The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), which hosted Frontières, the transatlantic genre-film co-production market, for the last three years, has now decided to throw itself into a new adventure by creating its own international market. And so, at the 35th edition this year, the festival is cutting the ribbon for the BIF Market, the first European market dedicated to genre films.

From 13-15 April, professionals from the world of film will come together at Brussels’ Bozar in order to discover, promote or purchase the hottest new genre gems. At this first edition, there will be a panel devoted to VFX "made in Belgium", organised by Screen.Brussels, and Timo Vuorensola will lead a master class during which he will present a number of as-yet unseen images of Iron Sky: The Coming Race.

As for the films, young French company L'Étang Moderne will present Le Périple by Vincent Orst, a cocktail of horror and comedy that centres on the adventures of a handful of survivors holed up in a chalet after the water supplies have been contaminated. Spanish outfit Platanoboligrafo will be pushing The Night of the Virgin [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Roberto San Sebastian, a comedy-horror film about Nico, a young, naïve man determined to lose his virginity. Sales agent Bob’s Your Uncle will be rocking up all the way from the USA with Xtro by Harry Davenport, a horror flick that sees a father return to Earth after being abducted by aliens three years prior, and Stalkher by John Jarratt and Kaarin Fairfax. This film, which straddles the black comedy, romance and thriller genres, depicts the night that Jack and Emily unexpectedly spend together after he breaks into her house. Lastly, Japan’s Psychoromantic Production Group will present Psychoromantic by Wataru Shibata, a love story that verges on thriller territory, in which student Tsubata is introduced to the world of prostitution by his friends.

Two works in progress will also be presented in the hopes of finding additional funding. Quand les anges dominaient le monde, written and directed by Belgium’s Jean-Julien Colette, who is also producing it for his company, Film Blanc, is a psychological thriller about the disappearance of a young woman during a weekend away with her friends on a remote farm, while Timo Vuorensola’s Iron Sky: The Coming Race is the eagerly awaited next instalment in the hugely popular Iron Sky saga.

Around 30 companies will be represented at the BIF Market, just waiting to discover these seven cinematic delights.