Homage to Swiss Animated Film

Swiss production is also strongly represented in the festival's official selection and in the MIFA film market, including 14 short films and one feature film in the international competitions and a pavilion.

Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy Festival, explains: «Annecy honours Swiss animated film and thus a filmmaking that has deep roots in cultural history. I recall that the father of the comic strip Rodolphe Töpffer wrote The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck in 1827 and Lortac and Cavé made an animated adaptation almost a century later - in 1921 - entitled Histoire de Monsieur Vieux-Bois.

This is the starting point of a national filmography that includes revered authors - Gisèle and Nag Ansorge, Julius Pinschewer, Georges Schwizgebel - and has unfolded in all genres and styles ever since. From the brothers Sam and Fred Guillaume (Max & Co) to Claude Barras (MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI), from Isabelle Favez (TARTE AUX POMMES) to Marina Rosset (THE BEAR'S HAND), from Michaela Müller (MIRAMARE) to Michael Frei (PLUG & PLAY), from Claude Luyet, Marcel Barelli, Claudius Gentinetta, Anja Kofmel, Zoltán Horváth and Maja Gehrig - Swiss animation is livelier and more diverse than ever before. The short film prize we awarded in 2021 to PEEL by Samuel Patthey and Silvain Monney is an example of the spirit of optimism we want to witness.

In addition to a historical overview of production, the homage to Swiss animation will include retrospectives dedicated to Claude Barras, Marcel Barelli and Isabelle Favez.»

Spirit of optimism

Indeed, Swiss animation is in top form. The number of Swiss productions has increased steadily over the past 15 years - both in the short and feature film sector. The importance of co productions is also steadily increasing. This positive dynamic is exemplified by the success of MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (Claude Barras, 2016).

Large Swiss delegation

100+1 years of Swiss animated film thus provide 100+1 reasons to celebrate Switzerland in Annecy 2022. On Tuesday June 14, the festival will honour Swiss animation filmmaking with a Soirée Suisse. The rich tribute will also include a cinema concert by Georges Schwizgebel and Louis Schwizgebel-Wang and two exhibitions. The unique homage will be accompanied by an official Swiss delegation, including directors as Marcel Barelli, Claude Barras, Isabelle Favez, Michael Frei, Samuel Guillaume, Frédéric Guillaume, Zoltán Horváth, Claude Luyet, Silvain Monney, Samuel Patthey, Marina Rosset, Georges Schwizgebel, Raphaëlle Stolz and Saskia von Virag.

Switzerland is the guest of honour at the MIFA 

At the market, a pavilion will provide a space for Swiss animation filmmakers to network. Numerous events will focus on the talents and content of Swiss animation filmmaking, especially in an XR presentation by GIFF (Upcoming Talents, Swissxrland@MIFA). The detailed programme can be consulted on the Annecy Festival website.

Collaboration among numerous institutions

The Annecy Festival and MIFA's tribute was created in collaboration with numerous Swiss institutions, namely the Animatou International Animation Film Festival (Geneva), Cinéforom - Fondation romande pour le cinéma, the Cinémathèque suisse (Lausanne), the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), the Lucerne School of Art and Design, Presence Switzerland, the Swiss Consulate in Lyon, the Groupement Suisse du Film d’Animation (GSFA) and the City of Geneva. It is supported by SWISS FILMS and the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC).

Nadasdy Film was invited to create the festival trailer. Marjolaine Perreten of Nadasdy Film (Geneva) and Frédéric Siegel of Team Tumult (Zurich) teamed up for this project.

These are the 15 films running in competition:
 

Official Short Films in Competition

LUCKY MAN by Claude Luyet

MIRACASAS by Raphaëlle.Stolz, Augusto Zanovello

THE INVENTION OF LESS by Noah Erni

THE RECORD by Jonathan Laskar

Off-Limits Short Films in Competition

ARREST IN FLIGHT by Adrian Flury

INTERSECT by Dirk Koy

Perspectives Short Film in Competition

IDODO by Ursula Ulmi

Young Audiences Short Films in Competition

QUEEN OF THE FOXES by Marina Rosset

PAOLO'S HAPPINESS by Thorsten Drössler

Graduation Short Films in Competition

BODDYSSEY by Jonas Alexander Bienz

SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SOMNE by Samantha Aquilino

MOSAIC by Eleonora Berra

DO NOT FEED THE PIGEONS by Antonin Niclass

TV Films in Competition

GIUSEPPE by Isabelle Favez

Official Feature Films in Competition

INTERDIT AUX CHIENS ET AUX ITALIENS by Alain Ughetto

(Update June 8, 2022)