Major presence for Swiss filmmaking in Mexico
In celebration of 70 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mexico, Switzerland will be featured as guest of honor at the 31st Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) from March 4–13. Swiss filmmaking will be extensively showcased in an exclusive programme together with a delegation of renowned Swiss filmmakers.
18.02.2016
The Swiss programme at the 31st FICG is comprised of approximately 30 films and will open with Alain Gsponer’s box-office hit “Heidi”. Within just a few weeks after its cinematic release, the coproduction already ranked as Switzerland’s most successful international blockbuster. The films in the guest programme include, among others, “Above And Below” by Nicolas Steiner, “Broken Land” by Stéphanie Barbey and Luc Peter, “Wonderland” by Michael Krummenacher, Jan Gassmann et al., “The Miracle of Tekir” by Ruxandra Zenide, as well as “The Master and Max” by Marcel Derek Ramsay and “Little Mountain Boy” by Xavier Koller. Ted Sieger’s first feature-length animation film “Molly Monster”, which has just celebrated its world premiere at the Berlinale, has also been selected for the programme in Guadalajara. Eileen Hofer’s “Horizontes” will be screened in the Documentary Film Competition.
Swiss personalities at FICG
Approximately twenty Swiss filmmakers in total have been invited to Guadalajara by the FICG. Both Lionel Baier and the Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Léa Pool will be honoured for their commitment to portraying sexual diversity in film and will receive an honorary award by the Premio Maguey LGBT section. In addition, the two will present their latest films in Mexico: Baier with “La vanité” and Pool with “La passion d'Augustine”. Film producer Ivan Madeo is a member of the Premio Maguey jury and will also present “Wonderland” (production: Contrast Film) at the festival. Further guests from Switzerland were invited as jury members at the most important festival in Latin America: for example, Seraina Rohrer, director, Solothurn Film Festival for the Doc Jury, and the journalist Geri Krebs for the FIPRESCI Jury.
A number of Swiss guests will also participate in the festival and market events: for example, Marc Forster in the Film4Cimate-Panel; Xavier Koller and Georges Schwizgebel will give a masterclass as experts within the framework of the Lecturer Meet the Experts - Talents Guadalajara series. Marc Forster will also be honoured with the Guadalajara International Award and present his Oscar-winning film “Monster’s Ball” at the FICG.
Numerous Swiss coproductions with Latin America
More than a dozen Swiss coproductions with Latin-American countries are currently in the planning or in production, among others “La idea de un lago” by Milagros Mumenthaler (Alina Films) or “Una historia invisible” by Arami Ullon (Cineworx). “A Stray Bullet”, the new project by director Jean-Cosme Delaloye and Francine Lusser (Tipi’mages) was selected for Coproduction Pitchings. Delaloye was already present at the 30th FICG last year in the Documentary Film Competition with “La prenda” (Tipi’mages). Film producer Aline Schmid (Intermezzo Films), who garnered two awards at Sundance with the German-Swiss-Iranian coproduction “Sonita” at the beginning of this year, is present at the festival with three films: “Broken Land”, “Gangbé” and “Horizontes”. In addition, she will participate in the Bilateral Meetings organised by the film market.
SWISS FILMS has its own stand at the FICG Film Market this year for the first time from March 4–9, 2016. The promotion agency for Swiss filmmaking aims to intensify the dissemination of Swiss film productions in Latin America. Support measures for distributors outside Europe are currently being developed in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture and should be implemented by SWISS FILMS as of 2017. Brazil and Mexico rank among the most important export markets for European films.
Swiss programme on tour in Latin America
In collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico, SWISS FILMS launched the “Joyas del cine suizo” programme showcasing film classics from Switzerland in the renowned Cineteca Nacional in Mexico City last December. As a preliminary to the FICG, a selection of these films was screened in Cineforo in Guadalajara at the beginning of February. Following the guest appearance at the festival and the film market in Guadalajara, a selection of these current films will be screened again in the Cineteca National in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Mexico. A selection should also be available on VOD platforms in Latin America. Furthermore, part of the Swiss programme will be screened at the Eurocine Festival in Columbia this year and in Brazil next year. In addition, film programmes at further Mexican and Latin American film festivals are being planned.
SWISS FILMS, February 18, 2016