Moroccan actress Sarah Perles presents an acting award to young Quebec actress Juliette Bharucha / © Renaud Gavroy
An experience accessible to all
For the past 11 years, the FIFCL has been celebrating comedy films from all over the world, bringing together those who create and love them. Led by a team of enthusiasts, the festival is above all a joyful and glamorous celebration, open to all cinephiles: young or experienced, able-bodied or disabled, schoolchildren, students, teachers, business leaders, partners, comedians, scriptwriters, directors, casting directors… or simply adventurers of laughter.
A festival rich in encounters and discoveries
In addition to the competition, where the prestigious Taureau d’Or and Taureau de Cristal are awarded, the FIFCL offers:
- Eclectic, international and generous programming, judged by exceptional international juries.
- Exclusive meetings with film icons and professionals.
- Professional meetings to exchange ideas between designers and industry players.
- A unique writing residency, the CineComedies Lab, in partnership with CineComedies de Lens-Liévin.
- Exhibitions, concerts and new discoveries.
A microcosm in the heart of Liège
The FIFCL transforms the fiery city into a veritable “city within a city”: a cultural, economic and gastronomic crossroads that continues to grow. By fusing tradition and innovation, Liège becomes, in the space of a few days, the European capital of comedy.
They passed through
the festival
Renaud Gavroy, Aurore Nivelle, Victoria Smith, Vincent Lourtie, Fanny Demaret, Baudouin Litt, Christophe Toffolo, David Loicq, Thibault Trillet, Gilles Lemoine, Martin Domingues-Gonçalves
Festival patron
Present at the 9ᵉ edition in 2024, Lambert Wilson was seduced by the Liège International Comedy Film Festival and the Principality in general. It was therefore with great enthusiasm that he agreed to become the patron of the FIFCL and one of its best ambassadors.
Born in Paris, Lambert Wilson spent three years studying theater at the Drama Centre in London (1975-1978). He has worked with major directors such as Claude Chabrol, Bertrand Tavernier, the Wachowski sisters, Alain Resnais, Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi, Sophie Fillières, Valérie Lemercier, Alain Chabat, Andrzej Żuławski and others.
He won the Prix Jean-Gabin for his portrayal of Abbé Pierre in the film “Hiver 54”. He has distinguished himself in numerous period films, such as “Jefferson in Paris”, as well as in historical works such as “L’Odyssée” (where he played the iconic Jacques-Yves Cousteau) and “De Gaulle”.
Bold in his choice of roles, he doesn’t hesitate to take on singular projects such as “Le Ventre de l’architecte” and “Les Possédés”. His popularity grew with films such as “Palais Royal”, “Matrix”, “Des Hommes et des Dieux”, “Sur la piste du Marsupilami”, “La Vache” and “Alceste à bicyclette”.
More recently, he shone in “Benedetta”, “Golden Hands” and “5 Hectares”, and has been cast as Nicolas Flamel, the legendary alchemist, in the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series, produced by HBO and broadcast on the Max platform.
© Bertrand Noël/FIFCL 2024
The FIFCL
is committed
Each year, FIFCL reinforces its environmental responsibility: a challenge that everyone takes up in their own way, and which takes on a particular dimension given the scale of the event. Sustaining FIFCL has always been an artistic and economic challenge. Today, it is also an ecological challenge, which the organization is committed to meeting over the long term by implementing concrete and significant measures to preserve the environment.
Aurore Nivelle
The choice of a fleet of official cars (Schyns Group), 80% of which are electric or hybrid vehicles;
Encouraging the use of soft mobility and environmentally-friendly means of transport, such as TEC electric buses, car-sharing, SNCB trains, bicycles and streetcars, as well as the use of Triobike scooters from our partner Échappées Hesbignonnes for the duration of the festival;
Reducing the use of materials and resources: for example, the volume of our red carpet has been reduced by 65%, and part of it has been recycled and reused, notably by shopkeepers in Liège city center thanks to our partnership with the Liège Gestion Centre-Ville association;
Fairer coffee: at the FIFCL, Charles Liégeois Roastery, our coffee partner, serves exclusively its organic and Fairtrade Mano Mano. Good for taste, for producers and for the planet;
The festival planted 1,002 Rhizophora mucronataa species of flowering plants in the Rhizophoraceae family (i.e. 50.05 tonnes of CO2 captured), in Madagascar, via the Tree-Nation platform ;
The Festival reduced the weight of its printed material by 75% by eliminating flyers and using only leaflets, and by replacing the printed catalog with a digital format accessible via a QR Code.
FIFCL also means
a team at your service
The entire FIFCL team is delighted to welcome you to the Palais des Congrès for the 11th edition of Belgium’s only comedy festival!
For one week, Liège becomes the beating heart of comedy cinema. Official Selection films, meetings, discoveries… and above all, you, the 22,000 festival-goers from several countries, representing all facets of cinema, comedy and cinephilia, gathered in the heart of the Cité Ardente.
We do our utmost to ensure that everyone feels supported.
Our teams at your service
More than 350 people are on hand to welcome you, guide you and answer your questions.
Our hostesses and hosts, as well as the information desk teams (from the moment you enter the Palais des Congrès reception), are on hand throughout the Palais to help you at every stage of your visit.
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A festival accessible to all
FIFCL strives to make its events more open and inclusive. Circulation, access to rooms, personalized assistance: everything is done to make it easier for people with disabilities to attend, thanks to our dedicated Hospitality service.
Find out more about all our events in the Festival for All Guide.
Your safety
Feeling welcome starts with feeling safe.
As is the case every year, a large-scale operation has been deployed throughout the city, under the authority of the mayor, in close coordination with the City of Liège and all the public services involved.
At the heart of the Festival, some 30 security guards watch over every access point, so that everyone can enjoy the event with complete peace of mind.
A commitment to the environment
Aware of its impact, the Festival is pursuing its environmental commitment with concrete, sustainable actions.
Services designed with you in mind
For the duration of the Festival, several services are available to make your experience easier: the My FIFCL space to organize your program and book your screenings; real-time information on our website and social networks(Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube); as well as practical services such as buses, streetcars, scooters, an infirmary, a checkroom or rest areas.