 short films from every corner of the world will compete for the Grand Prix Canal+ as well as for the Audience Award.

CARTE BLANCHE TO JACKIE BERROYER

France’s most famous telephone operator takes part in L’Etrange Festival. Critic, novelist, director, scriptwriter, Jackie Berroyer offers you a selection that is true to himself: off-the-wall, striking and protean.

CARTE BLANCHE TO PAKITO BOLINO

Make way for Le Dernier Cri‘s extremely “graphic” world! A world that is pure raw art: brutal, provocative, yet joyful… and free. As part of the collective’s celebration of its 25th anniversary, the members of Le Dernier Cri have chosen to highlight some of Pakito Bolino’s more avant-garde works.

FOCUS ADILKHAN YERZHANOV

Adilkhan Yerzhanov is a true maverick – in the first and best sense of the word. He knows how to shake his country’s (Kazakhstan) cinematic and political foundations to its very ground. As the father of «cinema partisan», his body of work is a mesmerizing and obsessive jigsaw puzzle.

FOCUS SHAHRAM MOKRI

Shahram Mokri might be Iran’s most stimulating and exhilarating contemporary film director. His work is a fascinating mirror play that will make you forget about stylistic or narrative conventions!

8MM HACHIMIRI MADNESS

Full of rage, sound, spit and fury, jishu eiga appeared in japan at the end of the 70s thanks to 8mm, young directors were able to create outrageous, provocative and self-produced pieces of art.

NIKKATSU EXTRAVAGANZA!

When Japan’s oldest and most renowned production company decides to release some of its back-catalogue treasures you can expect marvels. This side-bar programme includes: mythical actresses, mavericks, bad girls, crazy antics and never- before-seen oddities!

L’ETRANGE’S LITTLE WONDERS

A specialized selection of films you haven’t heard of before but absolutely need and want to discover. This year, honors go to Claude Mulot’s THE BLOOD LETTING (presented by Stéphane Bouyer, founder of the quintessential DVD label Le Chat qui fume).

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

3 films. 3 special guests. 3 special presentations. Enough said! Gaspar Noé presents Uli Edel’s CHRISTIANE F., Jean- Jacques Hocquard presents Armand Gatti’s EL OTRO CRISTÒBAL, Robert Cordier presents Robert Cordier’s INJUN FENDER.

L’ÉTRANGE MUSIQUE

A screening with live music under the sign of the Devil. Anvil FX,the Brazilian duo composed with Paulo Beto and Biba Graeff will give us the pleasure to reinterpret, in a flamboyant way, Coffin Joe’s adventures in José Mojica Marins’s EMBODIMENT OF EVIL. Ahead of this event, Pakito Bolino and his musicians will perform live for the striking world premiere of MONDO DC. Come shiver and quiver.

L’ETRANGE FESTIVAL PARIS 2018 24TH EDITION

COMPLETE LINE-UP

OPENING PERFORMANCE

BAVURE (Donato Sansone) + ANNA & THE APOCALYPSE (John McPhail) French Premiere / John McPhail in attendance

CLOSING FILM

THE MAN WITH THE MAGIC BOX (Bodo Kox) French Premiere / Bodo Kox in attendance

UNRELEASED AND PREVIEWS

International competition

Nouveau Genre Award (with Canal+Cinéma) + Audience Award

AMALIA – Omar Rodriguez Lopez World Premiere

UTOYA 22 – Erik Poppe French Premiere

MURDER ME, MONSTER – Alejandro Fadel

THE SPY GONE NORTH – Yoon Jong-bin

MANDY – Panos Cosmatos

LUZ – Tilman Singer French Premiere

LIFE GUIDANCE – Ruth Mader French Premiere

UP AMONG THE STARS – Zoe Berriatua International Premiere

THE NIGHTSHIFTER – Dennison Ramalho French Premiere

DACHRA – Abdelhamid Bouchnak French Premiere

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT – Lars von Trier Preview / Introduced by Gaspar Noé

PERFECT SKIN – Kevin Chicken French Premiere / Kevin Chicken in attendance

ANNA & THE APOCALYPSE – John McPhail French Premiere / John McPhail in attendance

SCHOOL’S OUT – Sébastien Marnier French Premiere / Crew in attendance

15 MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU – Timo Tjahjanto French Premiere

PERFECT – Eddie Alcazar French Premiere

A VIGILANTE – Sarah Daggar-Nickson European Premiere

THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL – Collectif French Premiere

KILLING – Shin’ya Tsukamoto French Premiere

BUYBUST – Erik Matti French Premiere

THE DARK – Justin P.Lange French Premiere

UNRELEASED-PREVIEWS (Hors compétition)

UP-AND-COMERS

KAFOU – Bruno Mourral / Bruno Mourral and crew in attendance

+ LA CASA LOBO de Joaquin Cocina & Cristobal Laon

SHE – Zhou Shengwei International Premiere / Zhou Shengwei in attendance

RHIZOM – Shazzula World Premiere / Shazzula in attendance

LIFECHANGER – Justin McConnell French Premiere

MONDOVISION

DIAMANTINO – Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt

VIOLENCE VOYAGER – Ujicha

UPGRADE – Leigh Whannell French Premiere

DUKUN – Dain Said French Premiere

FRIG – Antony Hickling French Premiere / Antony Hickling and crew in attendance

LIVERLEAF – Eisuke Naito French Premiere

CLIMAX – Gaspar Noé Preview / Gaspar Noé in attendance

COINCOIN AND THE EXTRA-HUMANS – Bruno Dumont French Premiere / Bruno Dumont in attendance

I FEEL GOOD – Benoît Delépine & Gustave Kervern Preview / Benoît Delépine in attendance

FAGS IN THE FAST LINE – Josh Sinbad Collins French Premiere

DOCUMENTARIES

DES COWBOYS ET DES INDIENS – Fabrice du Welz / Crew in attendance

ANGEL OF THE NORTH – Jean Michel Roux International Premiere / Jean Michel Roux in attendance

THE ALLINS – Sami Saif French Premiere

MONSTER SHOW

23rd INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

CORPSE BOULEVARD

GRAND CHAOS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

GOD’S SEX

ALL INSANE!

PICTURES FOR A ZOO

CARTE BLANCHE TO JACKIE BERROYER

All screenings are introduced by Jackie Berroyer

COLD MOON – Patrick Bouchitey

EXOTICA – Atom Egoyan

VENGEANCE IS MINE – Shoei Imamura

DOUBLE GENTLEMEN – Jean-François Stévenin

CLONK – Bertrand Lenclos + MISSION SOCRATE – Bertrand Lenclos & Jackie Berroyer + surprise World Premiere

CARTE BLANCHE TO PAKITO BOLINO – DERNIER CRI 25TH ANNIVERSARY

All screenings are introduced by Pakito Bolino

MONDO DC (Cf. L’Étrange Musique) World Premiere

UNDERGRONDE – Francis Vadillo + DEARRAINDROP – Billy Grant + 2UP:BLOCK/2UP: PHOBIA – Tetsunori Tawaraya + SGURE/SGURE OX/ DJ RAINBOW: EJACULATION…/MUSCLE PARK – Sekitani Norihiro

RED & ROSY – Frank Grow + MATT KONTURE, L’ÉTHIQUE DU SOUTERRAIN – Francis Vadillo

FISH & CAT

INVASION French Premiere

FOCUS SHAHRAM MOKRI

All screenings are introduced by Shahram Mokri

FOCUS ADILKHAN YERZHANOV

All screenings are introduced by Adilkhan Yerzhanov

NIGHT GOD International Premiere

THE PLAGUE AT THE KARATAS VILLAGE

THE OWNERS

CONSTRICTORS French Premiere + THE STORY OF KAZAKH CINEMA International Premiere

REALTORS French Premiere

THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD

8MM HACHIMIRI MADNESS-JAPANESE INDIES FROM THE PUNK YEARS

THE ISOLATION OF 1/880000 – Sogo Ishii + THE ADVENTURE OF DENCHU-KOZO – Shin’ya Tsukamoto

I AM SION SONO!! – Sono Sion + TOKYO CABBAGEMAN K – Akira Ogata French Premiere

SAINT TERRORISM – Yamamoto Masashi French Premiere

HANASARERU GANG – Suwa Nobuhiro French Premiere

A MAN’S FLOWER ROAD – Sono Sion French Premiere

HAPPINESS AVENUE – Hirano Katsuyuki French Premiere

UNK – Makoto Tezuka + HIGH-SCHOOL-TERROR – Makozo Tezuka + THE RAIN WOMEN – Shinobu Yaguchi (French Premiere)

NIKKATSU EXTRAVANGANZA!

BLIND WOMAN’S CURSE – Teruo Ishii French Premiere

LES TUEUSES EN COLLANTS NOIRS – Yasuharu Hasebe

The Woman Gambler trilogy:

THE CAT GAMBLER – Haruyasu Noguchi French Premiere

WOMAN GAMBLER – Haruyasu Noguchi French Premiere

REVENGE OF THE WOMAN GAMBLER – Haruyasu Noguchi French Premiere

The Stray Cat Rock trilogy:

FEMALE BOSS – Yasuharu Hasebe French Premiere

WILD JUMBO – Toshiya Fujita French Premiere

BOULEVARD DES CHATTES SAUVAGES – Yasuharu Hasebe

MACHINE ANIMAL – Yasuharu Hasebe French Premiere

BEAT ’71 – Toshiya Fujita French Premiere

RETOUR DE FLAMME

Special E. A. Poe programm Introduced by Serge Bromberg :

THE TELL TALE HEART – Charles Klein & Leon Shomroy

LE CRIME DU DOCTEUR CRESPI – John H. Auer

RACHMANINOFF’S PRELUDE – Castleton Knight

THE HOSPITAL – Arthur Hiller

L’ETRANGE’S LITTLE WONDERS

THE BLOOD LETTING – Claude Mulot New copy introduced by Stéphane Bouyer

FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES – Toshio Matsumoto New copy

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

EL OTRO CRISTÒBAL – Armand Gatti New copy introduced by Jean-Jacques Hocquard

INJUN FENDER – Robert Cordier Introduced by Director

CHRISTIANE F. – Uli Edel Introduced by Gaspar Noé

L’ÉTRANGE MUSIQUE

MONDO DC Musical creation – Le Dernier Cri World Premiere

EMBODIMENT OF EVIL – Jose Mojica Marins – live score by Anvil FX