Swiss animated films shine internationally

22.05.2006

While «Banquise» (by Claude Barras and Cédric Louis) is currently competing for the Golden Palm in the short film competition at Cannes (May 17-25, 2006), six additional animated films from Switzerland are part of competition sections at renowned international festivals: in Seoul (10th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival, May 24-28, 2006), Krakow (46th Cracow Film Festival, May 30 – June 4, 2006), Zagreb (17th Animafest, June 12-17, 2006), and Toronto (Worldwide Short Film Festival, June 13-18, 2006). «Tarte aux pommes» (Apple tart), the latest work by Bernese animated filmmaker Isabelle Favez (Production: Swiss Effects, Zurich), has been invited to all four festivals, while «Après le chat/After The Cat» by Marina Rosset (Production: Lucerne School of Art and Design) will be shown in Seoul (student film competition) and Krakow.
With «The Ark Job» by Titus Fehr and «A Barbaric Tale» by Richard Vaucher, a total of three Swiss productions are part of the international competition at Seoul, with a total of 38 short animated films featured in its program. Isabelle Favez («Tarte aux pommes») has already received recognition with some of her earlier works such as «Circuit marine».



The festival in Zagreb, which selected two Swiss short films, will present «Herr Würfel» (Mr. Würfel) by Rafael Sommerhalder in the international competition, along with «Tarte aux pommes». In addition to its successful festival tour, «Herr Würfel» is known to a large movie-going audience in Switzerland due to its screenings ahead of long feature films such as «Alles auf Zucker» by Dani Levy in the German speaking part of Switzerland and «Broken Flowers» by Jim Jarmusch in the French speaking part of the country). «Wolkenbruch» (Deluge) by Simon Eltz (Production: Lucerne School of Art and Design) is in the running for the «Dušan Vukotić» prize bestowed in the student competition section. Swiss animated filmmaker Rolf Bächler is part of the festival jury in Zagreb. The Swiss presence at the festival is rounded out by «Le génie de la boîte de raviolis/The Genie in a Ravioli Tin» by Claude Barras (Production Cinémagination, Fribourg), which will be shown in the children’s films competition section.br>


With «L’homme sans ombre» by well-known Geneva animated filmmaker Georges Schwizgebel, an additional Swiss animated film is part of the international festival competition at the renowned 14th Festival Archipelago in Rome (June 16-22, 2006).



Isabelle Favez will be in attendance for the screenings of her film in Krakow, Zagreb, and Toronto, while 22-year-old Lausanne resident Marina Rosset will be accompanying her thesis film to Korea and Poland. Claude Barras, resident of the Canton of Wallis, will be presenting his film in Croatia.



Geneva, May 22, 2006


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