Sundance: two world premieres and two short films from Switzerland

TAMING THE GARDEN by Georgian director Salomé Jashi is a coproduction by Mira Film in Switzerland, together with Georgia and Germany. The film will screen in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. It portrays the incredible journey of several 100-year-old trees along the Georgian coast that a wealthy man had dug out and transplanted in his private park. World Sales have been acquired by Syndicado Film Sales in Toronto. Mira Film has made an international name for itself with discerning documentary films and is a regular presence at festivals.

HIVE will be screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and is a coproduction by Alva Film Production, together with Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania. Director Blerta Basholli’s feature-film debut tells the story of Fahrije, who struggles against patriarchal village structures to keep her family afloat with a small farm since her husband disappeared in the Kosovo War. World Sales have been acquired by LevelK ApS - Film & TV Distribution in Denmark. Alva Film Production is well known for its auteur films and promotes the work of up-and-coming directors with its productions. Their documentary film WAKE UP ON MARS was selected for screening at the Tribeca Film Festival last year.

Two gems in the Short Film Competition

LITTLE MISS FATE by Joder von Rotz will be screened in the Animation Spotlight. The 8-minute short film was produced by the young YK Animation Studio, which has attracted a great deal of attention at international festivals with its highly original, quirky animated films such as IN A NUTSHELL or COYOTE. LITTLE MISS FATE celebrated its world premiere at the Krakow Film Festival last year and was screened at the festivals in Annecy, Palm Springs, at Fantoche and at the Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur. World Sales have been acquired by Magnetfilm GmbH in Berlin.

The Swiss-Portuguese documentary film SPIRITS AND ROCKS: AN AZOREAN MYTH will be screened in the Documentary Shorts Programme. Director Aylin Gökmen is also co-founder of the À Vol d’Oiseau production company. Her poetic-mythical essay film paints a portrait of a volcanic Azorean island. The film premiered in the Pardi di domani National Competition at the Locarno Film Festival in 2020.

Swiss pick at Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is considered the most important North American platform for independent American and international productions. The international competitions each screen only ten selected films from around the world. Last year, two Swiss productions were screened in both sections: SAUDI RUNAWAY and YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS.

This year, the festival is not taking place in Park City but will screen films mainly virtually or decentralized in select arthouse cinemas in the USA.

To increase the market opportunities of Swiss films abroad, the Federal Office of Culture promotes Swiss films at international film festivals. SWISS FILMS is in charge of implementing this support measure.

SWISS FILMS, January 28,.2021