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AWARDS Switzerland

Swiss Film Prize selection process causes controversy

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Since the awarding of the Swiss Film Prize on March 6, the Swiss Film Academy’s selection process for films and performances has given rise to controversy. Many professionals have indeed been asking themselves why films nominated by their peers in several categories in the first ballot didn’t obtain enough votes in the second round to pick up one single Quartz (see news).

Even filmmaker Fredi M. Murer, president of the Academy, has expressed his confusion: “It’s true that the verdict also gave me food for thought. Explaining why a majority of professionals voted like they did is a matter of speculation. It is just as surprising that, after giving this film five nominations (Christoph Schaub’s Julia’s Disappearance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christoph Schaub
film profile
]
), the same people didn’t award it any prizes.”

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In particular, the suitability of selecting Quartz Film Prize winners by voting has been called into question, for while artistic appreciation of the films clearly prevailed in the voters’ choice of nominees, it cannot be ruled out that more political considerations came into play when voting for the prize winners.

Some suggest it would be better for the Swiss Film Academy to ask a jury to make the final choice. For the time being, the Academy intends as a priority to ensure it keeps full control over the Swiss Film Prize selection process, which it fought hard to “wrest” from the Federal Office for Culture just two years ago. There is no doubt, however, that the Academy will make it a point of principle to carry out the necessary adjustments.

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(Translated from French)

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