Abstract
Film production in Switzerland is particularly challenging in view of the country’s geographical, cultural and political specificities. The country is small in size, consists of three linguistic regions with their own cultural specificities, each of which is deeply influenced by the film supply from large, neighbouring countries. On top, it was recently excluded from the European Union’s MEDIA programme , designed to support the European film and audio-visual industries. This stopped Swiss filmmakers to access important European funds. This chapter first contextualizes these problems as structural barriers that Swiss producers, distributors and policymakers are confronted with. Then, it provides data concerning the Swiss film market, and it describes the national film policies adopted by the Federal Government to support film production. Finally, it analyses a new fund created in July 2016 to finance national films and international co-productions shot in the country. The chapter suggests that, through this policy innovation, Switzerland is cautiously shifting from a public funding policy scheme exclusively based on cultural premises towards one that values film production as a means for economic growth. This unprecedented policy shift brings Switzerland closer to other European countries, which have been following similar trends for many years.
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- 1.
The referendum was proposed by the national conservative Swiss People’s Party with the aim to limit immigration through quotas, as it was prior to the bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union. This initiative was accepted by a majority of the electorate and of the cantons on February 9th, 2014.
- 2.
Source: Federal Office of Statistics, www.bfs.admin.ch
- 3.
Source: MEDIA Salles, www.mediasalles.it
- 4.
For the detailed list of selective criteria see Annex n. 1, point 2.1 of the Decree of the Federal Department of Internal Affairs 21/4/2016—OPCin.
- 5.
All conversions are calculated with a currency exchange rate of 1 CHF/0.922 euros, as of 31 December 2015. Source: SIX Swiss Exchange.
- 6.
See Chapter 3, Section 1 of OPICin 21/4/2016 for the detailed list of compensatory measures.
- 7.
Bundesamt für Kultur (BAK), Film, Koproduktionsabkommen, www.bak.admin.ch/film/03604/index.html?lang=it
- 8.
Over 90% of the budget is allocated to co-productions, 5% to distribution, 3% to cinema theatres and 1% to promotional activities (see the Eurimages activity report for 2015).
- 9.
- 10.
See detailed guidelines: www.srgssr.ch/fileadmin/pdfs/012_Reglement-SPA-2012-2015_fr_Nouveau.pdf (in French).
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Cucco, M., Dagnino, G. (2018). Public Film Policy and the Rise of Economic Principles: The Case of Switzerland. In: Murschetz, P., Teichmann, R., Karmasin, M. (eds) Handbook of State Aid for Film. Media Business and Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71716-6_24
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