Zucchini superstar and women’s power at Swiss Film Awards 2017
The internationally acclaimed animation film “My Life as a Zucchini” by Claude Barras was honoured with the Swiss Film Award for Best Fiction Film. The Swiss box-office hit also won the award for Best Film Score (Sophie Hunger) as well as the Special Academy Award. Three trophies were also awarded to Petra Volpe’s fiction film “The Divine Order” about the women’s suffrage movement in Switzerland. Heidi Specogna’s documentary film “Cahier africain” received two awards. These three Swiss film productions predominated the 20th edition of the Swiss Film Awards.
24.03.2017
Following an exceptional international success story, film director Claude Barras has now been honoured in his homeland for “My Life as a Zucchini” (Rita Productions): he received the trophy in the category Best Fiction Film at the Swiss Film Awards 2017. Sophie Hunger, who had already received a César nomination for her soundtrack for “My Life as a Zucchini”, won the award for Best Film Score. Furthermore, the film was presented the Special Academy Award for the casting and voice direction. In February “My Life as a Zucchini” won the César for Best Animated Feature and for Best Book Adaption in Paris. The film was honoured with numerous festival awards as well as with the European Film Award for Best Animation Film. It has also been nominated for a Golden Globe and for an Oscar. “My Life as a Zucchini” was sold in more than 50 countries (World Sales: Indie Sales).
“The Divine Order” at Tribeca Film Festival
With seven nominations, Petra Volpe’s fiction film “The Divine Order” (Zodiac Pictures) won awards for Best Screenplay (Petra Volpe), Best Actress (Marie Leuenberger) and Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Rachel Braunschweig). Volpe’s film about the women’s suffrage movement in Switzerland will celebrate its international premiere (International Narrative Competition) at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April 21. The film will be released in cinemas in Germany and Austria in August (World Sales: Trust Nordisk).
Best Documentary film “Cahier africain” in the running for a Lola
Heidi Specogna’s internationally multi-award-winning documentary film “Cahier africain” (PS Film GmbH) was honoured with two Swiss Film Awards: “Cahier africain” won the trophy for Best Documentary Film, the award for Best Film Editing went to Kaya Inan, who had already been honoured for his editing in “Above And Below” in 2016. The Swiss-German coproduction is nominated for a Lola in the Best Documentary Film category at the German Film Awards. The film about the consequences of war crimes in the Central African Republic won an award in the Semaine de la Critique at the Festival del film Locarno, and the Silver Dove at the Festival DOK Leipzig 2016 (World Sales: Rushlake Media).
Trophy for Best Actor and Honorary Award for Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz was honoured not only as Best Actor for his role in “Un Juif pour l‘exemple” by Jacob Berger, but also with the Honorary Award for his cinematic oeuvre.
Tobias Nölle’s “Aloys” (Hugofilm Productions) won the award for Best Cinematography. “Bon voyage” by Marc Raymond Wilkins (Dschoint Ventschr) and “La femme et le TGV” by Timo von Gunten (arbel gmbh) each won an award for Best Short Film. Both films were shortlisted for an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category this year; “La femme et le TGV” received a nomination and represented Switzerland at the Oscars, together with “My Life as a Zucchini”.
The Swiss Film Award is produced by the Federal Office of Culture in partnership with SRG SSR and the Association Quartz Genève Zürich and organised in collaboration with SWISS FILMS, the Swiss Film Academy and the Solothurn Film Festival.
SWISS FILMS, 24.03.2017
Winners of the Swiss Film Awards 2017
Best Fiction Film:
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, Claude Barras, Rita Productions
Best Documentary Film:
CAHIER AFRICAIN, Heidi Specogna, PS Film GmbH
Best Short Film:
BON VOYAGE, Marc Raymond Wilkins, Dschoint Ventschr
LA FEMME ET LE TGV, Timo von Gunten, arbel
Best Animation Film:
AU REVOIR BALTHAZAR, Rafael Sommerhalder, Freihändler Filmproduktion
Best Screenplay:
THE DIVINE ORDER (Petra Volpe)
Best Actress:
Marie Leuenberger (Nora) in THE DIVINE ORDER
Best Actor:
Bruno Ganz (Arthur Bloch) in UN JUIF POUR L'EXEMPLE
Best Performance in a Supporting Role:
Rachel Braunschweig (Theresa) in THE DIVINE ORDER
Best Film Score:
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (Sophie Hunger)
Best Cinematography:
ALOYS (Simon Guy Fässler)
Best Film Editing:
CAHIER AFRICAIN (Kaya Inan)
Best Graduate Film:
DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS, Norbert Kottmann & Dennis Stauffer, ZHdK
Honorary Award:
Bruno Ganz, for his cinematic oeuvre
Special Academy Award:
Marie-Eve Hildbrand, Casting & Voice Direction in
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI