21/03/2016 - After taking place in Geneva last year, tradition dictated that the Quartz Awards ceremony be moved this year – to Zurich and the picturesque setting of the Schiffbau

The winners of the 18th Swiss Film Awards (© Swiss Film Awards/Eddymotion Photography)

A total of 24 films, including features, shorts and animated movies, split among 12 categories (this year saw the addition of the new “Best Student Film” category), battled it out for the 2016 Quartz Awards, which serve to acknowledge the best film productions that Switzerland has to offer.

At the 18^th edition of the event, the “Honorary Award” (the top prize) was handed to famous Ticino-born DoP Renato Berta. His myriad collaborations with the most prominent masters of cinema, such as Alain Tanner, Eric Rohmer and Amos Gitai, coupled with his unmistakable artistic sensitivity and work off the beaten track, make him one of the great key players in European arthouse film from the last 45 years.

The moving feature Köpek [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Turkish-Swiss director Esen Isik and the multi-award-winning documentary Above and Below [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Nicolas Steiner were the big winners this year. The former went home with the Best Fiction Film Award and Best Actress (thanks to the intense performance by Berena Tuna), while the latter won Best Documentary and Best Editing (Kaya Inan). Above and Below also walked away with the Special Award for Best Sound Mix. 

Meanwhile, Vanity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lionel Baier
film profile] by Lionel Baier, one of the two hot favourites (along with Köpek), snagged two Quartz Awards: Best Actor (Patrick Lapp) and Best Supporting Actor (Ivan Georgie, who makes his big-screen debut in the film). Women really came to the fore this year thanks also to Ursula Meier (who won Best Short Film for Kacey Mottet Klein, naissance d’un acteur) and to the two female Zurich-based producers (Brigitte Hofer and Cornelia Seitler, Maximage) of Köpek and Above and Below. 

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Fiction Film
Köpek [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Esen Isik

Best Documentary
Above and Below [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Nicolas Steiner

Best Short Film
Kacey Mottet Klein, naissance d’un acteur – Ursula Meier

Best Animated Film
Erlkönig – Georges Schwizgebel

Best Student Film
Ruben Leaves – Frederic Siegel

Best Actress
Beren Tuna – Köpek

Best Actor
Patrick Lapp – Vanity [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lionel Baier
film profile]

Best Supporting Actor
Ivan Georgiev – Vanity

Best Screenplay
Micha Lewinsky – A Decent Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]

Best Cinematography
Felix von Muralt – A Bell for Ursli [+see also:
trailer
film profile]

Best Editing
Kaya Inan – Above and Below

Best Film Score
Marcel Vaid – The Day the Sun Fell [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aya Domenig
film profile]

(Translated from Italian)