22/03/2014 - Friday evening saw the traditional red carpet adorned with an attractive white cross in celebration of the best of Swiss cinema

The awards evening of the Swiss Film Award 2014 has once again managed to gather together the crème de la crème of Swiss cinema under the same roof. With 118 films in competition, split into 11 categories, which are this year competing for the impressive top prize worth 435,000 Swiss francs, the Swiss Film Award has once again established itself as an unmissable event for any self-respecting fan of Swiss cinema. Its echo, which was perhaps more subtle on an international level, nevertheless managed to reverberate strongly inside the prestigious Schiffbau Theatre in Zurich, which this year hosted the event for the first time. It was organised by the Federal Office of Culture together with its various partners (SRS SSR and the “Quartz” Association of Geneva/Zurich) and collaborators (Swiss Film, the Swiss Film Academy and the Journées de Soleure). There were a couple of new additions to the event this year: the launch of the Best Editing Award and the Best Animation Film Award, which will now become an annual prize. The Honorary Award went to director Alexander J. Seiler, a highly important figure within Swiss cinema.

The big winner of this 17th edition was the film I Am the Keeper [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sabine Boss
film profile], by Sabine Boss, which comfortably took home four trophies: Best Fiction Film, Best Actor (Marcus Signer), Best Screenplay and Best Film Score (Peter von Siebenthal and Richard Köchli).

Left Foot Right Foot [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Germinal Roux (already the winner of the Bayard d’Or for Best Debut Film at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur), did not leave empty-handed either, winning two “Quartz” Awards: those of Best Cinematography and Best Performance in a Supporting Role, awarded to Dimitri Stapfer.

Two further prizes were awarded to director Peter Liechti, together with his documentary Father’s Garden – the Love of My Parents [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (which world-premiered at the 2013 Berlinale), a bright and delicate look at the lives of his elderly parents, balancing between everyday life and misunderstandings between generations.

On the other hand, Ursina Lardi was given the Best Actress Award for her performance in Traumland by Petra Volpe. The Best Cinematography and Best Editing Awards went to Denis Jutzeler for his work on Left Foot Right Foot and to Tania Stöcklin for Father’s Garden – the Love of My Parents, respectively.

Also of note was The Green Serpent by Benny Jaberg, which won in the Best Short Film category, and The Kiosk by Anete Melece, which was crowned Best Animation Film. Lastly, the Special Award of the Academy was bestowed upon costume designer Françoise Nicolet for her masterful work on Les grandes ondes (à l’ouest), by Lionel Baier. 

(Translated from Italian)