Swiss animation film “My life as a Courgette” celebrates world premiere in Cannes 2016

The much-anticipated feature-length animation film debut of “My life as a Courgette” by Swiss director Claude Barras, produced by Rita Productions in Geneva, depicts a nine-year-old boy who has to find his way in a children’s home after his mother’s death. Barras has already made several award-winning short animation films, most recently “Room 69” (2012), which was selected for numerous festivals. “Ice Floe” (2005) was also presented in the International Short Film Competition in Cannes, while “Le génie de la boîte de raviolis” (2006) ranked as the festival hit, with screenings at more than 50 festivals worldwide.
Production of “My life as a Courgette” was supported by RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse, SRG, and the Federal Office of Culture, among others. The stop-motion animation premiered in the Work In Progress section at the world’s most important festival for animation film in Annecy in 2015. The film score is by Sophie Hunger, with World Sales at Indie Sales in Paris.

HSLU graduate film “Whatever The Weather” in the Cinéfondation section
Yet another Swiss animation film will celebrate its premiere in Cannes: Remo Scherrer’s graduation film “Whatever The Weather”. The animated documentary film tells of the difficult childhood of a girl whose mother is an alcoholic. The HSLU production was chosen from approximately 2,300 works produced at international film schools, a total of 18 short films were selected for the competition. A jury will award prizes to the three best films.

Interactive film “Late Shift” screened in NEXT programme at Marché du Film
Switzerland’s first interactive film production “Late Shift” will be presented in the NEXT programme at Marché du Film in Cannes on May 18. The Swiss-British coproduction starring Joel Basman, coproduced by &Söhne und CtrlMovie, was produced for the cinema and as an app. It allows the audience to take real-time decisions for the plot, with over four hours of footage as well as about 180 points of decision and seven endings at their disposal. “Late Shift” and “My life as a Courgette” were already presented as innovative Swiss digital works in progress in the NEXT Pavillon in Cannes in 2015 in conjunction with the Swiss Showcase Beyond Cinema; The Swiss VR and Digital Revolution. The Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans and the Swiss Digital Alliance, supported by Pro Helvetia and Migros Engagement, will present new interactive projects from Switzerland in the NEXT pavilion in Cannes again this year, including “Birdly” by the Zurich start-up Somniacs.

Joël Jent is Producer on the Move 2016
For the 17^th time, European Film Promotion invites young European film producers to its forum in Cannes. Selected from its call for applications, the forum provides 20 Producers on the Move with the opportunity during the festival to reinforce international contacts and develop mutual projects. Representing Switzerland this year, recommended by SWISS FILMS, is film producer Joël Jent (Dschoint Ventschr, Zurich). Jent has most recently produced “Iraqi Odyssey” by Samir and is currently working on Samir’s latest fiction film project with the working title “Café Abu Nawas”, among others. The main setting of the film is a café in London popular among Iraqis living in exile.

SWISS FILMS in Cannes
The 69^th Festival de Cannes takes place from May 11-22, 2016. SWISS FILMS, the promotion agency, will be present in Cannes with the Suisse Pavilion in Village International of the most important European film market.

SWISS FILMS, April 19, 2016