SWAN Locarno Networking Breakfast 2024

SWAN – Swiss Women’s Audiovisual Network is hosting its 9th annual networking breakfast on Sunday, August 11, 2024 from 10:00 to 13:00 in Sport Café, within the framework of Locarno Film Festival.

As per our tradition, the event will feature the festival’s parity numbers’ reading and a panel discussion on key questions affecting gender parity in our industry, followed by a networking hour.

Parity numbers’ reading → 10:00-10:30

We will kick off with the traditional reading of the festival’s parity numbers in a conversation between Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro and SWAN executive committee member Ksenia Ignatenko. Together, we will contextualize the figures within the Swiss film industry and spark a discussion on how we can further improve them. This year’s reading is extra special as we will announce our commitment to becoming more inclusive, reflecting and celebrating the beauty of all gender expressions.

Panel: Safeguarding victims of gender-based* harassment and assault → 11:00-12:00

In recent years, we all have heard about systemic disturbing behaviors taking place behind the scenes of our film and TV sets, festivals, and institutions that wield decision-making power over our careers. Whether it is the complicit silence surrounding sexual assault cases, the harassment of women into quitting their positions, or the protection of perpetrators by our industry and legal system—the reality in the Swiss audiovisual industry falls short of the measures that exist on paper to prevent and confront these acts.

Our association has recently undergone a deep restructuring, and as a committee with a renewed vision, one of our main objectives is to focus on pragmatic solutions. In line with this, our panel aims to break the taboo surrounding this issue, assess the situation in Switzerland, propose concrete measures, and address the ongoing uncertainties. We seek to open a dialogue on questions such as: How can we ensure accountability? How can we protect victims and witnesses from legal, professional, and psychological repercussions? The panel will be hosted by SWAN’s executive committee members Aylin Gökmen and Cadenza Zhao, who will start with an assessment of the current situation and an overview of various initiatives for victim protection in Switzerland.

Following this, we will focus on practical solutions with our panelists, Anita Wasser and Anna Mäder-Garamvölgyi.

As a partner at Turnus Film, one of Switzerland’s leading production companies, Wasser will share insights on concrete steps that production companies can take to ensure a safe workplace. Mäder-Garamvölgyi will provide her expertise on handling cases within the legal framework, focusing on how to protect the victims. Finally, we will discuss areas that need further improvement and open the floor to questions from the public.

Anna Mäder-Garamvölgyi worked as an independent lawyer for 37 years, representing many victims of sexual assault in criminal and civil proceedings. She also worked in equality law as a judge at the Cantonal and Federal arbitration authorities on equality law and dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace in this position. She has been president of Suissimage since 2015 and a member of the Federal Film Commission since 2018. She is also a member of the Cinésuisse‘s gender diversity working group, which also deals intensively with these topics.

Anita Wasser has been working in the Swiss film industry since 1986 as a producer and a member of various film commissions and institutions. Since August 2015, she has been a partner at Turnus Film in Zurich, alongside producer Michael Steiner. Turnus Film produces both national and international content aimed at arthouse and high-end mainstream audiences. Among their notable achievements is the production of « Wolkenbruch », the most successful Swiss feature film of 2018, which was Switzerland’s official submission for the 2020 Oscars and the first Swiss film licensed globally by Netflix. Another milestone came in 2022 with the release of the successful six-part TV crime series « Die Beschatter », which further secured deals with Netflix and TV5 Monde. In 2024, their new feature film « Jakobs Ross » thrilled critics in Switzerland, had its international premiere at Filmfest Munich, and will be presented in Locarno.

(*) Although the panel will primarily focus on those most affected by gender-based assault and harassment in our industry (FLINTA people), we stand in solidarity with cisgender men who are also victims, and we welcome anyone who wishes to join this important conversation.

Networking hour → 12:00-13:00

Enjoy coffee, tea, juice, and pastries while mingling with SWAN members and other festival attendees!