“Oltre il confine” wins film prize in Saarbruecken
19.01.2003
At the 24th Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival in Saarbruecken, which concluded on January 18, 2003, the Swiss film “Oltre il confine” (Beyond the Border) by Rolando Colla was awarded the Minister President of Saarland film prize. With a prize sum of 11,000 Euros, this award also includes promotional distribution in Germany. The audience prize as well as the Interfilm Prize awarded by the International Interchurch Film Organization was given to “Kiki & Tiger”, a film debut by Swiss director Alain Gsponer.
“Oltre il confine” by Rolando Colla, which had previously been nominated for the 2003 Swiss Film Prize, tells the story of a Bosnian refugee and an Italian architect during the war in Yugoslavia, their sparking love affair resulting in both lives taking new directions. “Oltre il confine” had its public premiere at the 55th Locarno International Film Festival in August 2002. In November 2002, it competed at the 46th Regus London Film Festival and at the 13th Ljubljana Film Festival, and it was also shown as the opening film at the Festival Alpe Adria Cinema in Trieste, Italy, in January 2003. The film will premiere at the Lunchkino in Zurich on January 23rd, and will be shown in movie theatres in the German speaking part of Switzerland beginning January 30th, 2003 (Distribution: Filmcoopi). In Italian cinemas, “Oltre il confine” will be premiere at the end of February 2003.
Alain Gsponer’s film “Kiki & Tiger”, a co-production by the Film Academy of Baden-Wurtemberg in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Swiss Television SF DRS follows an illegal immigrant from Albania living in Germany who faces impending extradition. It shows his friendship with a Serbian man, the pressure both face from their ethnic communities, and their resistance to it.
Swiss films were successful at last year’s festival as well: “Utopia Blues” by Stefan Haupt was awarded “Best Screenplay” and received the “Interfilm Prize”, while Michael Finger, the lead actor in the film, was awarded best new talent for his performance.
Zurich, January 19, 2003
Alain Gsponer’s film “Kiki & Tiger”, a co-production by the Film Academy of Baden-Wurtemberg in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Swiss Television SF DRS follows an illegal immigrant from Albania living in Germany who faces impending extradition. It shows his friendship with a Serbian man, the pressure both face from their ethnic communities, and their resistance to it.
Swiss films were successful at last year’s festival as well: “Utopia Blues” by Stefan Haupt was awarded “Best Screenplay” and received the “Interfilm Prize”, while Michael Finger, the lead actor in the film, was awarded best new talent for his performance.
Zurich, January 19, 2003