Aside from its international competitions, FIFF offers each year six or seven sections which celebrate cinema from all around the world.
Below you will find the first parallel sections of FIFF 2026.
The next parallel sections of FIFF 2026 will be announced over the coming months. The complete programme will be revealed on Wednesday 4th March 2026.
GENRE CINEMA (I): 'Merci Maman!'
Presentation
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.
GENRE CINEMA (II) : Audience choice
Presentation
For the sixth consecutive year, FIFF is the only festival that allows its audience to choose the films in one section. Fifty classics paying tribute to the diversity of maternal figures in cinema were submitted this year, perfectly complementing the Genre Cinema (I): Merci Maman! section. It is with great pleasure that FIFF announces the five films selected: 1) The Piano, by Jane Campion (New Zealand/Australia/France, 1993); 2) Volver, by Pedro Almodóvar (Spain/England, 2006); 3) Fargo, by Joel & Ethan Coen (USA, 1996); 4) Incendies, by Denis Villeneuve (Canada/France, 2010); 5) Psycho, by Alfred Hitchcock (USA, 1960).
MAKE IT FAMILY TIME
Discover cinemas from around the world with your family.
To be announced soon.
DECRYPTION
Focus on a societal, political or cultural issue.
To be announced soon.
DIASPORA
A public figure recounts their culture of origin through cinema.
To be announced soon.
NEW TERRITORY
Discovery of a new or little-known cinematography.
To be announced soon
SUR LA CARTE DE ...
A well-known celebrity reveals her/his favourite films.
To be announced soon.
Special screenings and Events
FIFF Favourites
Pearls from the artistic commission
Passeport Suisse
Films made by Swiss directors or shot in Switzerland
Séances de minuit
Not for the faint-hearted!
FIFForum
The FIFF: Not just screenings
