IWC - Swiss filmmakers in the spotlight

Swiss film promotion receives fresh boost: film director Marc Forster, Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, Zurich Film Festival co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri and Ringier CEO Marc Walder have joined forces to found the joint “Verein zur Filmförderung in der Schweiz” (Association for Film Promotion in Switzerland), with the aim of increasing the significance of national film projects. The central feature of the Association’s activities is the “Filmmaker Award”, which will be presented annually to support one or more selected projects. The idea for the “Verein zur Filmförderung in der Schweiz” (Association for Film Promotion in Switzerland) was born from a commitment to the film industry and Switzerland’s own film and media culture shared by the five founding members, as well as from their personal friendships and professional collaboration, which in some cases stretches back over many years. “We are all passionate about cin- ema and film, and decided to give Swiss filmmaking a boost by focusing our efforts on promising film projects,” is how the Association’s President, IWC CEO Georges Kern, sums up the motivation of the individuals behind the project. The non-profit association is based in Zurich and was founded on 9 December 2014. The Board comprises Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, founders and co- directors of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), Ringier CEO Marc Walder, and Marc Forster, who has established an international reputation as film director, producer and screenplay writer. SUPPORT FOR SWISS FILMMAKERS The main priority of the “Verein zur Filmförderung in der Schweiz” is the support of Swiss film productions. “Thanks to our experience and a worldwide network of national and international partners, we are ideally positioned to strengthen the standing of Swiss filmmaking and promote it beyond the country’s borders,” explains Karl Spoerri. “Our aim is to be a flexible and unbureaucratic source of support to filmmakers when traditional sources of funding are either exhausted or not available for other reasons.” Someone who knows how tough the film business can be and how much determination it takes to make a name for yourself is Marc Forster. No one was waiting for the German-Swiss director back when he graduated from New York University’s film school. He wrote a number of screenplays and made several low-budget films before landing his big breakthrough. “When you’re producing a movie, you can find yourself without money for any num- ber of reasons. Small national productions in particular are often forced to make savings at the cost of quality. Even a relatively small amount of money can get you out of a difficult situation. To ensure that the Association’s funds are used to the best possible effect, we will be on hand to give filmmakers solid, practical advice,” he explains. Today, he is a respected filmmaker who made an inter- national name for himself with hit films “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland”. Since then, he has been involved in further successful productions, including the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” and action movie “World War Z”. THE COMPETITION IS OPEN The primary focus of the activities of the “Verein zur Film- förderung in der Schweiz” is the “Filmmaker Award”. It will allow the Association to assist Swiss film productions in accordance with clearly formulated criteria. The request for submissions for the first “Filmmaker Award” is now on the ZFF website and invites Swiss filmmakers to submit their projects. To be eligible, feature films and documentaries need to be at least 60 minutes long and require gap or post-production financing. The jury, consisting of Marc Forster, Georges Kern and Karl Spoerri, together with a well-known chairperson to be chosen annually, will select the nominations from the projects submitted. The win- ner(s) of the award, who will receive funding totalling CHF 100,000, will be announced during the IWC Gala evening at the 11th Zurich Film Festival in late September 2015. Georges Kern, CEO of watch manufacturer IWC Schaff- hausen, a co-partner of the ZFF, is proud of the fact that apart from partnerships with other film festivals in Beijing, New York, London and Dubai, the company is now able to help Swiss films and national filmmakers.