Festivals - PIFFF 2025: Opening Ceremony – Fantasy rekindles the flame of the Max Linder Panorama

By Mulder, Paris, Max Linder Panorama, 10 december 2025

PIFFF 2025 kicked off last night with the unparalleled momentum of a festival that, over the years, has transformed a simple passion into a true collective ritual. Upon arrival at the Max Linder Panorama, that mecca of Parisian genre cinema that festival-goers consider a second home, the atmosphere was both solemn and electric, like a silent promise that fantasy—the real kind, the kind that surprises, disturbs, moves, and awakens the imagination—would reclaim its rightful place for an entire week. For our media outlet, which has been following this festival since its inception, rediscovering this familiar atmosphere was like reconnecting with an ever-growing tribe. The opening was marked by speeches from Anne Ouvrard and Cyril Despontin, followed by an enthusiastic presentation by Xavier Colon, who introduced the opening film, Sisu: Road to Revenge. It is impossible not to highlight the essential role played by the Miam agency, whose efficiency and availability provide invaluable support to the press at each edition; a collaboration that is an integral part of the pleasure of covering PIFFF.

The 14th edition of PIFFF chose to kick off the festivities with Sisu: Road to Revenge, directed by Jalmari Helander, and it must be said that this decision resonated as a powerful statement of intent. In this long-awaited sequel, Jorma Tommila reprises his legendary character Aatami Korpi, a survivor driven by a sense of duty and an almost primitive brutality, this time tasked with rebuilding, literally and symbolically, the ruins of his life. But the shadow of his adversary—played by Richard Brake, supported in this sequel by Stephen Lang—returns to haunt him with bloody determination. Produced by Petri Jokiranta and Mike Goodridge, supervised at Sony by Eric Charles, the film was shot almost entirely in Estonia and draws as much on the brutal heroism of the first installment as on the pulp imagination of the director's claimed references, from Indiana Jones to Buster Keaton. The anecdotes surrounding the film's gestation—notably the idea for the script that came to Jalmari Helander while he was renovating his apartment—add an intimate flavor to this titanic project, which has become one of the most expensive in the history of Finnish cinema. Its screening at the Max Linder, with its giant screen and bass that resonates right down to the seats, served as a reminder that some films only take on their full meaning when they become physical experiences.

This desire to reconnect audiences with the collective experience of cinema runs through the entire 2025 program, which has been put together with admirable rigor: only twenty feature films were selected from more than four hundred submissions. The festival thus affirms its credo: rarity rather than redundancy, high standards rather than complacency, the primacy of passionate vision over industrial logic. This approach is already evident in the diversity of the selected works. This year, the spectrum is vast: from the crazy J-Horror comedy Mag Mag by Yuriyan Retriever, the first production from K2 Pictures, founded by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takashi Miike, and Shunji Iwai, to the muscular science fiction reminiscent of James Cameron's early work with Redux Redux by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus. There is also room for darker emotions, as in Martín Mauregui's Crazy Old Lady, produced by J.A. Bayona and carried by a stunning performance from Carmen Maura, which revisits the themes of old age and memory with rare intensity. Conversely, works such as Appofeniacs by Chris Marrs Piliero, laden with deepfakes, gore pop, and humor as corrosive as it is unexpected, remind us that PIFFF loves to surprise as much as it loves to disturb.

The festival also doesn't forget artisanal and visionary worlds, such as Junk World by Takahide Hori, a miniature and monumental sequel to the cult film Junk Head, or The Holy Boy by Paolo Strippoli, which combines Italian folklore and spiritual fantasy in a work that promises to be deeply emotional. The dreamlike worlds of Orfeo by Virgilio Villoresi and the gothic, feminist, and political ambition of Mārama by Taratoa Stappard complete this already impressive lineup. And for fans of jubilant chaos, the return of the cult franchise with Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon by Jason Howden promises a wave of metal, gore, and cathartic power, made possible by the relentless support of fans.

Out of competition, the selection is just as rich. Dolly by Rod Blackhurst, led by a completely transformed Seann William Scott, promises to be a nightmarish reinterpretation of the Texan imagination. Silence by Eduardo Casanova, originally conceived as a series before being reworked into a 57-minute feature film, promises a hypnotic experience saturated with color and visual audacity. Dollhouse by Shinobu Yaguchi, Taroman Expo Explosion by Ryo Fujii, and The Last Viking by Anders Thomas Jensen starring Mads Mikkelsen testify to the vitality of contemporary genre cinema and the variety of approaches it can offer. The parallel screenings explore cult and transgressive territories: the explosive energy of Gabriele Mainetti's The Forbidden City, the delirious madness of Grégory Morin's Flush, supported by Jonathan Lambert, and the deliberately provocative excess of Todd Rohal's Fuck My Son!, featuring the brilliant special effects of master Robert Kurtzman. Added to this are major rediscoveries such as Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Kissed by Lynne Stopkewich, Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan, Mort de rire by Álex de la Iglesia, The Beyond by Lucio Fulci presented by Nicolas Boukhrief, and the powerful Apocalypto by Mel Gibson, rarely screened in such conditions.

As every year, the PIFFF also stands out for its commitment to emerging talent. The French and international short film competitions remain spaces for experimentation, often revealing the future stars of the genre. In just a few minutes, these films condense the very essence of fantasy: wonder, transformation, visceral fear, and brutal poetry. Added to this is the Grand Prix Climax, which rewards original French screenplays. The jury, composed of Delphine Chanéac, Nathalie Jeung, Diane Doniol-Valcroze, Thomas Salvador, and Olivier Babinet, highlights the importance of supporting bold imaginations, especially in a cinematic landscape where genre narratives still have to compete with industrial formats.

The festival will close on December 16 with Scarlet and Eternity, the new work by Mamoru Hosoda, which promises to be a deeply emotional exploration of revenge, forgiveness, and rebirth. It's a conclusion that fits perfectly with the spirit of PIFFF: a celebration of the cathartic power of cinema and its ability to bring strangers together around a shared thrill. For one week, the Max Linder Panorama becomes a sanctuary of light and shadow, a place where every film is an adventure, every theater a refuge, and every viewer a member of a community united by the desire to be moved.

PIFFF 2025 doesn't just program films: it tells a story, that of a festival shaped by enthusiasts, faithful to its identity, and always ready to welcome those in search of new visions. As the team so often repeats: "We accept you, you are one of us. " And as you walk through the corridors of the Max Linder, exchange smiles in the queue, and leave the theaters with your eyes still burning with images, you realize that this phrase has never been more true.

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Synopsis :
1946. Aatami Korpi returns to Karelia, a territory occupied by the Soviets, where his family was brutally murdered during the war. In their honor, he dismantles the family home and loads it onto a truck, determined to rebuild it in a safe place. When the Red Army is informed of his presence, Igor Draganov, the murderer of his family, will do everything in his power to finish him off and kill the legendary former soldier. But Aatami isn't nicknamed “the man who refuses to die” for nothing...

Sisu: Road to Revenge
Written and directed by Jalmari Helander
Produced by Petri Jokiranta, Mike Goodridge
Starring  Jorma Tommila, Richard Brake, Stephen Lang
Cinematography : Mika Orasmaa
Edited by Juho Virolainen
Music by Juri Seppä, Tuomas Wäinölä
Production companies : Stage 6 Films, Subzero Film Entertainment, Good Chaos
Distributed by SF Film Finland (Finland), Screen Gems (through Sony Pictures Releasing; Worldwide)[
Release dates : 21 September 2025 (Fantastic Fest), 21 November 2025 (United States), 23 December 2025 (France)
Running time : 89 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville