«La Forteresse» nominated for the Prix Europa 2009
15.09.2009
The multi-award winning documentary «La Forteresse» by Fernand Melgar, the cineast from Lausanne, is the Swiss candidate in the category of «TV Documentary» at the Prix Europa 2009, which is also showing the Swiss co-production «Mais qui a tué Maggie?» by William Karrel. Stephanie Mitchell’s screenplay of the television film «Déchaînées» (direction: Raymond Vouillamoz) is competing in the category «Prix Genève-Europe (Best TV Fiction Script)». 231 international productions from the fields of television, radio and emerging media have been nominated, and will be judged in Berlin between 17 and 24 October 2009. The Prix Europa 2009 will be awarded at a gala on 24 October.
Since «La Forteresse» won the Golden Leopard in the category Cinéastes du Présent in August 2008, it has been invited to numerous festivals and, with 43,000 tickets sold, it has proven a major success in Swiss cinemas. The documentary about asylum seekers in Switzerland has received prizes at film festivals in Buenos Aires, Florence, Montreal and Tehran.
The Prix Europa – under the patronage of the Council of Europe – is the most important European media competition for television, radio and emerging media productions. 665 programmes from 40 countries have been submitted for the competition. This year, Switzerland has a total of nine productions waiting to be judged: in addition to the films, six radio programmes have been nominated, and the website of Music Star is competing in the category of «Emerging Media». At the end of the festival, 13 prize-winners will each receive € 6,000.
Zurich, 15 September 2009
The Prix Europa – under the patronage of the Council of Europe – is the most important European media competition for television, radio and emerging media productions. 665 programmes from 40 countries have been submitted for the competition. This year, Switzerland has a total of nine productions waiting to be judged: in addition to the films, six radio programmes have been nominated, and the website of Music Star is competing in the category of «Emerging Media». At the end of the festival, 13 prize-winners will each receive € 6,000.
Zurich, 15 September 2009