The Cannes Film Market, which runs alongside the festival, has named Switzerland as Country of Honor for the 2024 edition that’s set to run May 14-22.
As part of the tribute, Cannes will highlight Switzerland’s contributions to the audiovisual industry and provide a platform for emerging Swiss talents and projects in development.
The showcase will be organized by the promotion org Swiss Films, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture and the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR. A delegation of Swiss filmmakers, producers, and industry experts are expected to take part in several key events throughout the market, including those dedicated to fiction and non-fiction feature films, as well as immersive projects and innovation.
Switzerland has consistently ranked in the top ten countries attending the Cannes market. In recent years, the Swiss film industry has expanded and has earned critical acclaim with top European co-productions which have won prizes at major international film festivals. Notable examples include Swiss director Claude Barras’ stop-motion film “My Life as a Zucchini” which played at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2016, and went on to be nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars and secured distribution in over 50 territories. More recently, Anna Novion’s drama “Marguerite’s Theorem” was presented as a Special Screening at the 2023 Festival de Cannes, while Alice Rohrwacher’s fantasy-comedy “La chimera” was a recent contender for the Palme d’Or.
Switzerland’s growing presence in innovation and technology will also take center stage at next year’s film market with several events connecting Swiss creatives, start-ups, decision-makers and film funding bodies.
“Switzerland as our new Country of Honour demonstrates the remarkable evolution and impact of Swiss cinema,” said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. “Their diverse activities planned for 2024 also emphasize their strong commitment to industry growth, and the Marché du Film is honored to be the key moment in Switzerland’s ambitious agenda.”
“They are, most of all, a very innovative country in terms of creativity and technology, which aligns perfectly with the positioning of the Marché, the leading market at the forefront of innovation and industry trends,” Esmiol continued.
Switzerland is the third country to receive the Country of Honor title, following India in 2022 and Spain in 2023. Last edition of the Cannes Film Market welcomed an record 14,000 professionals and showcased more than 4,000 films and projects in development, along with 200 networking events.
In addition to the Cannes spotlight in May, Switzerland will also host the European Film Awards in Dec. 2024, with Lucerne as the hosting city.
“Switzerland stands out for being an attractive hub for co-productions, which are becoming increasingly important in Europe,” said Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation. “Our nation is also home to innovative companies excelling in AI and animation, thus playing a key role in positioning the Marché du Film as a premier industry event for innovation and sustainability.”