Cinésuisse wants more money from the federal government for film funding
On Monday, Cinésuisse Managing Director Sven Wälti called on the federal government to increase its funding for Swiss film from 20 to 40 million francs by 2012. However, given the poor performance of the film industry in 2007, it is rather doubtful that the Federal Assembly will make a positive decision in December 2008.
Cinésuisse managing director Sven Wälti demanded on Monday that the federal government increase its credit for the promotion of Swiss films from 20 to 40 million francs by 2012. The umbrella organization of the Swiss film and audiovisual industry hopes that this will bring it a step closer to its goal of achieving a market share of ten percent with Swiss films, as the federal government writes, but the timing of the demand seems extremely bad; on the one hand, the record market share of 9.26 percent in 2006 fell to 5.38 percent in 2007 and even to 2.52 percent in the first two months of 2008, as was reported in Blick. On the other hand, the animated film "Max & Co." appears to be flopping at the box office, even though it received a record CHF 1.5 million in federal funding and, with production costs of CHF 30 million, is the most expensive Swiss film of all time.
Wälti told the Bund: "We shouldn't let a flop deter us from our longer-term strategy". However, it is uncertain whether a majority for the additional credit will be reached in the National Council and Council of States in December 2008. In view of the mixed Swiss film year 2007 and the criticism of the funding concept by federal film promoter Nicolas Bideau, a positive decision seems doubtful. However, according to Blick, Bideau still believes that 2008 and 2009 will be "rich years" for Swiss film.
