Ten days exploring contemporary audiovisual creation

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) returns for its 32nd edition from October 30 to November 8, 2026. A long-standing partner of the Festival, HEAD – Genève is once again taking part in GIFF with a series of events highlighting contemporary audiovisual creation and the work of its students and recent graduates.
The program includes the Film & Beyond Award 2026, thesis films by students from the Bachelor’s in Film, and three immersive projects developed by Interior Architecture students, presented as part of the Digital Night.

Sunday, November 1 — Film & Beyond with Mira Nair
Award-winning Indo-American filmmaker and producer Mira Nair will receive the Film & Beyond Award 2026.
She first gained international recognition with Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award. She went on to direct Mississippi Masala (1991) and Monsoon Wedding (2001), which earned her the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Her work explores themes of identity, migration, and intercultural relationships.

The award presentation will be followed by a Film & Beyond conversation with Mira Nair, along with a selection of films and series.
Learn more about the conversation with Mira Nair
 

Tuesday, November 3 — Bachelor’s in Film Thesis Films at GIFF Pro (9am–4pm)
As part of GIFF Pro, 2026 graduates of the Bachelor’s in Film at HEAD – Genève will present their thesis films in a pitching session for audiovisual industry professionals. This event offers a valuable opportunity for the emerging filmmakers to showcase their projects, share their artistic approaches, and connect with professionals from across the industry.

Wednesday, November 4 — HEAD’s Immersive Projects at Digital Night
As part of GIFF’s Digital Night, HEAD – Genève will present three projects developed through Hybrid Encounters – Designing Togetherness in VR, a semester-long project created by Interior Architecture students under the direction of Simon Husslein.
Combining virtual reality with physical installations, these works explore new forms of interaction and shared space through experiences designed to be experienced by two people together.

Three Projects, Three Experiences

• Sottsass’s Dream, by Camille Frey and Caroline Favre, is a collaborative game in which two participants move together across a mobile platform within a world inspired by Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis movement.
• Flying Together, by Julie Pulfer and Damien Bourgeois, offers an unconventional flying experience in which participants use their bodies to navigate a virtual landscape together.
• Elderly Disco Club, by Siria Petretti and Elisa Wütschert, is an intergenerational experience inviting older adults and their loved ones to explore immersive environments together through color, rhythm, and dance.

Maison Communale de Plainpalais - 7:15 p.m.–1 a.m.