2023 Year in Review

The festival year kicks off with screenings for two short films from the Swiss film schools ZHdK and HSLU – Art and Design in the Short Film Competition at the Sundance Film Festival: THE NEWT CONGRESS (directors: Matthias Sahli, Immanuel Esser) and PIPES (directors: Jessica Meier, Kilian Feusi, Sujanth Ravichandran). Shortly thereafter, twelve Swiss film productions are selected for screening at the renowned Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival including Zoel Aeschbacher’s FAIRPLAY, which wins the Special Jury Prize.

The short films BEAR by Morgane Frund and TERRA MATER by Kantarama Gahigiri as well as the animation film POND by Lena von Döhren and Eva Rust celebrate their premieres at the Berlinale. BEEN THERE by Corina Schwingruber Ilić and EVER SINCE, I HAVE BEEN FLYING by Aylin Gökmen are selected for TIFF Shortcuts – to name just a few of the many short film productions boasting an outstanding festival presence.

Just how successful the year has been for Swiss short films is also reflected in the numerous nominations and awards they have garnered. Three Swiss short films are shortlisted for the French César Awards: EURIDICE, EURIDICE by Lora Mure-Ravaud, THE SILENT ONES by Basile Vuillemin and the animation film MIRACASAS by Raphaëlle Stolz. Moreover, Jorge Cadena’s FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO was nominated for the European Film Awards. A record number of nine short films from Switzerland have qualified for the Academy Awards and are thus in the running for the shortlist (to be announced on December 21). Among them is Kevin Haefelin’s THE FUSE, which has already been shortlisted for the British BAFTA Awards and was honoured with a Gotham Award at the Student Short Film Showcase.

Swiss coproductions at A-list festivals from Berlin to Tallinn

Swiss filmmaking has been present at the most important international festivals throughout 2023. Of note are the numerous Swiss coproductions with high-calibre international casts excelling in the competitions at the A-list festivals.

Two Swiss coproductions, both by acclaimed European directors, are contenders for a Bear at the Berlinale: INGEBORG BACHMANN – JOURNEY INTO THE DESERT by Margarethe von Trotta (CH/AT/DE) and THE PLOUGH by French director Philippe Garrel (FR/CH). Jenna Hasse’s feature-film debut LONGING FOR THE WORLD (CH) competes in Generation Kplus and receives a Jury Special Mention. The film concludes the year with a nomination for the European Young Audience Award.

Switzerland is also present at the Cannes Film Festival with several coproductions: Alice Rohrwacher’s LA CHIMERA (IT/FR/CH) celebrates its world premiere with a screening in competition, as well as MARGUERITES THEOREM by Anna Novion (FR/CH) starring Swiss actress Ella Rumpf screened in the Official Selection. Thanks to her performance in the leading role, she has been selected as “Révélations 2024”, the most promising acting talents, by the French Film Academy for the César.

The premiere for the Swiss-Georgian coproduction BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY by Elene Naveriani in the Directors' Fortnight marks the beginning of a remarkable festival career with stops in in Karlovy Vary, Melbourne, London, Chicago, Thessaloniki and Busan, among others. The film has been sold in approximately 10 countries by now.

In ACID Cannes, Maxime Rappaz presents his first feature-length film LET ME GO (CH/FR/BE), goes on to garner multiple international festival awards and is sold in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Brazil, among others.

Two of the nearly 40 Swiss films screened at the Locarno Film Festival celebrate their world premiere in the International Competition: Basil Da Cunha’s MANGA D’TERRA (CH) as well as the coproduction OBSCURE NIGHT – GOODBYE HERE, ANYWHERE by Sylvain George (FR/CH). And two feature-length film debuts compete in Cineasti del presente: Hugues Hariche’s RIVIÈRE (CH) and Katharina Lüdin’s OF LIVING WITHOUT ILLUSION (DE/CH). Furthermore, Swiss director Frédéric Mermoud’s THE PATH OF EXCELLENCE (FR/CH) celebrates its world premiere on the Piazza Grande.

Shortly thereafter, six high-calibre Swiss coproductions celebrate their world premieres at the Venice International Film Festival, two of them in the main competition: LUBO by Italian director Giorgio Diritti (IT/CH) and THE UNIVERSAL THEORY by German director Timm Kröger (DE/AT/CH). In the Giornate degli Autori section, SIDONIE IN JAPAN by Élise Girard (FR/DE/CH/JP) celebrates its premiere, while NOWHERE by Simone Massi (IT/CH) is screened in the Orizzonti Competition. The 17-minute VR animation film PERENNIALS by Swiss illustrator and VR artist Zoe Roellin competes in the Venice Immersive.

Tamer Ruggli’s feature film debut RETURN TO ALEXANDRIA (CH/FR/QA), starring the Lebanese star Nadine Labaki and the French diva Fanny Ardant, celebrates its world premiere at the ZFF and is screened in Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea Film Festival. And two Swiss coproductions – WHITE FLAG by Batbayar Chogsom (CH/MN/JP) and BODY ODYSSEY by Grazia Tricarico  (IT/CH) – celebrate their world premieres at one of the last A-list festivals of the year: PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Documentary films: the hallmark of Swiss filmmaking

Once again, Swiss documentary films have distinguished themselves with impressive festival careers and international awards. In January, Steven Vit’s MY OLD MAN (CH) wins the Audience Award for Documentary Film at the Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis in Saarbrücken. Following the world premiere of Lisa Gerig’s THE HEARING (CH) at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, the film is also screened in European Film Promotion’s “The Changing Face of Europe” programme at Hot Docs Festival in Toronto and advances to the documentary film selection of the European Film Awards.

Peter Mettler’s film diary WHILE THE GREEN GRASS GROWS (CH/CA) celebrates its premiere at Visions du Réel in Nyon and is awarded the Grand Prix in the International Competition. This is followed in autumn by the Golden Dove at the DOK Leipzig Festival – where Mettler was honoured with a tribute – and the RIDM Grand Prix in Montreal.

DREAMERS by Stéphanie Barbey and Luc Peter (CH/DE) as well as NIGHTS GONE BY by Alberto Martín Menacho (CH/ES) also celebrate their premieres in Nyon. The latter is then also screened at the Festival von San Sebastian in September. Yamina Zoutat’s BLOODHOUND (CH/FR) launches its festival career in Paris at the Cinéma du Réel and subsequently receives the Audience Award at the Documenta Madrid International Film Festival.

Thomas Imbach’s SAY GOD BYE (CH) premieres at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and GOD IS A WOMAN by Andres Peyrot (FR/CH) opens the Settimana Internazionale della critica in Venice.

A total of six Swiss documentary films are screened at the IDFA, including the world premiere of Karim Sayad’s documentary film 2G (CH), as well as the international premiere of Piet Baumgartner’s THE DRIVEN ONES (CH) and FACING DARKNESS by Jean-Gabriel Périot (FR/CH/DE), followed by festival stops in Karlovy Vary, Sarajevo and Sao Paulo. Upon the recommendation of SWISS FILMS, filmmakers Elena Avdija and Benjamin Bucher participate in the IDFAcademy talent programme.

A major platform is given to POLISH PRAYERS by Hanka Nobis (CH/PL) and PLAY WITH THE DEVIL (CH) by Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi as well as two Swiss short documentaries with screenings at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the United States.

Swiss film programmes and talents showcased on the international stage

SWISS FILMS curates programmes highlighting Swiss filmmaking in collaboration with film institutions around the world. The focus in 2023 is on North and South America. In the spring, a programme comprised of films by Ursula Meier coincided with the US theatrical release of the successful Swiss director’s latest film THE LINE in New York. With sales in over 20 countries, THE LINE is making a name for itself as a Swiss export sensation, with sales in Indonesia, South Korea, China and Brazil.

In November, Switzerland is honoured as the guest country at the Festival Cinemania in Montreal, the leading festival for francophone films in North America. The extensive programme comprises the Canadian  premieres of Anna Luif’s THE LOVE STORIES OF LIV S. (CH), as well as Switzerland’s Oscar submission THUNDER by Carmen Jaquier (CH), among others. Also in Montreal, President of the Federal Council Alain Berset signs a new agreement defining coproduction conditions between Switzerland and Canada.

A notable number of Swiss talents are selected for international programmes in 2023: Genevan actress Kayije Kagame is in the spotlight at the Berlinale, where she honoured as a European Shooting Star. With his short film HEART FRUIT, Zurich director Kim Allamand  is selected by European Film Promotion to take part in the Future Frames – Generation NEXT of European Cinema programme at the festival in Karlovy Vary. Four producers from Switzerland participate in the Rotterdam Lab and three Swiss filmmakers are selected for the Berlinale Talents programme. Editor Selin Dettwiler receives the Young Talent Award for BEAR at the Edimotion Festival in October.

Swiss series gaining momentum internationally

In order to strengthen the international visibility of Swiss series, SWISS FILMS collaborates with SRG SSR to present Swiss series projects at the Berlinale Series Market, the Festival Series Mania in Lille and the MIA International Audiovisual Market in Rome.

Of the projects from all parts of the country presented in 2023, the first are already being evaluated and shown in Switzerland on Play Suisse, the SRG SSR streaming platform, including the Ticinese crime series ALTER EGO, coproduced by Amka Films Productions for RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera. The friendship saga THE FIREBRANDS is a coproduction between Box Productions and the Belgian production company Entre Chien et Loup for RTS Radio Télévision Suisse.

The historical espionage series DAVOS 1917 featuring the Swiss “Sisi” star Dominique Devenport sets new milestones as the most expensive Swiss series production. The Swiss-German coproduction by Contrast Film Zürich with Letterbox Filmproduktion Hamburg for SRF and ARD Degeto will be broadcast for the first time during the prime-time Christmas programme in Switzerland and Germany.

SWISS FILMS is the national agency for the promotion of Swiss filmmaking. With consultations, support measures and publications, SWISS FILMS strengthens the international presence of Swiss films on behalf of the Federal Office of Culture.