ACADEMY AWARDS 2022

Elie Grappe’s feature-length debut OLGA is in the running for a nomination for the 94th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. Produced by Point Prod (Jean-Marc Fröhle) with French Cinéma Defacto, the film premiered in the Cannes Critic’s Week where it garnered the SACD Award for Best Script. OLGA recently had its theatrical release in Switzerland (Cineworx) and France (ARP Sélection) where it was received with critical acclaim.

The feature film HIVE by Kosovar director Blerta Basholli is a coproduction with Alva Film Production in Switzerland and has been submitted by Kosovo for the International Feature Film category. The film celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was honoured with the Grand Jury Prize, the Directing Award, and the Audience Award of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

Swiss producer Dan Wechsler and his company Bord Cadre Films participated in the film MEMORIA by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, which is in the running for Columbia.

Documentary films on course for success

The Swiss-Paraguayan coproduction NOTHING BUT THE SUN by Arami Ullón has been submitted in the International Feature Film category as Paraguay’s official Oscar entry. The film was produced by Swiss Cineworx and is also eligible for an Academy Award in the Documentary Feature category. The renowned International Documentary Association recently nominated NOTHING BUT THE SUN as Best Feature Film for the prestigious IDA Awards.

Also eligible for the Documentary Feature category the Swiss documentary film OSTROV – LOST ISLAND by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop premiered at Visions du Réel in Nyon and won the award for Best Documentary Film at Hot Docs Toronto. The film was produced by Swiss DokLab.

Switzerland’s multifaceted short film productions  

A total of five short films have qualified for the Academy Awards, two of which are in the Live Action Short Film category: Maria Brendle’s ALA KACHUU – TAKE AND RUN (production: Filmgerberei GmbH), screened at more than 40 Academy qualifiying festivals und garnered multiple awards; Nora Longatti’s STRANGERS (GoldenEggProduction; ÉCAL) was honoured with the award for Best Swiss Short Film at the Locarno Film Festival.

The highly acclaimed short film YOUR STREET by Güzin Kar has been submitted in the Short Subject Documentary category. The film was screened at the Berlinale and the AFI Fest in Los Angeles, among others, and has made the shortlist for the Cinema Eye Honors.

Two animation films are eligible for the Animated Short Film category: the multi-award-winning short film ONLY A CHILD by Simone Giampaolo (Amka Films Productions), and PEEL by Samuel Patthey and Silvain Monney (DOK MOBILE), which was honoured with Cristal for Best Short Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

SWISS FILMS supports Oscar campaigns

The Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC) has assigned SWISS FILMS, the promotion agency, the task of coordinating and carrying out the selection process for the official Swiss entry in the category of International Feature Film. As part of its Award Support services, SWISS FILMS provides consulting and communication resources to support the promotion campaigns of the Swiss entries.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the shortlists for the various categories on December 21, followed by the Oscar nominations on February 8, 2022. The Oscars will be awarded at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27.