Press Releases
Press release, June 26, 2022
The Awards 2022 – The Plains by David Easteal wins the Peter Liechti Award 2022
The Australian director accepted the award from last year’s winner and juror Norika Sefa (Looking for Venera). The Lucky Ticket, awarded for the first time, went to Kapr Code by Lucie Králová, and the Short Film Prize to The Last Name of John Cage by Margaux Guillemard.
Press release, June 22, 2022
Bildrausch is opened -
The Flying Carpet Gains Altitude
Artistic director Susanne Guggenberger opened her first edition of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel this evening at Stadtkino Basel, kult.kino atelier and Kaserne Basel, together with director Samuel Steinemann and Basel National Councilor Katja Christ. The opening film was the Ukrainian feature film Stop·Zemlia by Kateryna Gornostai. The director was streamed live from Kiev. Until Sunday, June 26, 30 films from five continents will be shown in the presence of numerous filmmakers.
Press release, May 16, 2022
Bildrausch Film Festival with New Initiatives
Basel’s international film festival, Bildrausch, brings the world to the screens. The new artistic director Susanne Guggenberger launches new initiatives that promote cooperation, accessibility and dialogue.
Press release, May 4, 2022
Tribute to Heddy Honigmann & Focus: Wound/Wonder
The 11th Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel pays homage to the Dutch-Peruvian filmmaker Heddy Honigmann. The tribute includes four of her cinematic milestones, created between 1988 and 1999. The thematic focus program Wound/Wonder deals with the wounds and wonders of human existence. Bildrausch will be staged as an in-person festival; new venues are the Kaserne Basel and the Gare du Nord. Selected films will be available online and barrier-free for 48 hours. As the festival’s new artistic director, Susanne Guggenberger is responsible for the program for the first time.
Press release, November 16, 2021
THE NEW TRIO OF DIRECTORS IS COMPLETE
After Nicole Reinhard, the long-term director of Stadtkino Basel and Co-director of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel left to take a post at Filmpodium Zurich, the trustees of Le Bon Film created a new management structure. A new director, who will take overall responsibility for the four film enterprises, will work alongside two artistic directors: Susanne Guggenberger for Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel and Beat Schneider for Stadtkino, Landkino and Kinemathek Le Bon Film. We are happy to announce that the board of the Le Bon Film association has chosen Samuel Steinemann as the new director. His previous role was as managing director of Künstlerhaus Boswil, a centre for music and culture. He will take up his new post in January 2022. With this appointment the new trio of directors, which together will form the management team, is complete.
Press release, October 12, 2021
SUSANNE GUGGENBERGER APPOINTED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The Austrian filmmaker and producer Susanne Guggenberger has been appointed the new artistic director of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel. Following this year’s hybrid anniversary edition, the festival is aiming for an in-person event at sites surrounding the Stadtkino Basel in spring 2022.
Press release, June 30, 2021
NICOLE REINHARD MOVES TO FILMPODIUM ZÜRICH
Nicole Reinhard, the co-director of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel, is leaving the festival at the end of November 2021 in order to become the director of Filmpodium Zürich. The festival's co-director Beat Schneider will remain in his position. The board will provide further information about the festival's future management structures in due course.
Press release, June 20, 2021
ALEXANDRE ROCKWELL AND NORIKA SEFA WIN BILDRAUSCH'S MAIN PRIZES
The awards of the 10th Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel were presented today, Sunday evening, during a hybrid award ceremony. The main prizes of the international competition went to Coming of Age stories from the USA and Kosovo. U.S. director Alexandre Rockwell won the Bildrausch Ring of Film Art for Sweet Thing. Kosovar director Norika Sefa accepted the Peter Liechti-Prize for her debut film Në kërkim të Venerës (Looking for Venera). This is not a burial, it's a resurrection by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, which opens in German-speaking Swiss cinemas next week, received an honorable mention.
Press release, June 14, 2021
THE BILDRAUSCH ANNIVERSARY EDITION KICKS OFF ON 16 JUNE
On Wednesday, 16 June, the Italian-Belgian feature film Miss Marx by Susanna Nicchiarelli will open the anniversary edition of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel. Beat Jans, president of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt, and the festival directors Nicole Reinhard and Beat Schneider will address the audience in their welcoming speeches, together with the director. Until Sunday, 20 June, a total of 58 short, medium-length and long international films will be shown on 4 screens. The new competition "Mein erster Rausch" features 11 short films by young talents from Switzerland. The city walk "A City is a Cinema" also includes 11 short films. The German filmmaker Dominik Graf will be honoured with the Honorary Award for Visionary Filmmaking. The retrospectives focus on the work of the Lebanese artists duo Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige and the French-Canadian animation artist Félix Dufour-Laperrière. Numerous guests, master classes and events complete the film programme. For the first time, Bildrausch goes hybrid and will also happen at your home: With live events on the big and small screens, and with a streaming offer as a foray through all sections of the festival.
Press release, May 27, 2021
CUTTING EDGE: THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2021
Bildrausch's international competition presents 14 feature and documentary films from 14 countries. Dominik Graf's new film is screened out of competition. The international jury is composed of the Austrian director, writer and producer Barbara Albert, Swedish cinematographer Lisabi Fridell and British critic and filmmaker Neil Young. All competition entries will be presented as Swiss premieres in the presence of the filmmakers, either in the real or virtual festival cinemas. The international jury will award the Bildrausch Ring of Film Art and the Peter Liechti Award on Sunday, June 20. Bildrausch's anniversary edition will open on Wednesday, June 16 with the Italian-Belgian competition entry Miss Marx by Susanna Nicchiarelli.
Press release, May 20, 2021
A NEW PROGRAMME: KALEIDOSCOPE
To mark its 10th anniversary, Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel presents a new sidebar: the programme Kaleidoscope celebrates the diversity of international cinema. The selection shows the whole range of contemporary filmmaking, from genre classics to artistic experiments. All films are shown as Swiss premieres and, if possible, in the presence of the filmmakers.
Press release, May 11, 2021
FÉLIX DUFOUR-LAPERRIÈRE'S ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
Quebec's history and future are among the defining themes of French-Canadian filmmaker Félix Dufour-Laperrière, as are life as a couple or the free use of feature, documentary, animation and avant-garde film. Bildrausch is thrilled to host the young artist's first retrospective. His latest feature Archipelago will screen in the international competiton.
Press release, May 6, 2021
BILDRAUSCH HONORS JOANA HADJITHOMAS AND KHALIL JOREIGE
The Lebanese artists question the fabrication of images and representations, the construction of imaginaries, and the writing of history. At the intersection of art and film, their often biographical work explores the history and present of their homeland, which has been ravaged by war and violence. Bildrausch will showcase a retrospective and invites them to discuss their approach in the Thinking/Space.
Press release, April 27, 2021
DOMINIK GRAF TO RECEIVE THE HONORARY AWARD FOR VISIONARY CINEMA 2021
The extraordinarily versatile filmmaker will receive the award at the 10th Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel in person and will present the Swiss premiere of his latest film Fabian – Going to the Dogs. The Honorary Award for Visionary Cinema is handed out at irregular intervals to international filmmaking personalities who have made a special contribution to auteur cinema and film art. It will be awarded for the second time in 2021. The 10th edition of Bildrausch – Filmfest Basel will take place from 16 to 20 June in a hybrid form.