“More Than Honey” in the running for an Oscar

The seven-member jury appointed by the Federal Office of Culture selected the multi-award-winning audience favourite “More Than Honey” as the Oscar candidate in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.

Candidate with success story
“More Than Honey” has been sold in 28 countries and was successfully released in June 2013 in the USA (world sales: Films Boutique; US distributor: Lorber Films). The film has been invited to more than 40 international festivals. With ticket sales of over 230,000 in Switzerland, it is the most frequently seen Swiss documentary film and ranks 12th on the list of most successful Swiss films in the cinema (recorded since 1975). The coproduction (Switzerland, Germany, Austria) has been honoured with a considerable number of awards: the Swiss Film Award, the German Film Award Lola, the Bavarian Film Award, the Austrian Film Award, the Best Documentary Award in Santa Barbara, among others.

Jury’s statement
With “More Than Honey” for the category of Best Foreign Language Film, the jury is delighted to select a documentary film for the first time. The choice pays tribute to Switzerland’s long-standing tradition in documentary films for the cinema and the outstanding international recognition of the film. “Markus Imhoof’s work is a visual spectacle that raises controversial ecological issues from the bees’ perspective.”
The members of the jury, appointed by the Federal Office of Culture include: Marcel Hoehn, film producer and jury president; Catherine Ann Berger, director SWISS FILMS; Elena Hazanov, film director; Christian Frei, film director; Peter-Christian Fueter, film producer; Jean Perret, head of the Film Department at HEAD Geneva University of Art and Design; and the actress Mona Petri.

Coordination of the Oscar campaign
SWISS FILMS, the promotion agency, bears the responsibility for coordinating the selection process, submitting the Swiss candidate and organising the Oscar campaign on behalf of the Federal Office of Culture. A key factor is the close collaboration with the American distributor Lorber Films and the commissioned PR firm.

Nominations
A committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selects the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film. The nominations will be announced on January 16, 2014. The Oscars will be awarded in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2014.

“Das Boot ist voll”
Markus Imhoof received an Oscar nomination for his fiction film “Das Boot ist voll” in 1982 and has since been a member of the Film Academy. The drama, set during the Second World War, also ranks among the 20 most frequently seen Swiss film productions, with ticket sales amounting to approximately 160,000 in Switzerland.

Zurich, September 19, 2013