Switzerland submits A Piece Of Sky for the best international film – closing date
Switzerland has opted for the Swiss German language feature by Michael Koch A piece of heaven as a nominee for Best International Film at the 2023 Oscars.
Set in a remote mountain village, the drama revolves around the against-all-opportunity love story between a local woman and a foreign farmhand who is stricken with a brain tumor that renders his behavior angry and impulsive.
The film enjoyed a lively world premiere at the Berlinale earlier this year, where it was acclaimed by the international jury with a special mention. The feature was well received by critics, with Deadline’s review describing the work as “both beautifully done and a thing of beauty in itself”.
The feature film is being produced by the Zurich production company Hugofilm Features and the German Pandora Film Production with the support of SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, SRG SSR and Arte.
International distribution is handled by New Europe Film Sales, which has sold the drama to more than 10 countries.
Since its Berlinale debut, the drama has gained traction on the festival circuit with recent invitations to Taipei, Karlovy Vary, Hong Kong, Austria’s Viennale and Guanajuato in Mexico, where it won Best International Feature Film in July.
The film celebrates its Swiss premiere on August 9th in the Panorama Suisse section of the Locarno Film Festival. Local distributor Frenetic Films is bringing the film to Swiss cinemas on September 1st.
According to the rules of the 95th Academy Awards, films submitted for consideration in the Best International Film category must be shown in cinemas between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. The closing date for entries is October 3rd.
This year’s best international film race seems to be starting slower than usual. Only two titles have been announced so far, with Ireland getting the ball rolling last week The quiet girl.
Last year, 93 territories submitted films.