Appellations Suisse 200659th Locarno International Film Festival
12.07.2006
“Appellations Suisse” provides a platform to Swiss films with international potential that were released in the last year or raised interest at major international film festivals. SWISS FILMS, the national film promotion organisation established in 2003, is responsible for organising the contents of this film series which has been well received by the spectators since it was launched by the film industry six years ago. At the 59th Locarno International Film Festival, the largest and most important international film event in Switzerland, SWISS FILMS will be presenting ten Swiss films produced for the cinema: six fiction and four documentary films. They represent works of superior quality, surprising, innovative first works, documentaries with touching topics and original views on contemporary history, and outstanding acting performances. Marthe Keller, winner of the Swiss Film Prize 2006 for her performance in “Fragile”, will be expected in Locarno, together with many other exponents of Swiss filmmaking.
New talent will be presented with “Going Private” (Nachbeben) by Stina Werenfels and “Fragile” by Laurent Nègre. “Lenz” by Thomas Imbach experiments with an innovative cinematic expression. “Vitus” by Fredi M. Murer, “Grounding – The Last Days Of Swissair” (Grounding – Die letzten Tage der Swissair) by Michael Steiner and Tobias Fueter, “Jeune Homme” by Christoph Schaub and “EXIT, The Right To Die” (EXIT, le droit de mourir) by Fernand Melgar are all recent fiction and documentary productions by well-known, established directors. The presented works by Stina Werenfels, Thomas Imbach and Laurent Nègre have won international acclaim at international festivals and awards. Fredi M. Murer’s “Vitus”, which will be screened on 8 August, the Journée du cinéma suisse, has been exported to more than ten countries. The films “The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez” (Das kurze Leben des José Antonio Gutierrez) (Heidi Specogna), “Hippie Masala – Für immer in Indien” (Ulrich Grossenbacher / Damaris Lüthi), “EXIT, The Right To Die” (Fernand Melgar) and “Zum Abschied Mozart” (Christian Labhart) highlight the vitality and strength of Swiss documentary filmmaking. For the seventh edition of “Appellations Suisse”, there were 39 films to choose from, which have been screened in cinemas since August 2005 or selected for international film festivals.
The SSA/Suissimage Screenplay Award and the SUISA Film Music Prize will be presented on 8 August, prior to the screening of “Vitus”.
The screenings are open to the public, being primarily aimed at the international professional sector. Due to increasing public interest over the past years, the films from “Appellations Suisse” are screened in the cinema “La Sala”, with seating for an audience of 960 (daily from 3 to 12 August at 11 a.m., and then again on the following day in the cinema “Rialto 1” at 10 p.m.).
“Appellations Suisse” contributes to a broader distribution of Swiss films with international potential, while highlighting the quality Swiss filmmaking as well. In addition to the numerous Swiss films making their premiere in various sectors of the festival’s program (Piazza Grande, in competitions, Critic’s Week, Filmmakers of the Present), the growing significance of Swiss filmmaking will be clearly evident in Locarno.
Zurich, July 12, 2006
Appellations Suisse 2006 – The selection of films in alphabetical order
The SSA/Suissimage Screenplay Award and the SUISA Film Music Prize will be presented on 8 August, prior to the screening of “Vitus”.
The screenings are open to the public, being primarily aimed at the international professional sector. Due to increasing public interest over the past years, the films from “Appellations Suisse” are screened in the cinema “La Sala”, with seating for an audience of 960 (daily from 3 to 12 August at 11 a.m., and then again on the following day in the cinema “Rialto 1” at 10 p.m.).
“Appellations Suisse” contributes to a broader distribution of Swiss films with international potential, while highlighting the quality Swiss filmmaking as well. In addition to the numerous Swiss films making their premiere in various sectors of the festival’s program (Piazza Grande, in competitions, Critic’s Week, Filmmakers of the Present), the growing significance of Swiss filmmaking will be clearly evident in Locarno.
Zurich, July 12, 2006
Appellations Suisse 2006 – The selection of films in alphabetical order