Impact Accelerator
New funding for three projects
27.06.2024
In spring, SWISS FILMS and the philanthropic organisation The StoryBoard Collective announced their strategic collaboration. The new partnership will enable three Swiss producers to launch their international impact campaigns. This new support measure, entitled "Impact Accelerator", was developed as part of the SWISS FILMS Lab pilot programme.
The following three projects were selected by SWISS FILMS and The StoryBoard Collective for the Impact Accelerator:
CHESS BEHIND BARS by Ivo Zen, produced by La Belle Film
A FREE DAUGHTER by Leigh Iacobucci, produced by Luna Films
REBELION DE LA MEMORIA by Joël Jent, produced by Aaron Film.
CHESS BEHIND BARS by director Ivo Zen is produced by Kaleo La Belle. He was already part of the Swiss delegation at CPH:DOX in 2023, where he took part in the INTRO:DOX industry programme with his project. The film is about playing chess in various prisons around the world - including in Norway, Mongolia, the USA and Armenia. The film is aimed at inmates, their immediate environment and communities in the surrounding area as well as people interested in the topic. It aims to raise awareness and create empathy in an attempt to break down prejudices against people in prison. Thanks to access to education and chess programmes, prisoners can gain self-confidence and respect, giving them a second chance.
A FREE DAUGHTER is about the young activist and pop star Zere Asylbek, who fights for women's rights in Kyrgyzstan with her music and her commitment, while turbulent political changes make her fight increasingly difficult. A FREE DAUGHTER is Leigh Iacobucci's first feature-length film. The Impact campaign is aimed at the young Kyrgyz female audience. Screenings and live or online discussions will be organised in a safe environment. The aim is to promote solidarity, especially in rural areas, to break the stigmatisation of women who leave abusive marriages or relationships. The film was produced by Véronique Vergari and Agnès Boutruche from Luna Films. A FREE DAUGHTER was one of the six projects in the SWISS FILMS Previews at the Visions du Réel festival in April 2023.
Joël Jent's film REBELIÓN DE LA MEMORIA (SWI-FR-PE) is set in Peru. The co-production deals with the consequences of the Peruvian civil war. Different protagonists have their say, whose present is characterised by the confrontation with their memories and the attempt to find understanding for each other: a search for a common future and answers to Peruvian identity. The Impact campaign starts here and aims to raise awareness of the urgent need for reconciliation and initiate a dialogue in Peruvian society. The film, produced by Sophia Rubischung (Aaron Film), received the EsoDoc Pitching Award 2023 and was part of the "When East Meets West " Co-Production Forum 2024 and Eurodoc 2024.