Blue My Mind and The Paris Opera emerge triumphant at the Swiss Film Awards
- The 21st edition of the ceremony has split its main prizes between German- and French-speaking Switzerland
This year’s frontrunner for the Swiss Film Awards with a solid seven nominations, Blue My Mind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lisa Brühlmann
interview: Luna Wedler
film profile], helmed by Zurich-born director Lisa Brühlmann and produced by Tellfilm, went home with a particularly impressive haul: the Awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actress, which was bestowed upon Luna Wedler. After having basked in the limelight as a Shooting Star during the most recent edition of the Berlinale, the young Swiss actress is currently hard at work on a raft of film projects, one of which is Midnight Runner [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hannes Baumgartner
film profile], the feature debut by Swiss helmer Hannes Baumgartner, which is being produced by Contrast Film. Blue My Mind was presented as a world premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival (New Directors) and has so far scooped an array of trophies, including Best Director at the Max Ophüls Preis in Saarbrücken.
On the French-language side of things, it was Jean-Stéphane Bron’s well-honed and powerful documentary The Paris Opera [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (produced by Bande à Part, Les Films Pelléas, RTS, Orange Studio and France 2 Cinéma) that came out on top, pocketing the Best Documentary Award. Bron has thus taken home the statuette for the third time: he previously won it in 2004 thanks to Mais im Bundeshuus: Le génie helvétique and in 2011 for Cleveland Versus Wall Street [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Stéphane Bron
film profile]. So far, The Paris Opera has been released in theatres in nine countries, and its distribution rights have been sold to 15.
Mario [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Marcel Gisler (produced by Triluna Film) also held its own fairly well, snagging two awards: Best Actor, which went to Max Hubacher, and Best Supporting Actor or Actress (Jessy Moravec). Gisler can certainly be considered a regular at the event over the years, as he has been awarded on several different occasions. For example, he won Best Documentary and Best Editing in 2015 for the fascinating Electroboy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], as well as Best Film in 1999 for Fögi Is a Bastard, among other victories.
The docs Almost There [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Jacqueline Zünd (staged by Hugofilm and Intermezzo Films) and Pure Charcoal [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Robert Müller (produced by Zeitraum Film), and the German-Swiss co-production The Little Witch [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Mike Schaerer, scooped the Awards for Best Editing (Gion-Reto Killias), Best Cinematography (Pio Corradi) and Best Film Score (Diego, Lionel Vincent and Nora Baldenweg), respectively.
In the shorts category, the Best Short Film Award was bestowed upon the multi-award-winning Facing Mecca by Jan-Eric Mack, while Airport by Michaela Müller bagged the Award for Best Animated Film. Animation was also thrust firmly into the spotlight thanks to the Honorary Award handed to the great Georges Schwizgebel. Meanwhile, this year’s Academy Special Award went to make-up artist Thomas Nellen for his work on the film Vacuum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christine Repond
film profile] by Christine Repond.
Here is the full list of winners of the Swiss Film Awards:
Best Film
Blue My Mind [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lisa Brühlmann
interview: Luna Wedler
film profile] – Lisa Brühlmann
Best Documentary
The Paris Opera [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Jean-Stéphane Bron (Switzerland/France)
Best Short Film
Facing Mecca – Jan-Eric Mack
Best Animated Film
Airport – Michaela Müller (short film)
Best Screenplay
Lisa Brühlmann - Blue My Mind
Best Actress
Luna Wedler - Blue My Mind
Best Actor
Max Hubacher – Mario [+see also:
trailer
film profile]
Best Supporting Actor or Actress
Jessy Moravec – Mario
Best Film Score
Diego, Lionel, Vincent and Nora Baldenweg – The Little Witch [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Germany/Switzerland)
Best Cinematography
Pio Corradi – Pure Charcoal [+see also:
trailer
film profile]
Best Editing
Gion-Reto Killias – Almost There [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]
(Translated from Italian)
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