The announcement of the Swiss Film Awards nominees during the Solothurn Film Festival is a longstanding tradition. This year will be no different, with around 600 guests from the Swiss film industry expected to attend Nominations Night in Solothurn concert hall on 29 January 2014. The new Director of the Federal Office of Culture, Ms Isabelle Chassot, will deliver the opening address. The Confederation has organised these awards honouring the Swiss film industry since 2012.

Animation and editing recognised
The 17th Swiss Film Awards will be the first time that the Best Animated Film Award is bestowed annually, instead of every two years. In doing so, the Swiss Confederation formally acknowledges this popular and thriving sector of the Swiss film industry. The key role of editors in the filmmaking process is also recognised with the introduction of the "Best Film Editing" Award. There is a total of 117 films (123 films in 2013) in the running this year. There are 28 in the Best Fiction Film category, 33 in the Best Documentary Film category, 38 in the Best Short Film category and 18 in the Best Animated Film category. All nominees will receive a share of the prize money, which this year stands at CHF 435,000.

The 2014 Swiss Film Awards feature 11 categories. There are five nominees in the three main categories of "Best Fiction Film", "Best Documentary Film" and "Best Short Film", and three nominees in each of the remaining categories: "Best Animation Film", "Best Screenplay", "Best Actress", "Best Actor", "Best Performance in a Supporting Role", "Best Film Score", "Best Cinematography" and "Best Film Editing".

Swiss Film Awards voting system
The Federal Department of Home Affairs appoints a jury made up of Swiss Film Academy members, who compile a shortlist of contenders based on recommendations submitted by the 240 Academy members who are eligible to take part in the nomination process.
The finalists are announced at Nominations Night in January 2014. All members of the Swiss Film Academy who have voting rights then cast their vote for their preferred candidate in each category of the 2014 Swiss Film Awards.

Swiss Film Awards 2014
For the first time in its history, the Swiss Film Awards will be held on a Friday (21 March 2014). The venue for this gala evening, which officially celebrates the work of the Swiss film industry, is the Schiffbau in Zurich. The ceremony is produced by the Federal Office of Culture, together with its partners, SRG SSR and the Association "Quartz" Genève Zürich, and organised together with Swiss Films, the Swiss Film Academy and the Solothurn Film Festival. As in 2013, the Cinémas du Grütli in Geneva and Filmpodium in Zurich will show all of the nominated films between 17 and 23 March 2014. These screenings are part of "Nominees Week", a series of events that are held in the run-up to the Swiss Film Awards ceremony and open to the general public.

Press releases and photos Nominations Night 2014
At 9.15 pm on 29 January 2014, the nominations for the 2014 Swiss Film Awards will be published on the official SFA website www.schweizerfilmpreis.ch and on the federal online news service www.news-service.admin.ch. Press photos taken during the Nominations Night ceremony will be posted in the "Media" section of the SFA website from 9.30 pm onwards.

Press accreditation Nominations Night 2014
Journalists intending to cover Nominations Night should apply directly to the Solothurn Film Festival for press accreditation. All applications should be sent to Ms Ursula Pfander, presse@solothurnerfilmtage.ch.

In February 2014 members of the press and media will receive an official invitation to apply for press accreditation for the 2014 Swiss Film Awards in Zurich.

“Nominations Night” starts countdown to 2014 Swiss Film Awards