On Friday evening, March 23, 2018, the Swiss Film Award ceremony took place in Zurich. We are delighted that «Facing Mecca» won the Swiss Film Award in the category «Best Short Film».
There was a also a special surprise that evening: Thomas Nellen was awarded the Special Academy Award for the make-up in the film «Vacuum». The award was presented by the actor Jeff Bridges and screened in the Halle 622 via video.
We congratulate both teams.

The Ticino pre-premieres of «Welcome to Switzerland» take place on the following dates in the presence of the director:

• Locarno, Palacinema di Locarno, February 21, 2018, at 8:30 pm (more showings on February 24, 2018, at 6:00 pm, and on February 25, 2018, at 6:00 pm)
• Lugano, Lux di Massagno, February 22, 2018, at 20:30. Afterwards, it will be taken into the cinema’s regular program.
• Airolo, Cinema Leventina, February 23, 2018, at 20:30 

In March, the film will premiere in the French-speaking part of Switzerland at the 16th Festival du Film et Forum International sur les Droits Humains, which will take place from 09.-18. March 2018 in Geneva. The film is part of the Compétition Grand Reportage.

The feature film «Vacuum» by Christine Repond was nominated for the «Prix de Soleure» by the selection committee of the Solothurn Film Festival. The feature films selected in the competition have convinced the jury due to their pronounced humanism and are impressively cinematographic.
We congratulate the team and wish them good luck.

The following films by Dschoint Ventschr are also included in the program of the Solothurn Film Festival:
«Facing Mecca» by Jan-Erick Mack
«Beyond the Bolex» by Alyssa Bolsey
«Welcome to Switzerland» by Sabine Gisiger

Film screening's:

«Vacuum» by Christine Repond
Sat 27.01.2018, 2.30 pm, Konzertsaal 
Tue 30.01.2018, 2.45 pm, Reithalle

«Facing Mecca» by Jan-Eric Mack
Fri 26.01.2018, 3.00 pm, Capitol
Mon 28.01.2018, 11:45 am, Canva

«Beyond the Bolex» by Alyssa Bolsey 
Sun 28.01.2018, 3:00 pm, Palace
Tue 30.01.2018, 2:00 pm, Uferbau

«Welcome to Switzerland» by Sabine Gisiger
Fri 26.01.2018, 9.30 am, Landhaus
Mon 29.01.2018, 6:15 pm, Konzertsaal

The multiple award-winning Swiss short film «Facing Mecca» by Jan-Eric Mack (production: Joël Jent, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, ZHdK, SRF) has been selected for the shortlist of the Oscars in the category Live Action Shorts. This was announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on the December 11. The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 23, 2018.

FACING MECCA celebrated its world premiere in June this year at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, where it won two awards: the «Best of the Festival Award» and the «Best Student Live Short Over 15 Minutes». The next milestone in the international career of the Swiss short film was the presentation of the Student Academy Awards in Los Angeles. There, the director received the Silver Medal in the category «Narrative (International Film Schools)». In November, FACING MECCA also received the audience award at the Kurzfilmtage Winterthur.

Jan-Eric Mack, the 34-year-old director from Zurich realized FACING MECCA as a graduation film of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) with Joël Jent from Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion and coproduced it with SRF Swiss Radio and Television as part of the «Pacte de l'audiovisuel». The script was written by actress Anna Schinz in collaboration with Mack.

The film tells the story of a Syrian refugee in Switzerland, who has to deal with bureaucratic hurdles after the death of his wife, and is based on a true story. The main roles are played by the Swiss actor Peter Freiburghaus and the Syrian actor Jay Abdo, who has lived and worked in the USA for several years. Other roles include Nicolas Rosat and Ruth Schwegler.

The shortlist includes ten short films from which the Academy will nominate five short films for the category «Live Action Short Film» on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars® will be held on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood. SWISS FILMS supports the Oscar campaign of FACING MECCA financially and in aspects of communication.

The postproduction of Christine Repond’s latest feature film «Vacuum» with Barbara Auer und Robert Hunger-Bühler in the main roles has finished. 

On the 26th of November 2017, the film will celebrate its world premiere at PÖFF - Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn.  

The drama tells the story of 60-year-old Meredith, who considers herself happily married to André. It comes as a shock when she's diagnosed as HIV-positive and her husband is the only one who could have transmitted the disease. 

The film was selected for the official competition of the festival.