Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur

Short film festivals seem to struggle when it comes to press coverage, acceptance from the film industry, audience development, or private and public financing. As short film festivals are often seen as a niche of the festival and cinema industry, their organizers face obstacles in their daily work, for instance when they receive less funding simply because they «only» show shorts, even though the workload is comparable with many feature film festivals. The press coverage to market the festival is sparse, thus limiting audience outreach. Would that change if short film festivals were to show feature-length films? What are the experiences of festivals that are already doing that? Does it impact financing, and does that, in turn, compensate for the increased effort? How does it affect the programming and elements of viewer guidance?

«Gender equality in the screen industries is the single most important issue for us all, especially if we consider intersectionality as well. Men must face up to the reality that more women need to be involved across all aspects of filmmaking. Short film is the breeding ground for the film and television industries and thus the medium with the greatest opportunity and responsibility for men to face up to the truth and engender 50/50 across all productions. If we get this right in the short film world, the industry as a whole will evolve quicker as we move forward.»

While short films are often overlooked in the public debate on film production, distribution, and exhibition, they are at the centre here: public funding institutions and committees provide information on current issues within the Swiss short film industry, discussing current and future strategies for funding and support.

TorinoFilmLab supports emerging talents from all over the world through training, development, funding, and distribution activities. TFL’s tutor Giacomo Durzi guides the audience on a journey through the delicate art of writing good, credible, and consistent dialogue for screenplays. Speaker: Giacomo Durzi (ITA), script consultant, scriptwriter for film and TV

Visual storytelling and «show, don’t tell» are the mantras of every screenwriting course. But we all know successful films that break these rules, engaging the audience with their characters’ extended conversations. What is it about the dialogue in such films that makes us want to listen, and what can we learn from them, even if our own scripts are less dialogue driven? Speaker: Anna Seifert-Speck (GER/GBR), script & story editor/mentor, i.a. Berlinale Talents Short Film Station, iFeatures and Adapt

With Benny Jaberg (SUI), director; Carmen Jaquier (SUI), director Moderation: Daniel Waser (SUI), Head of Zurich Film Foundation

From script to living language: «Nöd umeblöterle, sonen Schmarre, easy geil Bro!» Dialects reveal the souls and identities of movie characters. Using film scenes, practical information, and exercises, the master class will explore the question of what constitutes an authentic dialogue, and how employing specific dialects can help to express the complexity of characters. Speaker: Gabriela Kasperski (SUI), actress, author, and tutor/script coach

Moderation: Gregory Catella (SUI), Pacte de l’audiovisuel, SRG SSR

To attract attention, filmmakers must set themselves apart from the masses with their individual style and (visual) language. But what if their unique voice remains unheard? What is the role of festivals and film critics in this respect? With Eero Tammi (FIN), film critic/editor; Tara Judah (AUS), film critic/programmer; Michael Pattison (GBR), film critic/programme consultant Moderation: Carmen Gray (NZL/GBR), journalist/film critic, Sight&Sound/Dazed This workshop is aimed at (film/art) journalists, filmmakers, producers, curators, and festival representatives.

How can short films make use of the technical innovations of virtual reality, and how does a 360° perspective affect narrative style and story development. This panel discusses new technologies with view to narrative conventions, asking whether cinematographic virtual reality can revolutionize narrative cinema. With David Guiraud (FRA), Artistic Director/Acquisition Manager, Adastra Films; Peter Pontikis (SWE), Director «Oh Deer» Moderation: Prof. Dr. Martin Zimper (SUI), Head of Faculty «Cast/Audiovisual Media» at the Department of Design at Zurich University of the Arts This workshop is aimed at filmmakers, producers, curators, and festival representatives.

At film markets, countless short film representatives vie for the attention of festivals and buyers. How important are film markets today, in times of nearly unlimited data exchange? How can film market managers get a hold of the films that they want to include in their catalogues at all cost? With Stephanie McArthur (CAN), Manager Industry Programs, Hot Docs International Documentary Festival; Sylvain Vaucher (SUI), Short Film Promotion, SWISS FILMS; Roger Gonin (FRA), Short Film Market Coordinator, Festival International du Court Métrage Clermont-Ferrand Moderation: Jing Haase (DEN), Market Manager, Nordisk Panorama This workshop is open to anyone interested in the topic.

Film labs and talent platforms offer a variety of training opportunities and assistance to filmmakers developing their first works. When and how does it make sense to profit from this kind of support, and what requirements do filmmakers have to fulfil to benefit from such talent programmes? With Stefano Knuchel (SUI), Head of the Filmmakers Academy/Locarno Summer Academy; Olga Lamontanara (ITA), Head of Communications, TorinoFilmLab; Christiane Steiner (GER), Coordinator, Short Film Station, Berlinale Talents Moderation: Andreas Bühlmann (SUI), Emerging Talent Consultant, SWISS FILMS This workshop is aimed at filmmakers, producers, curators, and festival representatives

With: Kathleen McInnis, (CAN/USA), Shorts programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, film promoter and festival strategy consultant

Sven Wälti (SRG SSR), Daniel Waser (Zurich Film Foundation), Gérard Ruey (Cinéforom), Philippe Clivaz (President «Conférence des Festivals») and a representative of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture discuss sustainable short film funding and disclose future strategies. Moderation: Marcy Goldberg (SUI), film historian/media consultant

On the occasion of the 20th edition, we are taking a look at the festival’s history, inviting you on a stroll through Winterthur’s Old Town. From 1 to 13 November, you find artefacts and anecdotes from the festival’s entertaining history in select shop windows and public spaces. From 9 to 13 November, rickshaws with bilingual audio guides (de/en) will be available in front of Casinotheater to take you on a comfortable ride.

Zur 20. Ausgabe werfen wir einen Blick auf die Geschichte des Festivals. Dafür nehmen wir Sie mit auf einen Spaziergang durch die Winterthurer Altstadt. Vom 1. bis zum 13. November finden Sie in ausgewählten Schaufenstern und öffentlichen Plätzen, verteilt über die ganze Altstadt, Artefakte und Anekdoten aus unserer kurzweiligen Festival-Geschichte. Vom 9. bis zum 13. November stehen vor dem Casinotheater Rikschas bestückt mit einem zweisprachigem Audio-Guide (en/de) bereit, die Sie bei Bedarf bequem durch den Rundgang chauffieren. Enjoy this stroll down memory lane!

Every year, the TorinoFilmLab offers the «Script&Pitch» course, a professional course on script development for fiction films by selected screenwriters and filmmakers from around the world. This workshop gives advice on how to successfully pitch a script. Speaker: Stefano Tealdi (ITA), producer/director, coach at TorinoFilmLab

The TorinoFilmLab is a year-round international workshop that supports emerging talent from around the world, with a special focus on filmmakers working on their first or second film. Services include training, script development, funding, and distribution. This introduction portrays the institution, providing insight into its work. Speaker: Olga Lamontanara (ITA), Head of Communications, TorinoFilmLab

What characterises a short film screenplay? How is it different from the script for a feature film? Do the two forms require a different approach to writing and dramatic composition? This seminar seeks to answer these questions and provides opportunities for discussion by reference to specific examples. Speaker: Crista Capaul (SUI), screenwriter/dramaturg of TV series and feature films, FOCAL script coach

FOCAL presents options for non-university scriptwriting courses in Switzerland. Speaker: Jacqueline Surchat (SUI), Head of Scriptwriting, FOCAL