28/03/2023 - This year’s winners were announced at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva, where the Academy also recognised a little-known profession in Switzerland: acting coaching

Although Michael Koch’s A Piece of Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile], which was presented in a world premiere at the 2022 Berlinale, and Stuntwomen [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which is young director Elena Avdija’s debut film, claimed the most significant awards at the Swiss Film Prize, it was Ursula Meier’s The Line [+see also:
film review
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interview: Ursula Meier
film profile] which ended up scooping the greatest number of trophies, namely Best Actress for Stéphanie Blanchoud, Best Supporting Performance for Elli Spagnolo, and Best Screenplay (thanks to Stéphanie Blanchoud, Ursula Meier and Antoine Jaccoud).

The drama A Piece of Sky, shot in the majestic setting of the Swiss Alps using supporting actors, has already walked a rather enviable road, nabbing a Special Mention in the 2022 Berlinale’s international competition, a Special Jury Award at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, and representing Switzerland in the 2022 Oscar race, among other boasts. As such, despite the competition being fierce (El agua [+see also:
film review
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interview: Elena López Riera
film profile] by Elena López Riera was also in the running, alongside Carmen Jaquier’s Thunder [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier
film profile], which triumphed in the categories of Best Score and Best Sound, Ursula Meier’s afore-mentioned movie The Line, and Cyril Schäublin’s Unrest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cyril Schäublin
film profile], which bagged Best Cinematography), it came as no surprise when the Academy named Koch’s work Best Fiction Film 2023.

What was surprising, however, was the decision to crown a first film Best Documentary. Other works battling it out for the title included the 2022 Visions du Réel champion Like An Island [+see also:
film review
interview: Tizian Büchi
film profile], by Tizian Büchi, Loving Highsmith [+see also:
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film profile] by Eva Vitija, which opened the 2022 Solothurn Film Festival, Girl Gang [+see also:
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interview: Susanne Regina Meures
film profile] by Susanne Regina Meures, which had also been selected for major festivals including Amsterdam’s IDFA, Tallin’s PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival and Florence’s Festival dei Popoli, and (Im)mortels [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Lila Ribi, which walked away with the Best Editing trophy.

The Record, Jonathan Laskar’s intriguing film which tells the story of a wine-maker with magical powers, earned itself the accolade of Best Animated Film, having also screened in a number of international festivals, where it won, among other awards, Best Film in Annecy 2022 and the New Swiss Talent Prize at Fantoche. For its part, the documentary Becoming a Black Woman [+see also:
film review
film profile] by the Swiss-Congolese journalist Rachel M’Bon and the director of Mexican descent Julia Fanjul - which lends a voice to the many women who lay claim to Swiss, black identity - bagged the title of Best Short Film. Last but not least, Manfred Liechti, the protagonist of Laurent Wyss’ Peter K. – Alone Against the State, won himself the award for Best Actor, while the documentary Ours (crowned Best Film in the 2022 Sparks II line-up at the Internationale Kurzfilmtage di Winterthur) by Morgane Frund (who studied at HSLU) was named Best Graduate Film.

The two acting coaches Barbara Fischer and Giles Foreman, who have worked on upwards of 30 films and 5 TV series, were the winners of the Academy’s Special Prize, while heavyweight producer Ruth Waldburger won the Honorary Award for lifetime achievement. The owner of Zurich-based firm Vega Films since 1988, Waldburger has worked with famous names along the lines of Jean-Luc Godard - producing 11 of his films - Alain Tanner, Alain Resnais, Béla Tarr, Noémie Lvovsky and Barbet Schroeder. More recently, Waldburger has been responsible for international hits such as Sister [+see also:
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interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
interview: Ursula Meier
film profile] by Ursula Meier and My Little Sister [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Stéphanie Chuat and Véroniq…
film profile] by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond.

The winners of the 2023 Swiss Film Prize are as follows:

Best Film
A Piece of Sky [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Michael Koch
film profile] - Michael Koch (Switzerland/Germany)

Best Documentary
Stuntwomen [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Elena Avdija (Switzerland/France)

Best Short Film
Becoming A Black Woman [+see also:
film review
film profile]- Juliana Fanjul and Rachel M’Bon

Best Animated Film
The Record - Jonathan Laskar

Best Screenplay
Stéphanie Blanchoud, Ursula Meier and Antoine Jaccoud – The Line [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ursula Meier
film profile] (Switzerland/France/Belgium)

Best Actress
Stéphanie Blanchoud – The Line

Best Actor
Manfred Liechti - Peter K. – Alone Against the State

Best Supporting Performance
Elli Spagnolo – The Line

Best Score
Nicolas Rabaeus - Thunder [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier
film profile]

Best Cinematography
Silvan Hillman - Unrest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cyril Schäublin
film profile]

Best Editing
Karine Sudan – (Im)mortels [+see also:
film review
film profile]

Best Sound
Carlos Ibañez-Diaz, Denis Séchaud - Thunder

Best Graduate Film
Ours - Morgane Frund

Academy’s Special Prize
Barbara Fischer, acting coach
Giles Foreman, acting coach

Honorary Award
Ruth Waldburger for her career as a producer

(Translated from Italian)