Honorary award for film director Rolf Lyssy

The stars in the world of Swiss film and numerous figures from culture, politics and business will walk the red carpet at the KKL Luzern, beginning at 4.30 pm on March 17, where interested film aficionados can encounter the prominent guests close up. SF moderator Susanne Kunz will host the hour-and-a-half award ceremony, with some 850 guests in attendance. Setting the stage musically will be the Christoph Walter Orchestra.

This year’s «Quartz 2012» awards will be presented by the following prominent individuals: actresses Irène Jacob and Marie Leuenberger; film director and actor Dani Levy; film director and artist Emmanuelle Antille; film director Jean-Stéphane Bron; cinematographer Ueli Steiger; musician Dieter Meier; slam poet  Daniela Dill; and the artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival Olivier Père.

The award ceremony is organised by the Federal Office of Culture in collaboration with SRG SSR, the media partner, and SWISS FILMS. The partners are the Swiss Film Academy, the Solothurn Film Festival, the City of Lucerne and the KKL Luzern.

Honorary award for film director and author Rolf Lyssy
Tribute will be paid to Swiss film director and author Rolf Lyssy for his extraordinary contribution to filmmaking. His film “Die Schweizermacher” (1978) has remained the most successful Swiss film production of the past 50 years. His career began in 1964, working on films by Reni Mertens and Walter Marti as well as by Alain Tanner. His current film “Ursula – Leben in Anderswo” (2011) takes up Mertens’ and Marti’s film “Ursula oder das unwerte Leben” (1966). His initial recognition as a director and author was in 1975 with “Konfrontation,” the story of an NSDAP group leader who was assassinated in Davos. His 40-year creative phase has resulted in a multifaceted oeuvre with fiction and documentary films. In his book “Swiss Paradise,” Lyssy processed the life crisis he experienced as a filmmaker at the end of the 1990s. A number of fiction films followed his memorable film “Die Schweizermacher,” including “Teddy Bär” (1983) and “Leo Sonnyboy” (1989). His documentary films include the following films: “Schreiben gegen den Tod” (2002); “Wäg vo de Gass!” (2004); “Die Vitusmacher” (2005); and “Hard(ys) Life” (2009). Ivo Kummer, head of the film department at the Federal Office of Culture, will present Rolf Lyssy with the honorary «Quartz» award at the ceremony.

Swiss film night on television
The three SRG television channels – SFR, RTS and RSI – will devote one or two evenings to Swiss filmmaking. Together with the coverage of the Swiss Film Prize «Quartz 2012», Swiss feature films and reportages on the world of Swiss filmmaking will be broadcast on:

Friday, March 16:
“Die lange Nacht des Schweizer Films”: SF 2 at 8 pm

Saturday, March 17:
“Box Office Extra” with Monika Schärer in Lucerne: SF 1, at 11 pm
“Nuit du Cinéma suisse”: RTS un, at 8.10 pm
“Notte bianca del Cinema svizzero”: RSI LA1, at 7.30 pm

The Swiss Film Prize will also be featured on the SRG radio programmes of all linguistic regions on March 16 and 17.

Presenters of the «Quartz 2012»
Best Fiction Film: Olivier Père, director of the Locarno Film Festival

Best Documentary Film: Jean-Stéphane Bron, film director

Best Short Film: Emmanuelle Antille, film director and artist

Best Cinematography: Ueli Steiger, cinematographer

Best Screenplay: Daniela Dill, slam poet

Best Film Score: Dieter Meier, musician

Best Actress: Irène Jacob, actress

Best Actor: Dani Levy, film director and actor

Best Performance in a Supporting Role: Marie Leuenberger, actress

Zurich, March 1, 2012