Swiss Film Award 2022
OLGA wins Best Feature Film and OSTROV – LOST ISLAND is Best Documentary Film
25.03.2022
The Swiss Film Awards were presented in Zurich this evening. In the two main categories, the Swiss Film Academy awarded the feature film OLGA and the documentary film OSTROV – DIE VERLORENE INSEL. Furthermore, OLGA, THE FAM and SOUL OF A BEAST were honoured with three awards each.
OLGA by Elie Grappe (Point Prod SA, Jean-Marc Fröhle) was honoured as Best Feature Film and also received awards for Best Screenplay (also Elie Grappe) as well as Best Sound (Jürg Lempen). In 2021, the film celebrated its world premiere in the Semaine Internationale de la Critique in Cannes. OLGA has been sold by World Sales Pulsar Content in more than 20 countries to date.
In his feature film debut, Elie Grappe tells the story of the young Ukrainian gymnast Olga, who is training for the European Championships while living in exile in Switzerland. When the Euromaidan Uprising breaks out in Kyiv, she finds herself torn between her new life and the revolution in her homeland. Anastasia Budiashkina, the Ukrainian actress who plays Olga in the leading role, had lived and worked as an artistic gymnast in Kharkiv until recently. She fled her homeland after the Russian invasion and is currently residing in Switzerland.
The award for Best Documentary Film went to Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop for OSTROV – LOST ISLAND (DokLab GmbH, Corinna Dästner, Sonja Kilbertus, Urs Schnell). The film celebrated its world premiere at Visions du Réel in Nyon and was screened at Hot Docs Toronto, among others, where it won the award for Best Documentary.
The award for Best Short Film went to ON SOLID GROUND by Jela Hasler (Langfilm – Bernard Lang AG, Olivier Zobrist, Anne-Catherine Lang). It was screened in, among others, the Semaine Internationale de la Critique Cannes and was shortlisted for the European Film Awards. The award for Best Animated Film went to IN NATURE by Marcel Barelli (Nadasdy Film Sàrl, Nicolas Burlet). The two short film productions emerged as festival favourites around the world over the course of the past year.
The award for Best Graduation Film went to the documentary film LOVE WILL COME LATER by Julia Furer (Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK, freihändler Filmproduktion).
Three awards each for THE FAM and SOUL OF A BEAST
THE FAM by Frédéric Baillif (Freshprod) was honoured with awards in three categories: Claudia Grob for Best Actress, Anaïs Uldry for Best Supporting Actress and Frédéric Baillif for Best Film Editing. The film received the Grand Prix for Best Film in the 14plus Competition at the Berlinale 2021 and went on to garner an impressive international festival career.
SOUL OF A BEAST by Lorenz Merz (Hesse Film GmbH) was also honoured with awards in three categories: to Pablo Caprez for Best Actor, to Fatima Dunn, Lorenz Merz and Julian Sartorius for Best Film Score and to Lorenz Merz and Fabian Kimoto for Best Cinematography. The film celebrated its premiere in Locarno and garnered three awards at the Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival in January.
Special Academy Award and Honorary Award
This year’s Special Academy Award went to Nicole Hoesli for the production design in the film SOUL OF A BEAST. The Honorary Swiss Film Award went to Swiss filmmaker Fredi M. Murer for his cinematic oeuvre (including HÖHENFEUER, VOLLMOND, VITUS).
The Swiss Film Award is organised by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), together with its partners SRG SSR and Association “Quartz” Genève Zürich, and in collaboration with SWISS FILMS, the Swiss Film Academy and the Solothurn Film Festival.
Swiss Film Awards 2022
Best Feature Film: OLGA by Elie Grappe (Point Prod SA, Jean-Marc Fröhle)
Best Documentary Film: OSTROV – DIE VERLORENE INSEL by Svetlana Rodina, Laurent Stoop (DokLab GmbH, Corinna Dästner, Sonja Kilbertus, Urs Schnell)
Best Short Film: ÜBER WASSER by Jela Hasler (Langfilm – Bernard Lang AG, Olivier Zobrist, Anne-Catherine Lang)
Best Animated Film: DANS LA NATURE by Marcel Barelli (Nadasdy Film Sàrl, Nicolas Burlet)
Best Screenplay: OLGA – Elie Grappe
Best Actress: Claudia Grob (Lora) in LA MIF
Best Actor: Pablo Caprez (Gabriel) in SOUL OF A BEAST
Best Supporting Actress / Best Supporting Actor: Anaïs Uldry (Audrey) in LA MIF
Best Film Score: SOUL OF A BEAST – Fatima Dunn, Lorenz Merz, Julian Sartorius
Best Cinematography: SOUL OF A BEAST – Lorenz Merz, Fabian Kimoto
Best Film Editing: LA MIF – Frédéric Baillif
Best Sound Design: OLGA – Jürg Lempen
Best Graduation Film: LOVE WILL COME LATER – Julia Furer (Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK)
Special Academy Award: Nicole Hoesli, for the production design for SOUL OF A BEAST
Honorary Award: Fredi M. Murer, for his cinematic oeuvre