Country Focus: Switzerland

Frei named new president of Swiss Film Academy

by  Françoise Deriaz

31/08/2010 - Presided by filmmaker Fredi M. Murer since its creation in 2008, the Swiss Film Academy will now be headed by film director Christian Frei.

With around 300 film professional members, the Academy plays an important role in organising the Quartz Swiss Film Prize, along with the Federal Office for Culture, promotion agency Swiss Films and SRG SSR idée suisse. Its ambition for the future is to take on full responsibility for the nominations and awarding of the Quartz prizes.

Frei can lay claim to some experience in the matter of awards: his documentary on James Nachtwey, War Photographer, was nominated in 2002 for the Best Documentary Oscar. Among the ten or so documentaries he has made, Space Tourists (2009) and The Giant Buddhas (2005) have won a string of international prizes.