Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival

What Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival does

The Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival (FEFFS), operated by the French non-profit Association Les Films du Spectre, is one of Europe's most comprehensive annual events dedicated to fantasy, horror, thriller, and black comedy cinema. Founded circa 2008, the festival has reached its 19th edition in 2026 and is affiliated with the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), giving it the right to organize the French competition for the Méliès d'argent (best European fantasy film), whose winners are automatically selected for the Méliès d'or. The core offering is a 10-day annual festival in Strasbourg featuring international premieres, retrospectives, short films, master classes with established directors, and parallel events (museum interventions, conferences, workshops, zombie walk, Festival Village). In 2024, the festival attracted over 31,000 attendees and programmed 46 features, 30 retrospective films, and 41 short films.

The product portfolio extends beyond the main festival into four adjacent lines: Eurogenre, a professional industry program with writing residencies for Francophone screenwriters run in partnership with La Scénaristerie; Cinéma Plein Air, free outdoor screenings every Friday in July–August across Strasbourg neighborhoods (with Speaker) attracting roughly 4,000 spectators annually; Connexions, a track for video games, digital creation, and VR experiences hosted at the Shadok digital arts center (including the Indie Game Contest and VR Film Corner); and Midnight Movies late-night horror programming under the "Horreur c'est Vendredi" banner. There is no proprietary technology platform; content delivery relies on physical venues, the festival website, and on-site box offices.

The business model is that of a cultural non-profit: revenue is generated through ticket sales, professional accreditations, partner contributions, and public funding (city, Eurométropole, regional/national cultural agencies). The operation runs with a core team of 13 employees supplemented by volunteers (volunteer calls are actively published). The customer base spans three personas — fantasy/horror cinephiles (primary), film industry professionals (submissions, awards, Eurogenre), and indie game/VR/digital creators (Connexions) — distributed across the Grand Est region of France with international filmmaker participation driven by the Méliès pipeline. Leadership is Consuelo Holtzer as Présidente, with Daniel Cohen as Directeur de l'association.

Name

Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival

Legal name

Association Les Films du Spectre

Website

https://strasbourgfestival.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival (FEFFS) is a French non-profit annual festival operated by Association Les Films du Spectre, showcasing international fantasy, horror, thriller, and black-comedy cinema, plus video games and VR. It serves genre cinephiles, film industry professionals, and indie digital creators across the Grand Est region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Cultural Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPADAKAL

Programming, Booking & Repertory Exhibition Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPAGAFAO

Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

Keywords

• Film festival events
• Fantastic cinema programming
• Genre film competitions
• Screenwriting residencies
• Outdoor cinema screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Strasbourg

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Operations: The festival operates as a non-profit association generating revenue through ticket sales, accreditations, partnerships, and public funding for its annual festival and year-round events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival (FEFFS) operates an annual 10-day international film festival dedicated to fantastic, horror, thriller, and black comedy cinema, featuring premieres, retrospectives, master classes, and the Méliès d'argent competition. Year-round, the organization runs free outdoor Cinéma Plein Air screenings in Strasbourg neighborhoods, Eurogenre professional days with screenwriting and directing residencies for Francophone filmmakers, the Connexions section dedicated to video games and VR cinema, and Midnight Movies horror programming.

Product overview

The Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival (FEFFS) operates a multi-product festival portfolio centered on the annual FEFFS festival featuring film competitions, retrospectives, and special events. The portfolio includes Eurogenre professional programming with writing residencies for Francophone filmmakers, Cinéma Plein Air outdoor summer screenings, the Connexions section for video games and VR experiences, and Midnight Movies horror programming. These products share a unified focus on fantastic, horror, thriller, and dark comedy cinema genres, with the main festival serving as the anchor event that qualifies winners for the Méliès d'Or international prize through MIFF membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FEFFS Annual Festival Annual 10-day European fantastic film festival held in Strasbourg, showcasing international fantasy, horror, thriller, and black comedy film productions with premieres, retrospectives, master classes, and the Méliès d'argent competition for best European fantastic film. The 2024 edition attracted 31,000+ attendees and presented 46 feature films, 30 retrospective films, and 41 short films.
• Eurogenre Professional program offering industry professional meetings, project development support, and writing residencies for Francophone filmmakers in the fantastic/genre cinema space.
• Cinéma Plein Air Free outdoor cinema screenings held every Friday during July-August in various Strasbourg neighborhoods, featuring approximately nine screenings per year and attracting around 4,000 spectators annually.
• Connexions Festival section dedicated to video games, digital creation, and virtual reality experiences hosted at Shadok digital arts center. Includes the Indie Game Contest for independent video game developers, digital creator residencies, and the VR Film Corner showcasing 360° virtual reality cinema.
• Midnight Movies Late-night horror film screenings featuring cult and classic horror films for dedicated genre audiences, part of the 'Horreur c'est Vendredi' programming.
• Résidences Eurogenre Screenwriting and directing residencies conducted in partnership with La Scénaristerie, providing Francophone screenwriters with professional dramaturgy support, two-week residency periods, and presentation opportunities at Eurogenre professional days.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La ScénaristeriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Eurogenre writing residencies for screenwriters. La Scénaristerie, an association specialized in writing workshops since 2014, partners with FEFFS to provide professional dramaturgy support for selected filmmakers. The residency program includes professional consultations and aims to develop projects ready for production.
• SpeakerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organization of outdoor cinema (Cinéma Plein Air) screenings. Speaker, a media company, partners with FEFFS and Les Films du Spectre to present free outdoor cinema events every Friday from July to August in various Strasbourg neighborhoods.
• MIFF (Méliès International Festivals Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated membership enables FEFFS to organize the French competition for the Méliès d'argent (Silver Méliès) for best European fantasy film. Winners are automatically selected for the Méliès d'or awarded annually at one of the MIFF festivals.
• ShadokminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital arts center hosting FEFFS events focused on video games, digital creation, and virtual reality experiences since 2012. Home to the Connexions section, Indie Game Contest, and VR Film Corner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fantasia International Film Festival: Montreal-based genre film festival with comparable fantasy/horror/thriller scope and a strong indie-game-adjacent programming track record, serving as a North American analog.
• FrightFest: UK-based horror and fantasy film event with comparable genre specialization and enthusiast audience, though operating primarily as a London showcase rather than a multi-venue city festival.
• Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF): Swiss festival combining genre cinema with digital arts and immersive media — a close peer given the overlap with FEFFS's Connexions and genre programming focus.
• Trieste Science+Fiction Festival: Italian festival dedicated to science fiction and fantastic cinema — comparable in European geographic scope and genre specialization, though with a more sci-fi tilt.
• Fantastic Fest: Austin-based festival focused on genre cinema (fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action) with strong industry participation — comparable in mission and audience profile, though based in the U.S.
• Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF): Belgian genre festival dedicated to fantasy, horror, and science fiction — directly comparable in programming mix, European geographic focus, and enthusiast audience.
• Sitges Film Festival: Spain's flagship international fantastic film festival and fellow MIFF member, directly comparable in mission (fantasy/horror focus), competition structure, and European audience reach.

Broad incumbents

• Cannes Film Festival: The dominant French film festival with vastly greater scale, sponsor base, and industry footprint — comparable as a broader film exhibition platform but operating at an entirely different commercial tier.
• Annecy International Animation Film Festival: Major French festival with adjacent digital/creative-arts positioning; relevant as a broader incumbent that also intersects with the gaming and digital creation ecosystem FEFFS addresses via Connexions.

Regional players

• Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival: Spanish horror film festival with comparable genre focus but smaller scale; serves as a regional European peer in the horror festival segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feffs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival