Nine Swiss films in competition at Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken

Switzerland will shine with 16 film productions screened at the 32nd Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken. The festival opens with “Bad Boy Kummer” by Miklós Gimes.

13.01.2011

Switzerland will shine with 16 film productions screened at the 32nd Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken (January 17-23, 2011). The festival opens with “Bad Boy Kummer” by Miklós Gimes. Moreover, celebrating their international or world premieres in competition are the following feature films: “Der Sandmann” (The Sandman) by Peter Luisi; “Fliegende Fische” by Güzin Kar; and “Silberwald” (Silver Forest) by Christine Repond. Also in competition are the award-winning feature films “180°” by Cihan Inan and “Stationspiraten” by Michael Schaerer, as well as Maria Müller’s documentary film “Hüllen.” This marks the first time for such a prominent display of Swiss filmmaking in Saarbrücken.

The successful thirty-minute feature film "Dürä..!" (Wacked..!) by Quinn Reimann and Rolf Lang is yet another film in the running for an award. Screened in the short film competition will be the two Swiss film productions "Angela" by David Maye and "Mak" by Géraldine Zosso.

Monetary prizes amounting to approximately EUR 100,000 will be awarded at the Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival 2011. The Swiss member of the jury is film director Dani Levy, whose film "Alles auf Zucker" will also be screened at the festival.

Further Swiss highlights will be screened at the festival in Saarbrücken: film director Stefan Haupt will present "How About Love" and "Songs Of Love And Hate" by Katalin Gödrös. Rounding off the strong Swiss presence at the festival are the films: "Das Schiff des Torjägers" (The Goalgetter's Ship) by Heidi Specogna; "Goodnight Nobody" by Jacqueline Zünd; as well as the film "Taub" by Talkhon Hamzavi, produced at the Zurich University of the Arts Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, and "Trouble No More" (coproduction: Fama). The Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival is a notable platform for films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Former winners of the Max Ophuels Prize include the following Swiss film directors: Clemens Klopfenstein and Remo Legnazzi ("E Nacht lang Füürland" in 1982); Christoph Schaub ("Wendel" in 1988); Denis Rabaglia ("Grossesse nerveuse" in 1994); Jörg Helbling ("Der Nebelläufer" in 1996); Simon Aeby ("Three Below Zero" in 1999); and Irene Ledermann ("Schonzeit" in 2010). Acting awards went to Michael Finger ("Utopia Blues in 2002) and Johanna Bantzer ("Strähl in 2004).

Zurich, January 13, 2011

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