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Country Focus: Switzerland

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Articles, interviews, news, analysis on the Swiss audiovisual sector.

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Country profile: Switzerland

Country profile: Switzerland

30 June 2023

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2026

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2026

Swiss Films presents six previews of feature films slated to arrive between autumn 2026 and summer 2027, ranging from a queer love story to the Halifax air disaster  

19 August 2026

Zurich Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival forge strategic partnership

Zurich 2026

Zurich Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival forge strategic partnership

The collaboration will focus on programming and talent exchange, with the world premiere of Dolphins: My Close Encounters at Zurich marking the beginning of the new alliance  

12 August 2026

Neema Ngelime’s The Ones with the Tempered Flowers scoops two prizes at Locarno’s Open Doors

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro/Awards

Neema Ngelime’s The Ones with the Tempered Flowers scoops two prizes at Locarno’s Open Doors

The Tanzanian-Kenyan project has secured both the ARTEKino International Award and the Sørfond Award, whilst three African projects shared the CHF 50,000 Open Doors Grant  

10 August 2026

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2026

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2026

Seven projects spanning topics such as intimate science fiction and ecological body horror used the gathering to build their European production structures  

10 August 2026

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Alliance 4 Development and Heritage Restoration winners

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro/Awards

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Alliance 4 Development and Heritage Restoration winners

Lorenzo Tocco’s The Surubí, Florian Hoffmann’s Yazz and Anne-Marie Miéville’s We’re All Still Here were among this year’s victors  

10 August 2026

REPORT: Open Doors @ Locarno Pro 2026

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Open Doors @ Locarno Pro 2026

Six projects from Africa move through development, with their makers seeking co-production, financing, sales and distribution partners for their locally rooted stories  

07 August 2026

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2026

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2026

Uruguay takes centre stage in Locarno Pro’s work-in-progress showcase, with six features seeking the partners, positioning and festival launches needed to complete their international journeys  

07 August 2026

Locarno Pro to probe power, data and new funding models in independent cinema

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

Locarno Pro to probe power, data and new funding models in independent cinema

The Swiss festival's industry sidebar will bring together film professionals for a week of project showcases, training, market-focused debates and networking opportunities  

28 July 2026

The main pitching session at the Alentours Forum will feature 21 projects

Alentours Forum 2026

The main pitching session at the Alentours Forum will feature 21 projects

The Rhinish Co-Production Meeting will take place from 1 to 3 July in Strasbourg and will showcase French- and German-language projects, including fiction and documentaries  

17 June 2026

Locarno Open Doors unveils its projects, producers and directors selections

Locarno 2026 – Locarno Pro

Locarno Open Doors unveils its projects, producers and directors selections

Six projects, six producers and five directors from across Africa have been selected for the 2026 edition, while new awards from EAVE and African Film Press are being introduced  

01 June 2026

REPORT: VdR-Industry @ Visions du Réel 2026

Visions du Réel 2026 – VdR-Industry

REPORT: VdR-Industry @ Visions du Réel 2026

We present details of five intriguing projects introduced at this year’s VdR-Industry, which ran in Nyon from 19-22 April  

27 April 2026

VdR-Industry hands out over €80,000 in prizes across 12 projects

Visions du Réel 2026 – VdR-Industry/Awards

VdR-Industry hands out over €80,000 in prizes across 12 projects

Uganda by Daniel Mann has scooped the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, whilst Job 1:21 by Samuel Suffren received the visions sud est Award  

23 April 2026

Visions du Réel maps how co-production has become central to documentary finance

Visions du Réel 2026 – VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel maps how co-production has become central to documentary finance

Panellists concluded that co-production isn't just a creative choice for documentary filmmakers, but also shapes how projects are structured, financed and brought to market  

22 April 2026

Visions du Réel industry talk weighs the realities of Europe-US documentary co-productions

Visions du Réel 2026 – VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel industry talk weighs the realities of Europe-US documentary co-productions

Such co-productions are less a question of feasibility than of successful navigation, as mismatched systems, legal hurdles and funding gaps force producers into improvised strategies  

21 April 2026

FIFDH Impact Days announces its winners

FIFDH Geneva 2026 – FIFDH Industry/Awards

FIFDH Impact Days announces its winners

The industry section of the human rights festival has honoured five projects tackling HIV stigma, democratic resistance, extremism, inequality in science and resilience in Gaza  

13 March 2026

Visions du Réel unveils 31 projects for VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel 2026 – VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel unveils 31 projects for VdR-Industry

The event's industry arm brings together projects at various stages of development and completion, offering documentarians opportunities to connect with producers, distributors and financiers  

12 March 2026

FIFDH Impact Days charts cinema’s role in survival, collaboration and collective action

FIFDH Geneva 2026 – FIFDH Industry

FIFDH Impact Days charts cinema’s role in survival, collaboration and collective action

The industry platform returns, bringing together filmmakers, impact producers, NGOs and funders around cinema as a tool for social change  

04 February 2026

HBO Max to launch in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein on 13 January

Industry / Market - Italy/Germany/Austria/Switzerland/ Luxembourg/Liechtenstein/USA

HBO Max to launch in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein on 13 January

With this move, the US streaming giant's rollout across Europe is close to complete, with only the UK and Ireland yet to join the platform  

03 December 2025

FIFDH Impact Days to spotlight social-justice documentaries from across the globe

FIFDH Geneva 2026 – FIFDH Industry

FIFDH Impact Days to spotlight social-justice documentaries from across the globe

The eighth edition of the initiative has unveiled the 12 projects partaking in its Impact Lab, focusing on stories that confront the most pressing issues of our time  

20 November 2025

The Francophone Co-production Meetings unveil 25 projects

Industry / Market - Luxembourg

The Francophone Co-production Meetings unveil 25 projects

Organised by Film Fund Luxembourg, the 21st edition of the event will take place in Luxembourg from 28-31 October  

17 October 2025

Series Lab Hamburg heads to Lake Como for this year’s edition

Industry / Market - Germany/Switzerland/Italy

Series Lab Hamburg heads to Lake Como for this year’s edition

Over three days, participants will receive mentorship from renowned script consultants, and pitch their projects to international financiers and distributors  

14 October 2025

CinEuro FilmLab launches “European stories” call

Industry / Market - France/Switzerland/Germany/Luxembourg/Belgium

CinEuro FilmLab launches “European stories” call

The programme is open to feature-film and series projects that tackle European-related issues and are set in the symbolic places of power where the EU institutions are based  

27 August 2025

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2025

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2025

At Locarno, Swiss Films presented previews of six features scheduled for release between late 2025 and early 2026, ranging from fictionalised biography to social critique  

22 August 2025

Switzerland’s “Netflix Law” yields first results: CHF 15.9 million invested in local productions in 2024

Industry / Market - Switzerland

Switzerland’s “Netflix Law” yields first results: CHF 15.9 million invested in local productions in 2024

Out of the total investments, CHF 9.3 million were directed towards film creation, including both acquisition and production  

21 August 2025

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2025

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2025

We take a closer look at nine projects showcased in Locarno Pro’s co-development programme for films from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland  

14 August 2025

Geneva and Neuchâtel to roll out cash-rebate schemes to lure filmmakers

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro

Geneva and Neuchâtel to roll out cash-rebate schemes to lure filmmakers

Geneva has launched a film commission and will instigate a 30% rebate in 2026, whilst Neuchâtel is testing a pilot scheme offering up to 15% back on local spend  

12 August 2025

Dika Ofoma’s Till the Morning Comes snags three prizes at Locarno’s Open Doors

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro/Awards

Dika Ofoma’s Till the Morning Comes snags three prizes at Locarno’s Open Doors

Other prominent victors included Azata Soro’s Diary of a Goat Woman and Naishe Nyamubaya’s Black Snake as well as Rwandan filmmaker Yannick Mizero Kaba  

12 August 2025

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Spanish Previews and Alliance 4 Development winners

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro/Awards

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Spanish Previews and Alliance 4 Development winners

Geneviève Dulude-De Celles’ Nina Roza, Adrià Guxens’ Lóngquán: The Dragon Spring and Valentin Merz’s Dark Chocolate are among this year’s victors  

11 August 2025

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2025

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2025

We take an in-depth look at four of the six Canadian projects in post-production taking part in the industry initiative organised by the Swiss festival  

07 August 2025

REPORT: Open Doors @ Locarno Pro 2025

Locarno 2025 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Open Doors @ Locarno Pro 2025

We take a closer look at four African projects being co-produced with European partners – or seeking them – which are taking part in the industry initiative organised by the Swiss festival  

07 August 2025

Legend of the Happy Worker demonstrates the value of crypto-financing

Industry / Market - Switzerland/USA

Legend of the Happy Worker demonstrates the value of crypto-financing

Swiss-based Arts 3’s involvement in Duwayne Dunham’s film, premiering at Locarno, proves how crypto-financing can operate within hybrid production funding models  

06 August 2025

Inclusion, ecosystems and innovation to shape industry conversations at this year’s Locarno Pro

Locarno 2025 - Locarno Pro

Inclusion, ecosystems and innovation to shape industry conversations at this year’s Locarno Pro

The Swiss festival will offer up a jam-packed programme of workshops, gatherings and screenings celebrating independent filmmaking from Europe and beyond  

23 July 2025

The CinEuro Prize announces its eight finalists

Industry / Market - France/Luxembourg/Germany/Switzerland/Belgium

The CinEuro Prize announces its eight finalists

Members of the trans-border network gathered to unveil the selected projects of the 3rd edition of its prize  

26 May 2025

The global challenges of audiovisual authors’ rights discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization

Industry / Market - Switzerland/Europe

The global challenges of audiovisual authors’ rights discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization

The event held in Geneva focused on worldwide issues affecting audiovisual authors, and called for enhanced legal safeguards, fair compensation and policy reforms  

15 April 2025

VDR-Industry announces this year’s winners

Visions du Réel 2025 – VdR-Industry/Awards

VDR-Industry announces this year’s winners

More than 80,000 Swiss francs’ worth of prizes have been awarded to 11 projects and a completed short film during the closing ceremony of Visions du Réel’s industry sidebar  

11 April 2025

FIFDH Impact Days announces its winners

FIFDH Geneva 2025 – FIFDH Industry/Awards

FIFDH Impact Days announces its winners

The industry section of the Geneva-based human rights festival has granted awards to three projects addressing cultural resilience, war crimes and economic hardship  

12 March 2025

Visions du Réel's VdR-Industry to examine the changes the world is experiencing

Visions du Réel 2025 - VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel's VdR-Industry to examine the changes the world is experiencing

The platform will present industry professionals with 28 projects telling powerful stories which probe the complex nature of reality through unique filmmaking approaches  

11 March 2025

FIFDH Impact Days unveils its programme

FIFDH Geneva 2025 – FIFDH Industry

FIFDH Impact Days unveils its programme

The industry platform is gearing up for another impactful edition, bringing together global professionals, presenting inspiring case studies and fostering collaboration through networking events  

31 January 2025

FIFDH Impact Days to showcase transformative documentaries from around the world

FIFDH Geneva 2025 – FIFDH Industry

FIFDH Impact Days to showcase transformative documentaries from around the world

The seventh edition of the initiative has picked 12 projects for its Impact Lab, spotlighting powerful stories that address pressing global issues  

03 December 2024

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2024

Locarno 2024 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Swiss Films Previews @ Locarno Pro 2024

Swiss Films presents five previews of feature films expected between the end of 2024 and early 2025  

19 August 2024

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2024

Locarno 2024 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: Alliance 4 Development @ Locarno Pro 2024

We take a closer look at five projects showcased in Locarno Pro’s co-development programme for films from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland  

12 August 2024

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Alliance 4 Development winners

Locarno 2024 – Locarno Pro/Awards

Locarno Pro announces its First Look, Alliance 4 Development winners

Irene Bartolomé’s Dream of Another Summer, Victor Diago’s Downriver, A Tiger and Lukas Nathrath’s Burgeois Paranoia are among this year’s victors  

12 August 2024

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2024

Locarno 2024 – Locarno Pro

REPORT: First Look @ Locarno Pro 2024

We take a closer look at four of the six Spanish projects in post-production taking part in the industry initiative organised by the Swiss festival  

08 August 2024

The Alentours Forum selects 22 projects

Alentours Forum 2024

The Alentours Forum selects 22 projects

The Strasbourg-based event unspooling between 2 and 4 July has announced its selection, featuring Benoît Volnais’ new movie  

26 June 2024

The Marché du Film shines a spotlight on the benefits of co-producing with Switzerland

Cannes 2024 – Marché du Film

The Marché du Film shines a spotlight on the benefits of co-producing with Switzerland

CANNES 2024: During the talk, producer Carlo Cresto-Dina and Swiss reps touched on locations, manpower and soft money, among other topics  

20 May 2024

VdR-Industry announces its victors

Visions du Réel 2024 - VdR-Industry/Awards

VdR-Industry announces its victors

Over 100,000 Swiss francs were awarded to sixteen projects during the closing ceremony of the Visions du Réel Festival’s industry sidebar  

19 April 2024

Visions du Réel gives a voice to the cinema of the future

Visions du Réel 2024 - VdR-Industry

Visions du Réel gives a voice to the cinema of the future

VdR-Industry will present to industry professionals 29 projects showing a complex, fascinating and sometimes frightening contemporary world that is constantly changing  

20 March 2024

FIFDH Impact Days crowns its victors

FIFDH Geneva 2024 – FIFDH Industry/Awards

FIFDH Impact Days crowns its victors

The industry section of the Geneva-based human rights festival has granted awards to three projects and wrapped its most successful edition to date  

15 March 2024

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