Six Swiss coproductions in Cannes
Switzerland is present with six coproductions in the main and parallel sections of the 68th Festival de Cannes. Furthermore, a striking number of female Swiss film producers are present with their works this year in Cannes.
07.05.2015
After the Official Selection of the Festival de Cannes was revealed last Thursday, the parallel sections – Directors’ Fortnight, International Critics’ Week and ACID – announced their programmes this week.
Directors’ Fortnight programme features three Swiss coproductions
Two production companies from French-speaking Switzerland will present their films in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight parallel section, which opens this year with “In The Shadow of Women” by Philippe Garell, coproduced by Joëlle Bertossa (Close Up Films). Also screened in this section is the promising new film by the Portuguese director Miguel Gomes “Arabian Nights”, coproduced by Elena Tatti and Elodie Brunner (Box Productions). “Pueblo” by the Spanish director Elena López Riera and coproduced by Garidi Films in Geneva, was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight short film programme.
Band à part Films in Cannes: Lionel Baier (ACID) & Frédéric Mermoud (Talents Adami)
The ACID parallel section, organised by the French Filmmakers’ Association, has also selected Swiss coproductions for its programme: “La Vanité” by Lionel Baier, the Swiss-French coproduction by Band à part Films, featuring Patrick Lapp and Carmen Maura in the leading roles, as well as the debut film “(be)longing” by the Portuguese filmmaker João Pedro Plácido (production: Joëlle Bertossa, Close Up Films), which is currently being screened at the Festival Visions du Réel Film in Nyon. For the past 22 years, ACID has presented its own programme in Cannes. The association provides support for the theatrical release of the selected films after the festival.
Frédéric Mermoud from Bande à part Films will present his short film “À rebours” in conjunction with the traditional Talents Adami Cannes collection, which presents 20 new acting talents in Cannes.
Aline Schmid is Producer on the Move 2015
During the festival, European Film Promotion invites a select number of European film producers to Cannes. This year marks the 16th edition of the forum, which offers 20 Producers on the Move the opportunity to strengthen international ties and develop mutual projects. Representing Switzerland this year, as recommended by SWISS FILMS, is film producer Aline Schmid (Intermezzo Films, Geneva). Her much-acclaimed coproduction “Broken Land” was screened in Locarno and in Rotterdam. Her two latest productions – “Horizontes” and “Gangbé!” – are currently celebrating their world premieres in Nyon at Visions du Réel. At present, Schmid is working on “Almost There” by Jacqueline Zünd and “Auf Leber und Tod” by Res Balzli.
Anne Walser (2010), Elena Tatti (2007), Joëlle Bertossa (2013) and Elodie Brunner (2014), all of whom are on this year’s festival programme with coproductions, were in Cannes as Producers on the move in recent years.
SWISS FILMS in Cannes
The 68th Festival de Cannes will take place from May 13-24, 2015. The promotion agency SWISS FILMS will be present at the Marché du Film, the most important European film market in Europe, with the “Pavillon Suisse” in the Village International in Cannes. The Cannes 2015 e-booklet, featuring the latest Swiss productions, will be published at the beginning of May 2015. Switzerland is represented in Cannes with a total of six feature-length films and two short films.
SWISS FILMS, April 21, 2015