With preparations under way for its landmark 40th edition, FIFF, the Fribourg International Film Festival, announces the theme of the Genre Cinema section, opens Audience Choice voting and unveils its new visuals. As the title Merci Maman! suggests, the Genre Cinema section explores the portrayal of mothers and motherhood in film and pays tribute to the co-founder and 'mother' of the Festival, Magda Bossy. The Audience Choice section gives the public the chance to vote for their favourite movies in this genre from a longlist of 50. Finally, as part of its anniversary celebrations, FIFF reveals its new visual identity. The flower-themed design symbolises the diversity of filmmaking over the last four decades and the enduring power of cinema to bring people together. FIFF's 40th edition will run from 20th to 29th March 2026.
'Merci Maman!': Mothers in film, a study in tenderness, resolve and strength
This year, the Genre Cinema section turns its spotlight on the universal theme of motherhood, as seen through the lens of filmmakers from around the world. Entitled Merci Maman!, which can be read sincerely or sarcastically, the section explores the many faces of motherhood in film: single mums; courageous women juggling their professional and private lives; women faced with deeply personal dilemmas; adoptive mothers and two-mum families, to name but a few. Mothers became a much more visible presence in films made during the post-World War II era. Since then, mother-centric movies have become a permanent fixture in international sales catalogues and major festival programmes.
This showcase of cinematic motherhood in all its complexities and richness is also an ode to the 'mother of the Festival', Magda Bossy. In 1980, this champion of the arts, who hails originally from Egypt, laid the foundations for an event which, even after 40 editions, has never lost its spirit of openness and discovery and continues to platform the major themes of contemporary world cinema. For the Festival's artistic director Thierry Jobin, "Paying homage to on-screen mothers also means honouring those who give birth to projects and institutions. Without Magda Bossy's incredible work, FIFF would simply not exist."
'Audience Choice': films chosen by the public
Every year, the Audience Choice section gives the public the opportunity to vote for their favourite vintage and modern classics. They have until the end of October to peruse the longlist of 50 films on the Merci Maman! theme and pick the ones they would like to see. The five films which receive the most votes overall will be screened during the Festival. The longlist includes comedies from the 1980s like Baby Boom (1987) by Charles Shyer and starring Diane Keaton; portrayals of strong, resilient women like Erin Brockovich (2000) by Steven Soderbergh featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Julia Roberts, and Ada McGrath, played by Holly Hunter, in Jane Campion's The Piano (1993). There are also movies with equally memorable but much darker maternal figures like the unsettling voice of Norman Bate's mother in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) or the abusive adoptive mother played by Faye Dunaway in Frank Perry's Mommie Dearest (1981). The choice of films reflects cinema's ever-shifting interpretation of the mother figure, which runs the gamut from caricature to glorification but always leaves an imprint on our collective memory. [[Voting is open until 31st October:
Flower-themed visuals to mark 40 editions of FIFF
With six months to go before FIFF 2026 officially begins, the Festival unveils the new visual identity for its landmark 40th edition, which will appear across the city of Fribourg and the wider region. Created by the Fribourg agency volontiers and its director Victor Ramalho, the design features flowers from around the world, which have been photographed to look like movie star portraits. Each flower, through its unique origins and symbolism, reflects the cultural diversity of the Festival. Against a deep blue background, they become the protagonists of an emotive and universal gallery. "A film is like a flower: it opens up little by little. It catches the light, reveals nuance, and awakens emotions. This metaphor perfectly expresses what FIFF has accomplished over its 40 editions: transforming the seemingly immutable into a field of possibilities", the graphic designer explains. The new flower-themed design will adorn the Festival's key art, communication channels, materials, and scenography. Even the Festival trophies have been reimagined so that they can be presented to the winning filmmakers like a bouquet of flowers.
©2026 FIFF40 – Concept : volontiers / Photo : Adrien Perritaz
The full programme for the 40th FIFF (20th–29th March 2026) will be announced on 4th March 2026.
