A still from 'The Scent of Fear', by Swiss director Mirjam von Arx
ican films
The Solothurn Film Festival will take place online, the organisers have confirmed. They are putting a positive spin on the situation and are talking of a “democratisation of culture”.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
A programme of 170 films of all genres, lengths and languages will be offered to the public from January 20-27, with 1,000 virtual tickets on sale per screening. A contribution from the proceeds will go towards the productions.
All the sections, special programmes and prizes planned for the festival’s 56th editionExternal link have been kept, said director Anita Hugi on Wednesday during a video press conference.
Festival president Felix Gutzwiler even welcomed the “democratisation of culture” made possible by online film screenings.
The opening film, Atlas, by Niccolò Castelli, will be available free of charge on the festival site and broadcast on January 20 on Swiss public television RTS, SRF and RSI.
‘Opera Prima’
The Solothurn Film Festival’s main competition, the Solothurn Prize, worth CHF60,000 ($68,000), comprises 14 works – mostly documentaries – nine of which were directed by women. These include the world premieres of Neighbours by Mano Khalil, TheScent of Fear by Mirjam von Arx and Watch Over Me by Farida Pacha.
Eleven films are in the running for the Audience Award, worth CHF20,000. For the first time an “Opera Prima” prize will be awarded for the best debut work. It also has a prize of CHF20,000.
Debates and online masterclasses are scheduled, in particular in the Focus section devoted to film criticism. The same applies to the Workshop section, on the implementation of filmmakers’ know-how.
More
More
Seed Warriors target global hunger
This content was published on
A Swiss documentary asks how the world will be fed in just a few decades when global warming causes major losses in food production.
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
Swiss film industry reports successful year in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss films did well in cinemas in 2024, recording over 907,000 admissions, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports. They accounted for almost 9% of all films shown last year in Switzerland.
Glencore and Rio Tinto held talks on mining’s biggest-ever potential merger, say reports
This content was published on
The Swiss-based mining and commodities group Glencore and the British company Rio Tinto reportedly held early-stage talks last year about combining their businesses.
First municipalities begin Swiss-wide plastic packaging recycling scheme
This content was published on
A new collection system to recycle plastic packaging and drinks cartons has begun in a handful of Swiss municipalities - others should follow in the coming weeks.
This content was published on
Despite an ongoing restructuring programme, Swiss retail giant Migros continued to grow last year by 1.6%, posting record sales of CHF32.5 billion ($35.7 billion).
Swiss researchers warn ‘mega-droughts’ are spreading around the world
This content was published on
"Mega-droughts" are increasing worldwide - becoming more frequent, hotter and more widespread over the past 40 years, a study published on Thursday shows.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.