Visions du Réel (Visions of Reality) is an internationally renowned documentary film festival held in April each year in Nyon, Switzerland. Established in 1969

Profile

At its inception, the festival promoted Swiss films and films that were otherwise inaccessible — that is, those created in the Eastern Bloc countries behind the Iron Curtain. Now open to worldwide entries, the week-long festival has been directed by film critic Jean Perret since 1995. 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, Roman Karmen, Georges Rouquier, Basil Wright, and Henri Storck.

Sections

  • International Feature Film Competition;
  • Burning Lights International Competition;
  • National Competition;
  • International Medium Length and Short Film Competition;
  • Opening Scenes;
  • Grand Angle;
  • Latitudes;
  • VdR-Industry.

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
  • VdR Industry
  • VdR-Pitching Award
  • VdR-Work in Progress
  • Opening Scenes
  • TËNK Post-production Award
  • HEAD–Genève Postproduction Award
  • DAE Encouragement Award
  • DOK Leipzig Award
  • Unifrance Doc Award

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

  • (in French, German and English)