Switzerland is country-in-focus at exground filmfest in Wiesbaden

The 25^th exground filmfest in Wiesbaden is devoting its country-in-focus programme to Switzerland for the first time (November 16-25, 2012). The festival will showcase ten feature-length film productions – six fiction and four documentary films – as well as a programme comprised of five short film productions. The film “Summer Games,” three-time winner of the Swiss Film Prize last year, will open the festival and also be screened in the Youth Film Competition, together with Güzin Kar’s “Fliegende Fische.” The five-minute animation film “Zmitzt drin” by Cécile Brun will be screened in the International Short Film Competition On Video and is thus in the running for the Jury Prize endowed with EUR 1,500. The short fiction film “Chasse à l’âne” by Maria Nicollier will be presented in the Best of Shorts programme. The Swiss programme was initiated by the Swiss Consulate General in Frankfurt and organised by the exground festival in collaboration with SWISS FILMS, the promotion agency.

Workshop with Güzin Kar, Swiss guests and performances
The exground filmfest in Wiesbaden is the most popular festival in the federal state of Hessen and is considered Germany’s most important platform for independent filmmaking. Swiss film director Güzin Kar will conduct a workshop in conjunction with the exground Youth Days. Numerous Swiss filmmakers will attend the festival in Wiesbaden to present their works personally, including Cihan Inan and Michael Neuenschwander with their film “180°”; Corina Schwingruber Ilic and Nina Steinemann with the short documentary film “Baggern”; as well as Elmira Claude und Thomas Moll, the two protagonists of the film “Messies, ein schönes Chaos” by Ulrich Grossenbacher. In addition, a performance by Swiss artist Nora de Baan is scheduled in conjunction with her “Kino à la minute” exhibition, thanks to support from Pro Helvetia.

Geneva, November 15. 2012