Fantoche opens the 2014 competition and presents Japan as guest country

From 2 to 7 September, Baden will be playing host for the 12th time to Fantoche – Switzerland’s biggest animation film showcase. This international Festival is Switzerland’s biggest festival of animation film, and is among the most popular in the world. For the 'International Competition'’ and the 'Swiss Competition', Fantoche is looking for the latest trends in the world of animated film, in all their countless variations. In 2013, more than 1,000 short films were submitted – and Fantoche is expecting a similarly high number of entries in 2014. The competition is open from today; Swiss and international filmmakers are invited to submit their animated films by 24 May 2014. In addition, Fantoche announces that the Festival’s guest country for 2014 will be Japan.

The international cartoon showcase ranks among the world's foremost festivals of animated film. It is Switzerland's biggest and most prestigious cultural event devoted exclusively to animation in all its many facets, in terms of the technology, content and media. Once an underground affair, the Festival is now in equal measure a crowd-puller and a meeting place for industry professionals from Switzerland and the rest of the world.

'International Competition' and 'Swiss Competition' 2014

The heart of the Festival programme is the 'International Competition'. This is where trends and current developments in the animation film industry are sniffed out: Festival Director Annette Schindler and her team are looking, on the one hand, for artistically daring ideas, unconventional approaches and new talent, and on the other hand for first-class independent films and the best in new animated films from around the world. The total of twelve different prizes are defined in line with these categories. With awards for 'Best Film', 'High Risk' and 'New Talent', the Festival acknowledges the different qualities that characterise animated film production.

Films by Swiss directors are automatically entered in the 'Swiss Competition' as well. This competition premiered at Fantoche 2009, and now rivals the 'International Competition' in popularity among the viewing public. An international jury awards three prizes. The competition puts Swiss film in the spotlight, and also presents it in an international context.

In cooperation with the children's film club 'Die Zauberlaterne', the latest films for children in various age brackets are selected from the entries submitted. These films are also judged by a jury – made up of children – and two prizes are awarded, one by the child jury and the other by the child audience.

The online application portal for the International Competition and the Swiss Competition is now open at www.fantoche.ch. The closing date for registering is 24 May 2014.

Further information and image material

Please visit our website www.fantoche.ch for further information, online registration and regulations. The visual design for Fantoche 2014 is available to download from our website.