Organisers draw positive balance for Zug Film Days

The seventh edition of the Zug Film Festival, which ended at the weekend, offered the film audience several highlights: With "Atlas", "Princess" and "Soul of a Beast", three exclusive previews of Swiss films, a special screening of "Youth Topia", a cine concert with Zug musicians and 13 short films by young filmmakers from all over Switzerland.

Discussions about their films with the filmmakers who were present, workshops, a lunch cinema, a virtual reality exhibition, a panel discussion on the subject of trauma and terror, as well as networking meetings for the end of the film, ensured a varied supporting programme.

The award ceremony for the short films on Saturday evening was the highlight of the Zug Film Festival. A top-class jury consisting of Pierre Monnard (“Platzspitzbaby”), Dimitri Stapfer (“Left Foot, Right Foot”) and Claudia Bluemhuber (“The Wife”) announced the awards for the categories “Best Young Talent Award”, “Best Film” and “Audience Award”. While the jury awarded with the Golden Cherry for the best film to the short film "Arbeit am Feindbild" by Micha Muhl, the short film "Danzamatta" by Vanja Victor Kabir Tognola was voted best by the audience. The Golden Cherries for the Young Talent Award was won by Andrea Crisci, Efe Imaze and Closnea with "Hülle".

The award winners pose with the Golden Cherries
Image: PD

Best film idea on the subject of "From the kitchen" is honoured
In cooperation with the Genuss Film Festival, the Zug Film Festival also presented the Treatment Award for the best film idea on the subject of "From the Kitchen". The treatment jury selected the "Fairy, Fairy" idea by Rokhaya Marieme Balde, who now has one year to realise her short film. Following the award ceremonies, a preview of Lorenz Merz's drama "Soul of a Beast" concluded the seventh Zug Film Festival.

The corona pandemic influenced the Zug Film Festival again this year. Despite the certificate requirement, the programme nevertheless met with great interest, according to a report from the organisers. "Our focus was the film experience. The many positive feedbacks from our audience and the good atmosphere among the volunteer team show us that we can be satisfied with ourselves," said festival director Eveline Stalder.

The Zug Film Festival is a film festival that has been held in Zug every autumn since 2015. The aim of the Film Days is to promote Zug's cinema culture and to bring together young filmmakers from all over Switzerland who are film enthusiasts. During the next two weeks, all short films of the young talent competition will be available for viewing on the Zug Film Days website (www.zugerfilmtage.ch).