Georges Schwizgebel and Swiss animation films in Slovenia
05.12.2008
Following the homage in his honour by Cinémathèque Québécoise in conjunction with the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal in October, Georges Schwizgebel is in the limelight again: the 5th “Animateka” International Animation Film Festival in Ljubljana (December 8-14, 2008) will honour the Swiss master of animation films with a complete retrospective of his films. The national film promotion agency SWISS FILMS is a partner of the event. Moreover, the relatively new festival will present eleven short animation films from Switzerland, seven of which will participate in the international competition.
Georges Schwizgebel will attend the festival in the capital of Slovenia to introduce his works personally and also serve a member of the festival’s international jury. The filmmaker, who designed the poster for this year’s edition of the festival for animation film, will also give a masterclass on December 8. The fifteen films which he created in his 35-year career will be screened twice at the festival. His use of gouache colours and the constant metamorphosis of images have indeed become the 60-year-old film artist’s trademark. While the premiere of “Retouches”, his most recent film, was celebrated in Locarno, his film before that, “Jeu”, has been screened at countless film festivals and honoured with many awards. An exhibition comprising drawings and images by the animation filmmaker will supplement the retrospective in Ljubljana.
The following seven films will participate in the competition: “Animatou“, a collective film headed by Claude Luyet; “Die Seilbahn” by Claudius Gentinetta and Frank Braun; “La main de l'ours” by Marina Rosset; “Optical Percussion” by Gerd Gockell; “Sainte Barbe” by Cédric Louis and Claude Barras; “The Bellringer” by Dustin Rees; and “Tôt ou tard” by Jadwiga Kowalska. Three short films will be screened in the “Eastern and Central European Panorama” section: “In Limbo” by Michelle Ettlin; “Signalis” by Adrian Flückiger; and “What's Next?” by Adrian Flückiger and Claudia Röthlin. In addition, Irmgard Walthert’s film “Grosse Pläne” will be presented in the children’s film programme. This strong presence is a clear indication of the high quality of Swiss animation film productions.
class="news">Georges Schwizgebel Portrait
Geneva, December 5, 2008
The following seven films will participate in the competition: “Animatou“, a collective film headed by Claude Luyet; “Die Seilbahn” by Claudius Gentinetta and Frank Braun; “La main de l'ours” by Marina Rosset; “Optical Percussion” by Gerd Gockell; “Sainte Barbe” by Cédric Louis and Claude Barras; “The Bellringer” by Dustin Rees; and “Tôt ou tard” by Jadwiga Kowalska. Three short films will be screened in the “Eastern and Central European Panorama” section: “In Limbo” by Michelle Ettlin; “Signalis” by Adrian Flückiger; and “What's Next?” by Adrian Flückiger and Claudia Röthlin. In addition, Irmgard Walthert’s film “Grosse Pläne” will be presented in the children’s film programme. This strong presence is a clear indication of the high quality of Swiss animation film productions.
class="news">Georges Schwizgebel Portrait
Geneva, December 5, 2008