Kurzfilmtage’s annual Swiss Film School Day is a showcase of Switzerland’s five major undergraduate degree programmes. Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL), the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD), the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art – Video/Animation, present a selection of their recent short films.
The jury of the Swiss competition conducts a Q&A with the students, offers insights from the industry, and awards the prize for the Best Swiss School Film (CHF 5000.–, donated by SRG SSR). The winner will be announced at the Industry Awards Ceremony on Saturday 9/11 at 19:30 at oxyd - Kunsträume.
Admission to the Swiss Film School Day is free – a great opportunity to get a first glimpse of Kurzfilmtage!
Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art – Video
The Bachelor’s degree programme in Video teaches central aspects of filmmaking, focusing on the diverse forms and processes of documentary and essayistic films. Technical skills, creative competency, and theoretical knowledge are taught with a practice-focused approach. New knowledge is applied, individually tested, deepened, reinterpreted, and combined in the students’ own short film projects. From radically subjective to shockingly objective – the programme offers the opportunity to develop new perspectives on the world, inspiring students to find their own cinematic signature style.
hslu.ch/video
Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art – Animation
In the BA in Animation programme at the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, students learn to tell stories in short, animated formats. They develop their individual cinematic language and have the option to specialize in classical animation, computer animation, stop motion, or hybrid forms. The three-year course culminates in a film produced individually or in groups. In the MA in Animation programme, students enhance their animation skills and continue to develop their artistic voice. During the two-year programme, they work on their own animation projects under the mentorship of in-house lecturers and industry professionals. By connecting with the Swiss and European animation scenes, students gain valuable insights into contemporary markets as they develop, produce, and distribute their projects.
hslu.ch/animation
Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL)
The film department at the Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL), founded by Yves Yersin in 1989, has a rich history of nurturing filmmakers. The three-year Bachelor of Arts programme offers students the opportunity to participate in workshops led by prominent film professionals such as Thierry de Peretti, Carmen Jaquier, Artur Tort, Guillaume Brac, and Claire Mathon, among others. The curriculum focuses on helping students develop their distinctive visual and narrative style across various formats, including fictional shorts, documentaries, and experimental films. Since 2022, Paolo Moretti has been leading the department, succeeding Swiss director Lionel Baier and producer Pauline Gygax.
ecal.ch
Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD)
The three-year BA in Cinema course offers a series of introductions, discoveries, and encounters. Students produce several films, ranging from shorts lasting just a few minutes to demanding productions that meet international distributors’ expectations. The practical workshops are developed in dialogue with classes on the history and aesthetics of cinema as well as theoretical workshops on gender/queer studies and decolonial thinking. The Cinema Department aims to stake out the complex history of documentary and fictional film in order to encourage interplay and crossovers between these two traditional genres. We understand cinema as a creative practice derived from personal experience, aiming to observe and question the world and to tell stories that are imaginary yet true.
hesge.ch/head/
Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
The film programmes at ZHdK focus on practical training. The school’s Major Bachelor Film and Major Master Film are closely linked, forming a consecutive programme. The three-year BA course provides comprehensive training in all key areas of filmmaking. Offering fundamental know-how in screenwriting, editing, photography, producing, and sound design, the programme enables graduates to embark on professional careers in filmmaking.
film.zhdk.ch / filmstudieren.ch
with the kind support of: 
