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Date Sections Locations

International Competition

Recent short films from around the globe. The best works are presented with prizes at the Award Ceremony on Sunday.

International Competition I:
Heat Wave

International Competition II:
Mapping the Present

International Competition III:
Caught in Moments

International Competition IV:
Work-Life Balance

International Competition V:
Out of Control

International Competition VI:
Other Dimensions

Internationaler Competition VII:
Performing Rituals

Swiss Competition

Recent short films from Switzerland. The best works are presented with prizes at the Award Ceremony on Sunday.

Swiss Competition I:
Was sein könnte

Swiss Competition II:
Zwischen Erwartung und Realität

Swiss Competition III:
Zurück zum Anfang

Sparks

With the Sparks programmes, we hope to spark a passion for the medium of short film. Featuring highlights from this year’s competition submissions, the selection offers an excellent introduction to the world of shorts, showcasing a diverse film culture beyond the usual mainstream and YouTube videos.

Swiss Film School Day

A presentation of films from Switzerland’s film schools, with live feedback and award show.

Swiss Film School Day:
Session I

Swiss Film School Day:
Session II

Swiss Film School Day:
Session III

Swiss Film School Day:
Session IV

Swiss Film School Day:
Award Ceremony

Main Focus:
Los Estados Andinos

The eight curated programmes presented here are the result of a comprehensive audiovisual enquiry into the vast territory of the Andean nations: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Los Estados Andinos offers a panorama of the political, social, cultural, and artistic scene of these seven countries, exploring the idiosyncrasies and traditions of each as well as their collective identity and common grounds.

Family Comes First

Free Your Mind, Free Your Body

Stories of the Uncanny

Working the Land

Critical Contrasts

Country in Focus:
Israel

Commemorative practices, reflections on identity, family relationships, and borders in both the geographical and mental sense – these are four weighty and highly complex themes in a country like Israel. The shorts in the Country in Focus explore the past and present of this still young nation, illuminating the historic premises of its existence, the ubiquitous conflicts on multiple fronts, the militarization of everyday life, and family relationships within this context.

Mother/Daughter

Reflections on Identity

Person in Focus:
Kurdwin Ayub

Kurdwin Ayub is one of Austrian cinema’s most interesting voices. Her distinct cinematic style has been recognizable from her earliest works through her most recent film, «Sonne», and it continues to evolve. In her works, she addresses gender roles, identity and migration, patriarchal structures, youth culture, and the fast pace of our time – always in an authentic and personal manner. Both playful and analytical, Ayub and her films resist pigeonholing.

Kurdwin Ayub – Short Films

Kurdwin Ayub – Sonne

Master Class:
Kurdwin Ayub (en)

Hors Concours

Recent short films from Zurich, Switzerland, and around the world screened out of competition

European Film Academy on Tour I

European Film Academy on Tour II

European Film Academy on Tour III

Special Programmes

Short film programmes on topics that our curators are passionate about – or that are simply fun.

Postapocalyptic Imagination

Death by Sports

Films in Dialogue – Re:
Dear Oleksiy …

Family Programmes

Short film fun for young viewers aged 6+ and for the whole family.

Magic Lantern:
Shorts for Kids – Differences

Gala-Events

Festive events with moderation, guests and screenings.

Opening Programme

And the Winners Are … I

And the Winners Are … II

What People Talked About

Expanded Cinema

Installations, performances, and exhibitions present the medium of film in unfamiliar forms.

Vernissage:
Kurzfilmtage x oxyd

Alice Bucknell:
E-Z Kryptobuild

frölicher | bietenhader | pifragile

Artist Talk with frölicher | bietenhader | pifragile

Alexandra Navratil:
Spell

Hannes Schüpbach:
Instants, Essais, Interventions

Echo der Industrie

Simon Liu:
Star Ferry

A Wall is a Screen

Music & Parties

Rastapopoulos & Lost Lobos

Comfort (Glasgow)

Mi$$ Hi$$ & DJ Miss Maybe

Workshops & Other Events

Events that let you dive even deeper into the world of short film.

Radio Stadtfilter Talk

Coucou Reads Cinema

Family Workshop:
Stop-Motion & Pixilation

Industry Events

The Industry Events offer a platform for networking among film professionals, for discussing theoretical concepts, and for information and education about creative methods and aesthetic trends.

Films in Dialogue – Re:
Dear Oleksiy …

12.11.2022, 22:30, Maxx 5
EN UT

10.6.2023, 14:00, , Free entry

Display Content Notes

This programme is based on the idea of an exchange between pen pals. The dialogue begins with an email from John Canciani to Oleksiy Radynski (Ukrainian filmmaker, writer, and activist), in which John recommends a film and shares his thoughts on it. Oleksiy, in turn, responds with a message and a film suggestion. A ping-pong-like conversation evolves, both in the emails and in the film programme. This experiment shows how a programme can be created intuitively as well as collaboratively.

Part of:

Special Programmes

Nashi
Daya Cahen / Netherlands 2008 / 26'30" / DCP / colour / Russian / Exp/Doc

In 2007, Daya Cahen was the only outsider allowed to pitch her tent in the Nashi summer camp, where she witnessed the daily routine of the youth movement created by Vladimir Putin. She captured her impressions with two cameras and presents them in a double projection. 10,000 Russian boys and girls are preparing themselves for a heroic future. They are the chosen ones of Russia: the budding managers and politicians of the country that is destined to become the global leader of the 21st century.

Untitled
Hito Steyerl / Germany 2022 / 2' / DCP / colour/black & white / Russian / Exp

In 2015, Hito Steyerl collaborated with the Kharkiv-based IT company Program Ace to create the three-channel video installation «The Tower», which deals with military conflict simulation technologies amidst the war-threatened environment of an East Ukrainian city. In 2022, in response Russia's latest invasion of Ukraine, Hito Steyerl revisited her 2015 work to zoom in on some of the overlooked aspects of this war.

Action, Almost Unable to Think
Mao Haonan / China 2018 / 11'30" / DCP / colour / Chinese / Ani/Exp

The film is based on the true story of a soldier who was killed by a bomb while greeting a civilian. It tries to recapture that moment of contradiction and fragility.

Deep Love
Mykyta Lyskov / Ukraine 2019 / 13'57" / DCP / colour / English / Ani

The bald eagle, symbol of power, flies over a Ukrainian city and drops an egg whose impact generates a rising nuclear mushroom. Deep love has finally happened in Ukraine.

About the Art of Love, or A Film with 14441 Frames
Karpo Godina / Yugoslavia 1972 / 10' / DCP / colour / Serbo-Croat / Doc/Exp

«The army asked me to make an official military film. Instead I made one that said «make love not war». The military literally chopped it up with an axe, but I was able to save one print.» – Karpo Godina

Khayt
Sashko Protyah / Ukraine 2021 / 8'44" / DCP / colour/black & white / Ukrainian / Clip/Doc

«Khayt» is an artistic speculation about the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in 2068, where a thriving urban culture is largely created by Azov Greeks.

More programmes:
Postapocalyptic Imagination Death by Sports Ticinema Films in Dialogue – Re: Dear Oleksiy …

Programme

The Festival

Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur is Switzerland’s major short film festival. For six days every November, we transform the city into a dynamic short film hub.

Kurzfilmtage offers discoveries for everyone: our thoughtfully compiled thematic programmes address current events or topics that our curators are passionate about. The competition programmes showcase the latest filmmaking from around the globe, while installations, performances, and other specials highlight the diversity of audiovisual forms. And a programme of special events including concerts, readings, and more enhance the festival experience.

Programme of the 28th Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (archive)

Short Films

A short film is not just a shorter film. Shorts are a distinct art form, which we showcase at our annual festival.

Short films come in all shapes and genres, and how long – or short – they are, varies quite a bit. Simpler production processes allow filmmakers to capture the zeitgeist and quickly respond to trends. Shorts can be entertaining or surprising, they can analyse society, take a political stance, or offer glimpses of worlds unknown to us.

We compile our short films into thematic programmes or specific sections, such as our competitions, paying close attention to the selection and sequence of films in each programme. All you need to enjoy short films is an open mind for new discoveries and surprises.

Competitions — Recent short films from around the world. The best shorts will be presented with awards on Sunday evening.

Hors Concours — Recent short films from Zurich, Switzerland, and around the world screened out of competition.

Main Focus — Films that explore a region, a social phenomenon, or an artistic trend.

Country in Focus — The cinema of a country from contemporary and historical perspectives.

Person in Focus — A spotlight on the work of a filmmaker.

Special Programmes — Short film programmes dedicated to topics that our curators are passionate about – or that are simply fun.

Family Programmes — Short film fun for young viewers aged 6+ and for the whole family.

Expanded Cinema — Installations, performances, and exhibitions present the medium of film in unfamiliar forms.

Special Events — Concerts, parties, readings, and many other events enhance the festival experience.

Talks & Panels — Moderated talks and panels after the screenings offer additional context and insight into films and themes.

Industry Events — A wide range of educational events and networking opportunities.