Pierre-Yves Walder leaves Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival

NIFFF (Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival) and its General and Artistic Director announce the end of their collaboration.

NIFFF announces, in mutual agreement with its General and Artistic Director, Pierre-Yves Walder, the end of their collaboration.

Since his arrival in 2021, Mr Walder has contributed to strengthening NIFFF’s position as a leading festival and to bringing the fantasy genre to a wider audience. The 2025 edition was an exceptional success while highlighting the need to reflect on adapting the organisation’s structure.

The committee thanks Mr Walder for all the work he has accomplished for NIFFF and wishes him every success in his future projects.

Discussions regarding the replacement of Mr Walder will begin shortly and will be conducted at a steady pace, following the recommendations of the commissioned audit. Particular attention will be paid to defining the organisational structures, job descriptions, and the distribution of responsibilities.

Since its creation in 2000, NIFFF has gathered an ever-growing audience – more than 60,000 festival-goers at each edition. It has become an integral part of the cultural landscape of Neuchâtel, Switzerland (it is one of the nine film festivals supported by the Swiss Confederation), and the international scene (over 150 films in competition). The financial results of the 2025 edition are balanced, allowing the next edition to be prepared with confidence.