1927
Funding of the avant-garde film magazine Close-Up by Kenneth Macpherson, Hilda Doolittle and Bryher (Territet, 1927-1933)
1929
First Congrès International du Cinéma Indépendant, La Sarraz
1930
Second Congrès International du Cinéma Indépendant, Bruxelles
1939
Charles Blanc-Gatti: Chromophony. 4 Min. Early Example of an ‘Absolute Film’.
1943
“Der Film gestern und heute”, exhibition organised by Georg Schmidt in Basel Kunsthalle (cf Peter Bächlin, Werner Schmalenbach, Georg Schmidt, Der Film: wirtschaftlich, gesellschaftlich, künstlerisch, Basel, Holbein-Verlag, 1947)
1945
“Images du cinéma français”, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Art/Palais de Rumine, exhibition organised by Henri Langlois
1949
First Festival of Knokke-le-Zoute, founded by Jacques Ledoux, Cinémathèque Royale de Bruxelles
Five Swiss films, by Julius Pinschewer, are presented:
Der Nähkasten; Der Sieger (w/ W. Ruttmann); Kipho (w/ Guido Seeber); Das Lammchen; Spiel der Wellen; King Coal.
1950
1951
1952
1953
Under the Brooklyn Bridge – Rudy Burckhardt (USA 1953)
1954
Festival du Film de Demain, 1954, Basel
Opération béton, Jean-Luc Godard’s first short film
1955
Jonas Mekas founds the experimental film magazine Filmculture in New York
1956
1957
The experimental filmmaker Ferry Radax starts making his own films as well as commissioned films in Switzerland. Georg Radanowicz is his assistant.
1958
Second Festival in Knokke-le-Zoute, held in Brussels (World Expo)
Swiss films presented: Nice Time (Claude Goretta and Alain Tanner); Sur le zinc (Fred Schmid)
The Filmartikel to institute a law for film is accepted in Switzerland.
In Abstrakt 1 und 2, 1958-1959, Guido und Eva Haas draw directly into 16mm film.
1959
Isognomik59 (1959) by Bernhard Luginbühl and Leonardo Bezzola is a cartoon with kinetic figures. The film remains without sound and is accompanied by live music.
In Filmographie (1959) Franz Fedier draws directly onto 35mm film. In 1976 Fedier ads the soundtrack of a training session of the boxer Fritz Chervet.
1960
Together with German actor Günter Gräwert, the Swiss painter and producer Mauritz E. Houck shoots the experimental movie Die Zukunft ist fällig (1960/61) in Munich. (Premier in Locarno 1961)
Exhibition “Der Film” in the Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich.
1961
First “Filmarbeitswochen / Semaines d’études cinémathographiques” in Engelberg. (This yearly meeting of filmmakers and filmhistorians, organised by Alex Bänninger, and later Freddy Landry (1962), took place yearly in autum until 1976)
“New American Cinema” exhibition, Festival dei Due Mondi, Spoleto, July 1961.
1962
Foundation of the New York Film-Makers’ Cooperative (by Jonas Mekas, Shirley Clarke, Stan Brakhage, Gregory Markopoulos, Lloyd Michael Williams and other filmmakers)
The Swiss Governement decrees its first statue for the funding and the promotion of film in Switzerland (film law).
1963
Third Festival in Knokke-le-Zoute
Swiss films presented: Pêche de nuit (Henri Chopin, Tjerk Wicky, Luc Peire); 27 min. 45 Sek. (Gerd Dahlmann), Inclinations (Guido und Eva Haas)
the first federal law for film comes to effect in Switzerland (first subsidies for the Cinémathèque, sponsorships for documentary movies and quality boni for finished movies).
1964
1965
Formation of the Platte 27, and alternative location for art and culture On Plattenstrasse 27 in Zürich, founded in the Spring of 1965 (see Programm vom September 1968) existed in altered form until the mid-1970ies. This was also the location for first screenings of the Film Forum.
1966
First Festival in Solothurn/Soleure
Foundation of the cine-club and distributor Film Forum by Hans Jakob Siber (aka Swiss Filmmakers’ Cooperative, activities untill 1968/69)
1967
Fourth Festival in Knokke-le-Zoute
Swiss films presented: Thalers’, Meiers’, Sadkowskys Life in the evenening (HHK Schoenherr); Anamorphosis (Guido und Eva Haas); Jalousie (Hans-Jakob Siber); Pic-Nic (Georg Radanowicz)
Off competition: Das Gesicht der alten Frau, die Suppenterrine, Vreni Keller spricht und des Popo der Madame (HHK Schoenherr); Wir sterben vor (AKS); .
P.A. Sitney’s touring exhibition on “New American Cinema” (September; Lausanne, Zurich, Solothurn)
Cine-Circus. Yearly events in different cities: Basel, Bern, Luzern. The touring programm Cine-Circus was established as a continuation of the Filmforums in Zurich Zürich and took place for the first time in 1967 in Lucerne.
1968
Foundation of the film magazine Supervisuell (6 vol., April/May 1968 – 1970) by HHK Schoenherr and the FilmForum Zurich.
Solothurn Festival: January, 21: Programme of Robert Nelson’s films in Solothurn (see programme changes of the festival)
Filmklub Zürich, February: programme of Robert Nelson’s films (in Person); May: programme of Gregory Markopolous’ films (in Person)
Foundation of the production group and rental Cinéma Marginal (Distribution untill 1973) by Marcel Leiser and François Pasche (later with Frederic Gonseth, Marcel Schüpbach)
Other founding members were François Pasche, Frédéric Gonseth and Marcel Schüpbach. Their first film catalogue was published in 1968, depending on source, the first public screeningstook place either on May 1 (Travelling) or on April 22 (programm Filmforum) in Zurich.
Touring programm Cine Circus: May in Berne, December in Basel (Nov. 30/Dec. 1) and Winterthur (Dec. 8).
First “Hamburger Filmschau” (February 1968). Organized by the Hamburg Filmmakers Coop (Helmut Herbst, Werner Nekes, Dore O., Werner Grassmann, Hellmuth Costard, et. al.)
First European Meeting of Independent Filmmakers, Stachus Munich (Nov. 12-17, 1968): organized by the “undependent film center” and HHK Schoenherr. (Second presentation of VALIE EXPORT’S of the “Tapp und Tastkino”).
Foundation of the group “Impact ” by Jean Scheurer, Jean-Claude Shauenberg, Pierre Guberanand and Henri Barbier (activities till 1975; with Gérald Minkoff, René Bauermeister, Janos Urban and Jean Otth).
1969
Festival Film-In Luzern, 1969-1972
Underground Explosion: 15. April 1969 in Circus Krone in Munich; April 18, 1969 in Volkshaus Zürich (Platte 27 im Volkshaus), May 3, in Essen; May 6, in Cologne, May 8, in Stuttgart.
Two screenings of experimental films organized in cooperation with the city of Zurich.
Call for the film prize Scotoni-Experimentalfilmpreises offering a yearly fee of 5000,- CHF for the course of five years. First (and perhaps last) awardee: HHK. Schoenherr.
Foundation of the International Festival of Documentary Films in Nyon by Moritz and Erika de Hadeln, with a retrospective of Gregory Markopoulos (led to a protest of the audience).
Amendment of the film law: Feature films are now also supported. The passage saying that films are of „sovereign importance“ is discarded.
Foundation of the group Ecart by John Armleder, Patrick Lucchini and Claude Rechner
René Berger (director of the Musée Cantonal de Lausanne from 1962 till 1982) institutes introductory workshops at the University of Lausanne: Esthétique et mass média: La télévision. Amongst others, Réné Bauermeister, Gérald Minkoff, Muriel Olesen, Jean Otth and Janos Urban visit these courses.
1970
Festival Film-In, Lucern, may 27 to June 7, cycle progressive film, curated by Progressive Art Production
Document and manifesto for the compilation of films shown in the Kunstmuseum and Kleintheater Lucerne at the Film-In put together by Marcel Boucard
Opening of the Kellerkino Bern, Switzerland’s first „alternative cinema“
Foundation of Film–Pool, a non-for-profit film rental for Swiss movies.
Foundatiom of Nemo Film by Alexander J. Seiler, Georg Radanowicz, June Kovach, Fredi Murer, Claude Champion, Yves Yersin, Kurt Gloor and Markus Imhoof.
Final Ciné-Circus-Programm in Basel (October), organized by AKS and the national film center.
1971
Festival Film-In, Lucern, June 4 to 11, Swiss Shortfilmprogramm, Progressive Films, Switzerland.
Stella da Falla, Reto A. Savoldelli, 1971, 16mm, color, 90 Min. Sponsored by the Swiss television, “Aktion Jungfilmer” screeped on DRS, July 17, 1972. Première: 7. Solothurner Filmtage (January 27, 1972)
1972
HHK Schoenherr‘s touring programm: “Movies Kaputt/Kaputtes Kino” presented and financed by Pro Helvetia from May to June 1972. Shown in: Mannheim, Köln, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, München, London.
Hyères Festival du Jeune Cinéma, a few Swiss films were shown between 1972 and 1983
ACTION/FILM/VIDEO, exhibition, May 5 to 18, Galerie Impact, Lausanne with 73 films by 50 artists from 10 coutcries (Schubiger, 158)
Foundation of the alternative film rental, film-cooperative. The Swiss film center publishes the first „Schweizer Filmkatalog“, edited by Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf.
1973
Last awarding of the Scotoni-Prize.
1974
Exhibition Montreux, New Forms in Film, August 03 to 24.
5. Festival in Knokke-le-Zoute, Jury member: Harald Szeemann. Swiss contribution: 81 000 Units, Dieter Meier
Hans Jakob Siber stops making films after the screening of the film Die Sage vom alten Hirten Xeudi und seinem Freund Reimann in Berlin.
Court-Circuit “Autre aspect du cinéma suisse, Maison de Jeunes, Geneva, October
Festival Impact art video art 74 – 8 jours vidéo (also called Confrontation) (Schubiger, 158)
1975
Foundation of the production-association Filmkollektiv.
Foundation of Cinélibre, as successor of the „Vereinigung Schweizer Filmklubs“ as union of alternating screening locations in Bern, Genf and Zürich.
1976
Andy Warhol retrospective, Kunstmuseum Zurich
Pro Helvetia organizes Art vidéo: Recherches et expériences in Paris
1977
Cinéma en marge, takes place for the first time as part of „Espaces“ organized by Pro Helvetia in Paris. It was repeated from 1978 to 1981, organized by Irène Lambelet and Otto Ceresa (Pro Helvetia). Presentation of 16mm- and Super 8-films wits free contributions of Swiss and French film authors.
Foundation of the Department of cinema at the ESAV (Geneva school of fine arts) by François Albera and Francis Reusser (workshops with Boris Lehmann, Johan van der Keuken, Stephen Dwoskin, Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet during the end of 1970s and the 1980s)
Vidéo, Exhibition in the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva.
1978
Filmfront, published irregularly between 1978 ano 1988 in Basel. The film-magazine is dedicated to a “fight for independent film”.
1979
Michael Snow film retrospective, Kunstmuseum Lucern, 1979
1979
Geschichte der Nacht, Clemens Klopfenstein 1979, 63 Min.
Conference of the Cinémathèque on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the historical congress on avantgard film in La Sarraz in 1929. Peter Kubelka presents a contemporary experimental film programm.
1980
First Krienser Filmtage (Viper)
Foundation of Videoart Locarno by Rinaldo Bianda (activities till 1999)
Exhibition “Cine graphia. la linea in movimento. la fotographia di movimento – il cinema sperimentale – l’arte video”, August 1 to 10, Gallery Flaviana, Locarno
Start of a video collection at Kunsthaus Zürich by Ursula Perucchi-Petri. (Schubiger, 157)
Chérif and Silvie Defraoui integrate Video in their Atelier de Médias mixtes at the Ecole supérieure d’arts visuels ESAV Geneva (Schubiger, 159)
Vidéo & Performance, exhibition in Bern (Berner Galerie) with 5 pioneers from Western Switzerland as well as Ura Lüthi and Dieter Meier (Schubiger, 161)
1981
“Filmzyklen über das experimentelle Filmschaffen organisiert seit einiger Zeit Franz Reichle im Kunstgewerbemuseum. So unter anderem über Jonas Mekas (…) Michael Snow und Marguerite Duras.“ Filmfront 1981/15, p. 42
Exhibition: Video-Workshop. Befragungen und Möglichkeiten eines neuen Mediums. Städtische Galerie zum Strauhof, Zürich (Schubiger, 160)
Exhibition: Schweizer Kunst 70′-80′ Regionalismus/ Internationalismus, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Martin Kunz with a selection of video- and performance art
1982
Cinema Xenix (Zürich, Patrick Riesen and Cyril Thurston): experimental film programm
1983
1984
René Pulver and Reinhard Manz from the video society Basel found the Videowochen im Wenkenpark (Director: Pulver, relevated in 1986, 1988)
1985
Quinzaine du Cinéma expérimental from 15/05/1985 to 28/05/1985 Location: Cinémathèque française; Centre Georges Pompidou
Sections: Cinéma des plasticiens; Le cinéma expérimental américain (1905-1985) dans les collections du MOMA
Filmmakers, Artists: Daniel Spoerri (for Switzerland) Resurrection, 1965-1982, 16mm, bw, 10 min.
From 1985 the Centre pour l’image contemporaine Saint-Gervais Genève (CIC) organizes the Semaine internationale de la video biannually (Schubiger, 157)
First video sampler for the United Independent Video Switzerland (UVS). Tapes with 17 individual titles of known video artists (second edition in 1987, third and last edition in 1994) (Schubiger, 161)
From 1985 the Art Academy in Basel offers a course that puts „artistic and creative audiovisual video work at the center“. Director: René Pulver. Students (amongst others): Muda Mathis, Pipilotti Rist, Käthe Walser and Renatus Zürcher. (Schubiger, 161)
1986
Filmpodium (Bienne, Jacques Dutoit and Beat Porter)
Neues Kino (Basel)
1987
Der Lauf der Dinge (Peter Fischli, David Weiss)
Exhibition: Stiller Nachmittag, Kunsthaus Zürich, video art is shown together with “normal” art (Schubiger, 162)
1988
Last issue of the film magazine Filmfront
1989
Experimental film programm in the Cinema Spoutnik in Usine (Geneva)
1990
Exibition: Les pionniers de la vidéo en suisse, Centre pour l’image contemporaine Saint-Gervais Genève (CIC)