Press release 12.03.14

12th March 2014

Saas-Fee Filmfest announces Juries

19. until 23. March 2014
1st Saas-Fee Filmfest (SFFF)
Programme Catalogue published – Distinguished jury members

Saas-Fee, 12th March 2014 – In a week’s time, on 19th. March, in the Valais ski resort the
1. Saas-Fee Filmfest (SFFF) will kick off.
In a five-country-competition the two initiators and festival directors Stefan Fichtner and Gabriel Zurbriggen will show nine feature films of young filmmakers, several of them being debut works. The films are from Switzerland and its neighbouring countries, where the nation’s languages are spoken: Austria, Germany, Italy and France.

Please find attached the Programme Catalogue, which will be available in printed version next week. It can also be downloaded from our website (www.sfff.ch). On the festival website also the festival trailer can be viewed, which has just been finished.

The verdicts in the Five-Countries-Competition will be delivered by two international juries, a jury of film professionals and a Critics Jury. The Film-makers Jury awards a Prize for the Best Film, endowed with CHF 1000, the Critics Jury awards the unendowed „Critics Choice“. Besides the spectators can vote for the Audience Award for Best Film. At the same time all the participants in the voting will be entered into a draw for a weekend for two persons in a Saas-Fee Hotel during the time of the 2nd Saas-Fee Filmfest 2015.

The international Film-makers Jury will be comprised of three well-known personalities from the fields of directing and acting. From Italy comes highly decorated actress Sandra Ceccarelli, who stood out with films like LUCE DEI MIEI OCCHI (2001), LA VITA CHE VORREI (2004) or KLIMT (2006). Germany is represented with film-maker and producer Jessica Krummacher, who made the documentary DIE KINDER VON AHAUS (2005) and her feature debut TOTEM (2011), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Currently she is working on her new feature BIRTH OF PURPLE. Renowned Central-Swiss film- and theatre-maker Urs Odermatt represents the host country. His Filmography includes works like BRIDE OF THE ORIENT (1988), CONSTABLE ZUMBÜHL (1994) or THE WICKED UNCLE (2011).

The international Critics Jury consists of Dutch film critic Boyd van Hoeij, who writes amongst others for Hollywood Reporter, Germany-based British journalist Martin Blaney, known as correspondent for Screen International, as well as Swiss Christian Jungen, who workes as film journalist for the Sunday issue of Neue Zürcher Zeitung and author.