ZFF: 15 Swiss films and new SWISS FILMS industry activities

I AM GENTRIFICATION. CONFESSIONS OF A SCOUNDREL by Thomas Haemmerli (ican films gmbh) is celebrating its world premiere in the International Documentary Film Competition. By means of the filmmaker's different living situations, the semi-autobiographical documentary essay addresses topics such as urban development and urban sprawl.

In the competition programme Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, debut, second or third works by young filmmakers are in the race for the Golden Eye, which is awarded by an international jury. Switzerland is contributing two documentary films: the world premiere of Kaleo La Belle's FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL (La Belle Film GmbH) as well as BEFORE SUMMER ENDS by Maryam Goormaghtigh (Intermezzo Film / world premiere: ACID Cannes). The three Swiss feature films BLUE MY MIND by Lisa Brühlmann (tellfilm / world premiere: San Sebastián), SARAH PLAYS A WEREWOLF by Katharina Wyss (Intermezzo Films / world premiere Settimana Internazionale della Critica Venezia) and ANIMALS by Greg Zglinski (tellfilm / world premiere: Berlinale Forum) have also been selected.

Swiss World Premieres in the Special Screenings Series

ZFF is showing four Swiss documentaries and two feature films as world premieres in the Special Screenings series. In her documentary film GLOW, Gabriel Baur trails Zurich's muse Lady Shiva, while Nahuel Lopez from Hamburg accompanies the British violinist and Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra Daniel Hope in the German-Swiss coproduction DANIEL HOPE – DER KLANG DES LEBENS; in THE ARROW OF TIME, Leila Connors draws a portrait of the former Soviet president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev, while in GIRAFFES DON'T DO IT DIFFERNTLY, director Walo Deuber, who sadly died in 2017, goes on a journey to uncover his father's story.

With DIE LETZTE POINTE, Rolf Lyssy, director of the 1978 classic THE SWISSMAKERS, is presenting his new comedy about assisted suicide with Monica Gubser in the lead role. Juri Steinhart's first feature film LET THE OLD FOLKS DIE with Max Hubacher tells the tale of a group of young people who try their hand at rebellion in a world made of cotton candy. The restored edition of the Swiss cinema classic DAS MENSCHLEIN MATTHIAS (by Edmund Heuberger, 1941) with ten-year-old Röbi Rapp, who would go on to become the protagonist of THE CIRCLE, in the lead role, will also be shown for the first time.

Further being screened as gala premieres at ZFF will be Silvio Soldini's IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE, an Italian-Swiss coproduction with ventura films, which had its world premiere in Venice, along with the new feature film WORSE CASE WE GET MARRIED by Canadian-Swiss director Léa Pool (coproduction: Louise Productions Lausanne).

SWISS FILMS at ZFF

In the course of the expansion of its international industry activities, SWISS FILMS is organizing various events in collaboration with Zurich Film Festival.

The SWISS FILMS Market Preview on September 29 at cinema RiffRaff will see six current Swiss film projects presented in the presence of their producers to selected representatives of international world sales and distribution organisations. In the evening, the SWISS FILMS industry get-together will take place.

SWISS FILMS is also enabling five former Swiss Producers on the Move from the talent programme of the European Film Promotion in Cannes to participate in the high-carat two-day event Zurich Summit.

Fresh Commitment to Up-and-Coming Talents

On Wednesday, October 4, the “Post-Graduate Talent Day”, initiated by SWISS FILMS, will take place for the first time. It specifically addresses this years' film school graduates and up-and-coming filmmakers (direction and production) working on their first features. This information and exchange platform forms the prelude to further international commitments in the area of up-and-coming talents/first features.

 Zurich, September 14, 2017