Numerous young Swiss talents at the Berlinale 2016

Jan Gassmann opens the Panorama Dokumente section with “Europe, she loves”. The young filmmaker from Zurich is one of the initiators and directors of “Wonderland”. This film celebrated its premiere at the Festival del film in Locarno and garnered an award at the Max-Ophüls-Preis Film Festival at the beginning of the year. Gassmann was already invited to the Berlinale in 2007 with his debut film, the documentary film “Chrigu”, and 2011 with his first fiction film “Off Beat”.

Tobias Nölle, also a filmmaker from Zurich involved in the making of “Wonderland”, will now present his first feature-length fiction film “Aloys” in the Panorama section in Berlin, which he wrote, directed and edited. The Hugo Film production was developed in the Torino Film Lab and selected for the prestigious Les Arc – “work in progress” programme. Nölle was able to secure the Austrian star actor Georg Friedrich for the leading role.

The Swiss-Portuguese production “Rio Corgo” was selected for the Forum section. The first feature-length film by Maya Kosa and Sergio Da Costa, the young directing duo from French-speaking Switzerland, was produced by Joëlle Bertossa, Close Up Films. It celebrated its premiere at the Doclisboa International Documentary Film Festival and was honoured with the award for Best Portuguese Feature Film.

Four Swiss productions in the Generation Kplus & 14plus sections

Ted Sieger’s first feature-length animation film “Molly Monster”, based on the successful children’s series, celebrates its world premiere in the Generation Kplus section of the Berlinale and will be released shortly thereafter in cinemas in Switzerland. Two short animation films “Cats & Dogs” by Jesús Pérez and Gerd Gockell as well as “The Teeny-Weeny Fox”, a coproduction mit Nadasdy Film, will be screened in the same section. The HEAD-Geneva production “Lick-Us, Meow, Meow!” by Marie de Maricourt will be screened in the Generation 14plus section for youth.       

The two Swiss box-office hits “Above and Below” by Nicolas Steiner and “Heidi” by Alain Gsponer, both German coproductions, have been preselected for the Lola German Film Award, hoping to garner a nomination in the categories of Best Documentary Film and Best Children’s Film. The Swiss minority coproduction “Das dunkle Gen”, coproduced by Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, is also present. All three films will be featured in conjunction with the Lola at Berlinale Screenings.

In addition, a Swiss film production is on the programme of this year’s Critics’ Week, a parallel event to the Berlinale held for the second time: the film “Homer, A Hunter's Fate” by Zahra Vargas, a HEAD-Geneva production, coproduced by Heinz Dill, Louise Productions.

Shooting Star 2016: Kacey Mottet Klein

Kacey Mottet Klein will represent Switzerland at the Shooting Stars Event of European Film Promotion (EFP) at the 66^th Berlinale. The 17-year-old actor from French-speaking Switzerland starred in Ursula Meier’s “Home” (2008) already at the age of ten and won the Swiss Film Award. Following his roles in “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life” (2010) and “Sister” (2012), Mottet Klein was last seen in the debut film “Keeper” at the Festival del film Locarno 2015. The coproduction has since won numerous international awards, most recently at Premiers Plans - Angers Film Festival. Kacey Mottet Klein is also present at this year’s Berlinale in the leading role of his latest film “Being 17” by André Techiné screened in Competition.

Ursula Meier, who was honoured with the Silver Bear for “Sister” in 2012, is on this year’s three-member jury that presents the Best First Feature Award, endowed with Euro 50,000. The Best First Feature Award goes to a debut film from the sections Competition, Panorama, Forum, Generation or Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

SWISS FILMS is present with a stand at the European Film Market EFM from February 11-19.

SWISS FILMS, February 2, 2016