23/11/2006

With 55 films selected at the major international festivals – 18 features, 15 documentaries and 22 shorts – and no less than 37 prize-winners, 2006 will go down as one of the best years for Swiss cinema. In 2005, only ten of a total of 45 films won awards. This exceptional performance abroad has also been echoed in record audiences for domestic films in Switzerland, with its market share exceeding 10% for the first time ever.

While participation in competition at the most prestigious events was more the exception rather than the rule for Swiss titles, they were present at eight of the 12 Category A festivals. Swiss films also did well at Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Montreal and Sundance.

Vitus [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Davi
interview: Fredi M. Murer
film profile] by Fredi M. Murer (see Focus), Going Private by Stina Werenfels and Thomas Imbach’s Lenz [+see also:
trailer
film profile] all had their international premieres at the Berlin Film Festival. Switzerland was well-represented at Cannes in the Cinemas of the World section, three features were screened at the Piazza Grande at Locarno, Ultima Thule by Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf was in competition at the Montreal World Film Festival – where there was a tribute to actor Bruno Ganz – and Sundance hosted three documentaries.

The 11 prize-winning features and documentaries this year include Das Fraulein [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Andrea Staka, which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 21 years after Fredi M. Murer’s Alpine Fire, as well as sweeping two prizes at Sarajevo; Murer’s Vitus, winner of the Audience Award at Rome, Chicago and Los Angeles and Bronze Bear winner for Best Director at Berlin; My Brother is Getting Married [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Stéphane Bron
interview: Thierry Spicher
film profile] by Jean-Stéphane Bron, who left Namur with two Golden Bayards (see news) and Werenfels’ Going Private, which picked up awards at Schwerin and Viareggio.

(Translated from French)