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 football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
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.