'My Life As A Courgette' wins top prize at Swiss Film Awards

My My Life As A Courgette won best fiction film at the Swiss Film Awards, announced on Friday (24 March).

Claude Barras’ stop-motion animation also won best film score, for Sophie Hunter’s soundtrack, and a special Academy award for the casting and directing.

The film won the César for best animation this year, and was also nominated in the same category at the Oscars and Golden Globes.

The other big winner at the event was The Divine Order with three awards.

Petra Volpe’s film, which centres on the fight for equal rights for women in 1970s Switzerland, won best screenplay (Petra Volpe), best actress (Marie Leuenberger) and best performance in a supporting role (Rachel Braunschweig).

The film will receive its international premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, with Trust Nordisk handling world sales. 

Heidi Specogna’s documentary Cahier Africain received two awards, for best documentary and best editing (Kaya Inan). Rushlake Media have acquired world rights.

Downfall star Bruno Ganz was honoured with both best actor for Jacob Berger’s Un Juif pour l’exemple and an honourary award celebrating his career.

The full list of winners are below:

Best Fiction Film

My Life As A Courgette

Best Documentary Film

Cahier Africain

Best Short Film

Bon Voyage, Le Femme Et Le TGV

Best Animation Film

Au Revoir Balthazar

Best Screenplay

Petra Volpe, The Divine Order

Best Actress

Marie Leuenberger, The Divine Order

Best Actor

Bruno Ganz, Un Juif pour l’exemple

Best Performance in a Supporting Role

Rachel Braunschweig, The Divine Order

Best Film Score

Sophie Hunger, My Life As A Courgette

Best Cinematography

Simon Guy Fässler, Aloys

Best Film Editing

Kaya Inan, Cahier Africain

Best Graduate Film

Digital Immigrants

Honorary Award

Bruno Ganz

Special Academy Award

Marie-Eve Hildbrand, My Life As A Courgette