13rd Geneva Festival Tous Ecrans

For its 13th edition, the festival “Cinéma Tout Écran” of Geneva can be proud of its classification among the 50 best world festivals, as stated by the American magazine “Variety”.

Under the guidance of Léo Kaneman, specialist of television cinema and, in fact, pioneer in the subject, the festival proposes each year not only the official film selection of television and cinema, but a whole selection of activities like short films, series, conferences, but especially (new this year) a selection of films on portable telephone screens, “Tout Mobile”. In a large cinema, a world premiere this year, the large screen remains completely blank; the faces of the spectators in the dark are illuminated by the flashes of their portables which diffuse short stories filmed either by telephones or with cameras. The public vote is convivial as it is done by raising illuminated telephones.

One can say that this festival is dynamic and partakes in the media revolution that our young 21st century is experiencing. With godfathers as Freddy Buache and Claude Goretta (the unforgettable The Lace Maker — La Dentelliere, 1977), and organized by the sympathetic and lively Adrian Stiefel and his press and media management team, the festival “Cinéma Tout Écran” deserves a detour because it is well organized, modern and of a human scale whilst also being ground breaking and of a great quality. (Jean-Max Mejean)