18th Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans

Located in the picturesque surroundings of snow-covered Swiss and French mountains, the Film Festival Tous Ecrans (All Screens) in the south-western Swiss city of Geneva has successfully completed its 18th edition.

The event takes its title literally, having become one of only a few international festivals which does not solely focus on short or feature length films, but on narratives of all lengths, genres and formats. Thus festival director Claudia Durgnat is proud to point out that the festival is aimed at “all fiction and story fans across the board, be they film, series, video or TV aficionados, gamers, etc.  For us, tous écrans means everyone, amateurs as much as professionals.”

The festival’s multidisciplinary approach is reflected in its different sections, presenting works made for cinema, television, mobile phones and video games. Interactive films on the web allowed audiences to decide in what order and for what duration they were going to watch the works on display.

Competitions and juries included the sections TV Series, Web Series, Feature Films and Swiss Shorts. A focus of this year’s festival was Denmark, a country whose directors incorporate the festival’s multidisciplinary agenda of effortlessly switching between cinema and TV formats. In all sections of the festival, Q&A sessions with directors and film professionals gave audiences the possibility for active exchange and for glimpses into production processes.

Screenings for the public were provided free of charge for the first time this year. They took place in the large Arditi Auditorium, as well as on the two screens of the Gruetli theatre. Tickets could be ordered online or collected before the screenings, with the audience given the chance to vote for their favorite films and series. (Kira Taszman)

Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans: www.tous-ecrans.com