Lili Hinstin, well-known among movie lovers in Belfort and beyond, passed away on Tuesday, March 31, at the age of 48 after a long illness. She served as the general delegate of the Entrevues International Film Festival from 2013 to 2018.
“Lili was a cinema lover, a daring, committed, and visionary programmer,” shared the Belfort association Cinémas d’aujourd’hui on Wednesday, April 1. Last year, the festival celebrated its 40th edition.
Gilles Lévy, president of Cinémas d’aujourd’hui, expressed mourning for Lili Hinstin, describing her as representing lightness, audacity, and passion for Rome. Hinstin left Villa Medici in 2010 to become the artistic director of the International Documentary Film Festival Cinema du reél. In 2013, she took over the reins of the Entrevues festival, leaving a lasting mark.
After her time at Entrevues, Hinstin became the artistic director of the Locarno International Film Festival in late 2018. In 2020, she left the Swiss festival due to strategic differences. She joined the selection committee of the Villa Medici Roman festival in 2021 before becoming the director of programming for the Biarritz International Film Festival, Nouvelles vagues, from 2023 onwards. The upcoming 4th edition of the Basque event will be dedicated to her memory.
