The film industry based in Switzerland dates to the 1930s. It is influenced by the neighboring countries of France, Germany and Italy, with which it shares languages. Before the mid-1960s Swiss films were often sentimental, but the French New Wave led to more experimental cinema.
The Solothurn Film Festival was founded in 1966 with a declaration of showing the modern reality of Swiss Life. It is the most important festival for Swiss film productions.
The Locarno Festival founded in 1946 is an annual film festival held every August in Locarno, Switzerland.
As of 2014, The Swissmakers (1978) (Die Schweizermacher) is the highest grossing Swiss film of all time.
In German-speaking cantons, French-language films usually have German subtitles. Likewise, in French-speaking cantons, German-language films usually have French subtitles. Adult-oriented films in foreign languages are often screened with original audio and double subtitles in German and French. Children-oriented films in foreign languages are usually dubbed.
Notable personalities
Directors
Richard Dembo
Tim Fehlbaum
Marcel Gisler
Jean-Luc Godard
Claude Goretta
Xavier Koller
Markus Imhoof
Leopold Lindtberg
Fredi Murer
Dominique Othenin-Girard
Daniel Schmid
Franz Schnyder
Alain Tanner
Yves Yersin
Actors
Ursula Andress
Anne-Marie Blanc
Sibylle Blanc
Zarli Carigiet
Eliane Chappuis
Bruno Ganz
Heinrich Gretler
Emil Hegetschweiler
Max Haufler
Marthe Keller
Maximilian Schell
Ella Rumpf
Notes and references
Bibliography
Olivier Moeschler, Cinéma suisse. Une politique culturelle en action : l'État, les professionnels, les publics, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, collection "Le savoir suisse", 2011.