THE FESTIVAL
Founded in 1995, the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is Geneva’s oldest film festival and one of the first in the world to include television in its programs. A crossroads of genres and disciplines, a place of experimentation, encounters and celebration, it offers every year for ten days, films, series, interactive installations and virtual reality works to some 36,000 festival-goers. The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, the GIFF has become one of the major events in Europe.
At the heart of the event is the Geneva Digital Market, a unique event in Switzerland dedicated to audiovisual innovation. Professionals of the image, industrialists and theoreticians from all over the world meet, debate and exchange on what makes the audiovisual universe of today and what will cross it tomorrow.
GIFF is also active throughout the year through its mediation program and its GIFF UNLIMITED program, which brings together each year a series of events organized in partnership with other Swiss and foreign institutions, festivals and markets.
Recognized as a strategic player in the development of the audiovisual sector in Switzerland, GIFF is supported by the City and State of Geneva, the Federal Office of Culture, SRG SSR, MEDIA Desk Suisse, SWISSPERFORM, as well as numerous private actors.
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eDITOS
Gilles Marchand & Pascal Crittin
Director General of SSR Director of RTS
The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), a crossroads of genres and audiovisual disciplines, once again brings together the public, be they professionals or enthusiasts, to experience and share emotions around creations from around the globe.
As historical partners of the festival, the SSR and the RTS are proud to continue their support to the GIFF. The festival has established itself as an essential rendez-vous for digital productions. SSR and RTS also encourage these new audiovisual forms, and in an even more committed way through the Foundation for Digital Creation. On November 9, the Foundation will present its objectives during the Geneva Digital Market (GDM) and the Digital Night.
This year again, we are pleased to offer you a preview of the following series: La vie Devant, Les Enquêtes de Maëlys and the second season of Tschugger. On Play Suisse, a selection of GIFF films will be available on all your screens. Finally, RTS will have the pleasure of hosting the GDM in its Geneva studios for unique professional meetings in Switzerland.
We are looking forward to sharing this 28th edition which promises to be rich in discoveries.
Thierry Apothéloz
State Councillor in charge of the Department of Social Cohesion
Each year, GIFF positions itself a little further as an essential platform for exchange and experimentation for both the public and professionals. In a world in perpetual motion, GIFF is also a precious tool for understanding the challenges of digital creation, and they are manifold. In this spirit, the canton of Geneva supports the professional arm of the festival, the Geneva Digital Market, in order to continue to support and strengthen the development of the creative industries in Switzerland and in Europe. It is also with a view to supporting the creators of the industry that the canton makes a financial contribution to the programming of GIFF Unlimited, which takes place internationally throughout the year, as well as to the three Reflets d’Or awarded jointly with the City of Geneva. It is this approach, which includes all the components of research and cultural production, that I defend so that Geneva can fully play its role as a crossroads of ideas and innovation.
Portrait de Sami Kanaan, Maire de Genève.
Sami Kanaan
Administrative Councillor in charge of the Department of Culture and Digital Transition
A festival? A platform? A nerve center? The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) is all this and more. It’s a time open to experiences, to diving into the world of immersive arts, to discovering the fusion between art and cutting-edge technology.
At the beginning of November, the festival returns with a program that we owe, in its entirety, to its director Anaïs Emery. Its first edition away from the clutches of the coronavirus. But an edition marked by the accelerated development of new technologies, consequence of this pandemic.
The GIFF continues its journey, accompanied by the new RTS Digital Creation Center, the Plaza, which is shaping its future, and Dreamscape, which opened during the summer. As a pioneer in this field, GIFF is today a central piece in the construction of an innovative and creative Geneva, a Geneva that is consolidating its know-how and skills in this field on the international scene.
Enjoy the festival!
éditos du Geneva digital market
Corinna Marschall
Managing Director of MEDIA Desk Suisse
From film to digital installations, immersive worlds, and decentralized finance – from different types of storytelling to imaginary spaces and reliable, transparent ways of sharing rights: Geneva Digital Market (GDM) is the industry event in Switzerland that aims at bringing together professionals from all these domains, and across borders. GDM tries to break down the buzzwords into real-life encounters between you and me, between creators, producers, and techies.
I hope that the renewed support of the MEDIA Compensating Measures for GDM contributes to a great number of “ideas having sex”, the phrase Matt Ridley famously coined: That’s how innovation starts.
Stay curious!
MEDIAS KIT
© MEI FA TAN
Anaïs Emery
executive and artistic director
As a festival whose program explores contemporary audiovisual formats, the GIFF is focused on the major challenges facing the film industry. The program for the GIFF and the Geneva Digital Market (GDM) includes reflections on the contribution made by new technologies to the creative process, on the seeds of narrative innovation, and on the creation of a dynamic link with diverse audiovisual audiences.
The program’s convergence, which is a unique offering in Switzerland, provides a gateway from which to explore current developments in storytelling. The program draws together a fascinating and diverse web of artists at the vanguard of audiovisual creation, who are harnessing the potential of the tools offered by developments in image technology and turning them into opportunities. This inclusive positioning builds bridges with the pioneers of innovation and representatives of the creative industries. The GIFF aims to create a space for collective experimentation at the intersection of formats and trends.
Why are we motivated to get involved with these challenges? With the explosion of screens and the imaginary worlds they convey, I believe it is necessary for a public and professional event to act as moderator on the theme of the development of the film industry in Switzerland. The evolution of the narrative and the revolution in the cinematographic experience are the beating heart of our festival. The GIFF team invite their various audiences to celebrate the magic and fluidity of the images that shape our perception of the world.
©Severin Nowacki
Thierry Apothéloz
State Councilor of the Republic and Canton of Geneva in charge of the Department of Social Cohesion
For this 30th edition, the GIFF positions itself more than ever as an explorer of the infinite range of possibilities offered by audiovisual media. An explorer, but also a guide: the festival provides valuable markers and keys to interpretation in a universe where constant and sometimes disruptive innovations represent stimulating advances that also prompt reflection.
We are, of course, thinking of the revolutions brought about by artificial intelligence, deepfake, augmented reality, and other immersive and interactive experiences, which are at the heart of the festival’s programming. The GIFF plays a crucial role in helping audiences of different generations better understand these new forms of expression and integrate them appropriately into our lives.
Over the years and through its developments, the GIFF has reinforced Geneva’s position as a showcase for new storytelling and technological practices in audiovisual media. It contributes to the visibility of our region in the field of digital and creative industries. It is therefore a joy and a source of pride for the canton to provide the GIFF with renewed support.
I would like to add here that, in connection with the entry into force, at the beginning of the year, of the law for the promotion of culture and artistic creation, the canton now recognizes digital media as a fully-fledged sector, which it actively supports. This highlights the increasingly important role of images and digital creation in our cultural practices.
Dear GIFF audience, I wish you an excellent edition full of emotions and discoveries!
© Sandra Pointet
Sami Kanaan
Administrative Councilor of the City of Geneva in charge of the Department for Culture and Digital Transition
30 years already! That means several generations have had the opportunity to witness the transformation of the world of visual media right before their eyes. For 30 years, the GIFF has championed the innovations that have shaped the audiovisual field. Fiction, documentaries, and series from cinema or television, followed by a shift to digital creation and XR, for both the public and professionals: the GIFF’s programming continues to expand!
As a long-time supporter of the festival, the City of Geneva has also adapted to these changes by providing support systems for artists and key players in this artistic field. Since 2022, digital media has been recognized as an artistic domain in its own right, with its own funding line. And in 2024, the first joint City-State support for digital creation was launched.
This initiative by the City is part of a movement driven by the GIFF, as well as by Cinéforom, le Pôle de création numérique and the state of Geneva. Today, what began as a mere intention is now turning into concrete action, allowing digital creation to earn its rightful place in the world of artistic creation. What remains is a dedicated venue, and I am particularly pleased to announce that this possibility is currently under consideration!
Happy anniversary to the GIFF, and enjoy the festival, everyone!
©Severin Nowacki
Susanne Wille
Director of SSR
©RTS
Pascal Crittin
Director of RTS
This edition is a special year because we are celebrating a double anniversary. First, the 30th anniversary of the festival, which RTS/SSR has supported since its inception. Then, the 70th anniversary of television in French-speaking Switzerland, which we will celebrate with a special event on November 2, the very day of the anniversary!
To appropriately celebrate these two anniversaries, SSR and RTS will present several exclusive co-productions: the series Winter Palace, the first co-production from French-speaking Switzerland (PointProd, Oble) with Netflix, with the first two episodes to be screened during a special event; Ceux qui Rougissent (Arte), En Haute Mer (Alva Films), the fourth season of Tschugger, as well as the film The Shameless, which premiered at Cannes last May. In collaboration with the Cinémathèque Suisse and RTS, the Geneva festival will also pay special tribute to director Pierre Koralnik through a retrospective of his work, and RTS Couleur 3 will partner with GIFF for a special evening themed around humor, featuring Vincent Veillon and Paul Walther, who will act as commentators for a surprise film on this occasion.
Finally, RTS is renewing its support for the Geneva Digital Market, a unique event in Switzerland focused on audiovisual innovation.
So, without further ado, we invite you to discover this multitude of content with passion and emotion, and we wish GIFF a long life and a magnificent 30th edition.
DELPHINE BACHMANN
STATE CONCILOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
Coming up with solutions that no-one has thought of before, pushing back the boundaries of what exists, thinking outside the box: innovation is all of these things. And the Geneva Digital Market (GDM) is a magnificent expression of what innovation should be. It’s a unique opportunity to forge links between art, business and technology, and has become a must-attend event for players in the creative industries.
I’m very attached to innovation. I’m also very attached to the 14,000 companies that make up the local fabric of the creative sector. Supporting GDM is therefore a natural step for the Department of Economy and Employment, which I chair. I’m delighted. All the more so as your work also contributes to strengthening Geneva’s position as a leader in the field of new technologies. So, I wish you all the best in continuing to break free of the boundaries that are sometimes imposed on us, and in dreaming ever bigger. Happy GMD to you all!