“La Suisse s’anime” retrospective at Anima Festival in Brussels

A retrospective comprised of about 50 animation film productions from Switzerland will be presented in Brussels at the 31st edition of “Anima” animation film festival (February 17-26, 2012).

15.02.2012

A retrospective comprised of about 50 animation film productions from Switzerland will be presented in Brussels at the 31st edition of “Anima” animation film festival (February 17-26, 2012). Four short film programmes, organised in collaboration with SWISS FILMS, the promotion agency, will be screened in “La Suisse s’anime” retrospective, including a carte blanche of works by Bernese animation filmmaker Isabelle Favez, who is also a member of the jury for Belgian short films. In addition, seven Swiss film productions and coproductions will be screened in the various festival competitions. Ten film directors and one staff member from SWISS FILMS will attend the festival to present the extensive Swiss animation filmmaking.

After Switzerland was honoured with special programmes last year at animation film festivals in Stuttgart and Montreal, SWISS FILMS carries forward the collaboration with major festivals for this genre with the programmes presented at Anima in Brussels.

The "Au pays des Helvètes" programme provides viewers with insight into current animation filmmaking and includes such well-known films as: "La jeune fille et les nuages" (2000) by Georges Schwizgebel; "Die Seilbahn" (2008) by Claudius Gentinetta and Frank Braun; "Bonne journée Monsieur M" (1999) by the Samuel and Frédéric Guillaume; "La main de l'ours" (2008) by Marina Rosset; and "Amourette" (2009) by Maja Gehrig.

The production firm Hélium Films, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2012, will be the focus of a second programme consisting of the following films "Banquise" (2005); "Sainte Barbe" (2007); and "Land Of The Heads" (2009) by Claude Barras and Cédric Louis.

The carte blanche of films by Isabelle Favez encompasses works which have especially contributed to her international prominence: for example, "Les voltigeurs" (2002); "Circuit marine" (2003); and "Tarte aux pommes" (2006).

There is also a programme devoted to twelve film productions from the Lucerne School of Art and Design (HSLU) which have attracted a great deal of international attention: "Signalis" (2008) by Adrian Flückiger; and "Heimatland" (2010) by Loretta Arnold, Andrea Schneider, Marius Portmann and Fabio Friedli. Other student film productions - for example, "Miramare" (2009) by Michaela Müller, which was produced apart from the HSLU - round of this programme.

Geneva, February 15 2012