A Festival at the crossroads of cultures

Westerns from all over the world, a focus on Bangladesh and several programme sections with prominent Swiss figures: For the first time, the FIFF introduces annually recurring parallel sections, which highlight thematic core areas. Amongst other things they include sections devoted to the genre film, regional film industries that have received very little attention in the past or the phenomenon of Diaspora. The latter allows a Swiss celebrity to present cinematographic treasures from his ancestral homeland. This programme section will kick off with cartoonist Patrick Chappatte, who introduces us to films from the Lebanon. 

Under the auspices of renewal

The International Competition and the Short Film programme constitute the backbone of the Festival. To this traditional high point of the Festival, new, so-called parallel sections have been added, providing thematic compartments with a changing emphasis from year to year. This includes the section “Decryption”, which analyses socially volatile topics and which, in 2012, will focus on the image of Islam in western films. The programme section “Sur la carte de…” offers an internationally connected Filmmaker the opportunity to unfurl his personal map of the world. In 2012, Georges Schwizgebel, the doyen of Swiss animated cartoons, will kick off with a “Voyage through the world of animation films“.

Established Filmmakers and New Discoveries

The FIFF honours Jurassic producer Pierre-Alain Meier at this year’s Festival edition. The latter’s committment for African cinema and his reputation as a builder of bridges between cultures are legendary - the FIFF is proud to bring a selection of his films back on Swiss screens. Today, many countries still escape the radar screen of the international film market. With its parallel section “Terra Incognita”, the FIFF will provide a platform for them, inaugurating the programme 2012 with Bangladeshi films.

Short Films and School Programme

This year’s selection of short films and the school programme will be a highlight for over 8000 children and youth from the region. In collaboration with “réseau cinema”, the FIFF continues to provide workshops for teachers and students as well as tailor-made teaching material in French and German.

The 26^th edition of the Festival International des Films de Fribourg (FIFF) has adopted the goal of fostering dialogue between different cultural regions. Changes in the world, in the means of communication and the aspirations of filmmakers from all countries make it possible today, more than ever before, for the FIFF to serve as a platform for contemporary filmmaking and international exchange. More than 30’000 spectators from all over Switzerland are expected this year. The budget of approximately CHF2 million is composed of substantial contributions from institutional partners and sponsors, as well as ticket sales.