The Association Base-Court has made an appeal to all producers of short films in Switzerland!
The Lausanne-based association is inviting both professional and amateur film producers in Switzerland to submit their own film reels for consideration in the “Court du mois” – a new initiative whereby a short film is selected for screening before the main film in local cinemas on the first Friday of each month – at no additional cost to the audience!
With a maximum running time of 4 minutes, the films can be either fictional, animated, or in the form of a documentary, and must be produced in Switzerland.
Simone Jenni, Short Film Project Manager at Base-Court, explained the rationale behind the new project to knowitall.ch. “Everyone remembers the good old days when films were preceded by a short film, many of which were successful in their own right and provided a focal point for further discussion amongst the viewers. They gave film makers the opportunity to showcase their talents to a wider audience, and often provided the breakthrough they needed to make their way in the film industry. With the reintroduction of the “court-métrage” we hope to rekindle the magic of the short film for both filmmakers and their audiences.”
Enter our competition to win free tickets for A Theatrical Mistressclass on a Midsummer Night's Dream
The Lausanne Shakespeare Festival (LSF) is returning this June with a great line-up of plays and workshops, many of which are in English.
Taking place between 1 and 3 June, this year’s festival will once again be based in the Théâtre La Grange de Dorigny, a unique performing arts center based on the University of Lausanne campus.
Following the format of previous years, LSF 2018 will combine full-length plays in the evenings with workshops, a film, street theater, and a range of experimental performances during the day. Like Lausanne itself, the LSF is fundamentally cosmopolitan, bringing together artists and audience members from a variety of linguistic backgrounds and featuring events in both French and English.
Enter our competition to win a double ticket for the opening night performance!
The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society (GAOS) will bring a lively and colorful performance of the popular musical, South Pacific, to Geneva this May!
Based on James A. Michener’s prize-winning book, Tales of the South Pacific, and incorporating some of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s best-loved songs, the musical will take place at the Casino Theatre in Geneva between 5 and 13 May 2018.
The story behind South Pacific
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, South Pacific takes place on an exotic tropical island in the South Pacific during the Second World War. Nellie Forbush, a young Navy nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas, meets and falls in love with Emile De Becque, a gallant, middle-aged French plantation owner. However, she has second thoughts upon discovering that he's fathered two half-Polynesian children.
Photo credit: Helen Patuck
It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine and if you look at the reviews on the website of the local comedy improvisation group, Renegade Saints, it’s easy to see why!
“I laughed my guts off!”
“Laughed so much and for all the right reasons.”
“I was so energised from laughing at you all as I walked home. Your guys should open a health club and just project reruns on the wall. It’d make a killing.”
So who are the Renegade Saints and why should we go and see them?
Based in Geneva, the Renegade Saints are an eclectic group of about 10 performers of varying ages and different international backgrounds – all with a passion for improv. Performing regularly in the city since 2014, they can be seen mainly at the Mr Pickwick Pub on the Rue de Lausanne, but the group also does private shows, workshops and other special events throughout the year.
© Julien Lambert
Following the global success of Kiss & Cry’s “nano-dances” in 2011, choreographer Michèle Anne de Mey and filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael have created a moment of pure poetry with their second creation, Cold Blood.
On show at the Théatre de Carouge from Tuesday, 9 January through to Saturday, 3 February, this unique show will be performed in English for one night only on Friday, 26 January 2018.
Described by the directors as “an ode to life at the intersection of different media – film, dance, music, and theatre”, this show has a rare emotional power. It forces the audience to consider the fragility of life by exploring the instant just before the final breath “that transforms our existence, through a journey of extraordinary reach, infinite tenderness and exquisite nostalgia”.
As the performance unfolds on stage, hands can be seen performing on miniature film sets. The audience watches as the film is simultaneously shot and projected on screen above the stage. The story, full of intelligence and reveries, unfolds in “an exquisite and diaphanous ballet" and the influence of Ravel, Schubert, David Bowie and Janis Joplin is clearly evident. You can see a selection of excerpts from Cold Blood at this link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWxaqDX0gc4.
Win a double ticket to see The Wizard of Oz on Friday, 1 December 2017!
The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society has chosen one of the most popular musicals, The Wizard of Oz, for its pre-Christmas show this year.
Taking place between 1 and 3 December 2017 at the Théatre du Léman, this lively production will include some of the best-loved songs in American filmdom, notably "Over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road". Fans of the musical will also know to look out for memorable icons such as the ruby slippers, the Emerald City and of course the Yellow Brick Road!
For those unfamiliar with the story, The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy, who lives with her dog, Toto, on the farm of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, amid the wheat fields of Kansas.
One day, a tornado sends the farmhouse spinning up into the sky with Dorothy and Toto inside it. They end up among the strange Munchkins in the Land of Oz. Dorothy eventually learns that the only way to get back home again is to ask the enigmatic Wizard of Oz for help. Her attempts to find the Wizard in the company of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion are frustrated by the Wicked Witch of the West. Will they ever get back to the farm?
