Visions du Réel (Visions of Reality) is an internationally renowned documentary film festival held in April each year in Nyon,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Established in 1969 as the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival, the event adopted its current name in 1995 and is the largest Swiss documentary festival.http://www.visionsdureel.ch/en/about-us/about-us/
/ref> At its inception, the festival promoted Swiss films and films that were otherwise inaccessible — that is, those created in the

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

countries behind the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

. Now open to worldwide entries, the week-long festival has been directed by film critic Jean Perret since 1995. The festival was founded by Moritz de Hadeln (who later headed the Locarno International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, the

Venice International Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

and the short-lived New Montreal FilmFest of 2005) and his wife Erika de Hadeln: Moritz de Hadeln directed the festival until 1979, and he assisted Erika when she took over as head of the festival from 1980 to 1993. During the early years of the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival, Erika de Hadeln negotiated with the film authorities in East Europe and Russia — and worked with documentary filmmakers including

Joris Ivens Georg Henri Anton "Joris" Ivens (18 November 1898 – 28 June 1989) was a Dutch documentary filmmaker. Among the notable films he directed or co-directed are '' A Tale of the Wind'', '' The Spanish Earth'', ''Rain'', ''...A Valparaiso'', ''M ...

, Roman Karmen,

Georges Rouquier Georges Rouquier (23 June 1909 – 19 December 1989) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor. He worked principally on documentary films, and his best-known work is ''Farrebique'' (1947) a lyrical evocation of farming life in Avey ...

, Basil Wright, and Henri Storck. The event served as a template for film festivals that followed, including those in Amsterdam and Munich. Each year, the festival invites and pays tribute to a guest of honor who has made significant contributions in the field of documentary and/or fiction films. The honoree is awarded the prestigious Honorary Award (previously the “Prix Maître du Réel”). Past recipients include Claire Denis, Werner Herzog,

Claire Simon Clair or Claire may refer to: * Claire (given name), a list of people with the name Claire * Clair (surname) Places Canada * Clair, New Brunswick, a former village, now part of Haut-Madawaska * Clair Parish, New Brunswick * Pointe-Claire ...

, Peter Greenaway, Alain Cavalier,

Barbet Schroeder Barbet Schroeder (born 26 August 1941) is an Iranian-born Swiss film director and producer who started his career in French cinema in the 1960s, working with directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Jacques Rivette. Since the late 1980s, he has dire ...

, and Richard Dindo. Visions du Réel is part of the Doc Alliance – a creative partnership between seven European documentary film festivals.

Sections

* International Feature Film Competition * Burning Lights International Competition * National Competition * International Medium Length and Short Film Competition * Opening Scenes * Grand Angle * Latitudes

Awards

* International Feature Film Competition ** Sesterce d’or — Best feature film ** Jury Prize — Most innovative feature film ** Special Mention ** Interreligious Award * Burning Lights International Competition ** Sesterce d’or — Best medium length or feature film ** Jury Prize — Most innovative medium length or feature film ** Special Mention * National Competition ** Sesterce d’or — Best medium length or feature film ** Jury Prize — Most innovative feature film ** Special Mention * International Medium Length & Short Film Competition ** Sesterce d’or — Best medium length film ** Jury Prize — Most innovative medium length film ** Special Mention ** Sesterce d’argent — Best short film ** Youth Jury Prize — Most innovative short film * Grand Angle ** Sesterce d’argent Prix du Public — Best feature film

Festival team

Presidents

* 1969-1973: Bernard Glasson * 1974-1981: Maurice Ruey * 1982: Denys Gilliéron * 1983-1991: Armand Forel * 1992-1997: Gaston Nicole * 1998-2001: Jérôme Bontron * 2002-2003: Peter Tschopp * 2004-2009: Jean Schmutz * 2009-2019: Claude Ruey * since 2019: Raymond Loretan

Directors

* 1969-1979: Moritz de Hadeln * 1980-1994: Erika de Hadeln * 1994-2010: Jean Perret * 2010-2017: Luciano Barisone * since 2018: Emilie Bujès

References

External links

* (in French, German and English) Film festivals established in 1995 Film festivals in Switzerland Documentary film festivals in Switzerland Nyon 1969 establishments in Switzerland Spring (season) events in Switzerland {{film-festival-stub