Helvetia Film Festival 

Helvetica is a symbol of strength, fortitude and female energy, which is why she she symbolizes our festival.

Last year, we brought together five films by female directors — spanning documentary, drama, and short fiction, from emerging Swiss graduates to internationally recognized filmmakers — for two nights of screenings, discussion, and community in Zürich. Each evening was paired with a moderated conversation with the filmmaker — turning each night into a dialogue, not just a viewing. Topics were far ranging from the awkwardness of adolescence to the an insider’s experience in the world of a sex worker here in Zürich. The stories told in these film had a distinctive female perspective.

Women remain significantly underrepresented behind the camera in film — from financing to festival programming to distribution.  Framing Helvetica exists to close that gap locally: giving Swiss and international women filmmakers a stage, and giving audiences direct access to the people telling these stories.

Festival Dates: 

Early Spring 2027

Scope:

3 screening blocks over 2 days

Team: 

In association with the AWCZ – Kathleen Wagner, Director; Nina Zimnik, Artistic Director; and Karyn Wynn, President of the AWCZ.

Contact Us: HelveticaFF@awczurich.org

For 2027, we are seeking CHF 15,000 in sponsorships:

• Venue rental for two nights

• Filmmaker travel and hospitality

• Licensing and screening rights

• Marketing and design (posters, digital promotion, press outreach)

• Apéro/reception costs for post-screening discussions

• Honoraria for filmmakers and moderators

Sponsorship Levels

• CHF 500 community supporter
• CHF 1,000 community sponsor with program credits
• CHF 2,000 screening sponsor with recognition at screening and program credits
• CHF 5,000 presenting sponsor, included festival materials, program credits and on-site signage
• All sponsors and supporters receive a special invitation with guests to a cocktail reception to meet the filmmakers.

Filmmakers featured in 2026

• Cynthia Lowen (Emmy-nominated director of Netizens, Tribeca premiere) for a post-screening discussion on digital abuse and online harassment.
• Kristen Vermilyea, a Zurich-based filmmaker and MFA graduate (feminist film studies), whose documentary Beyond Boobs has screened in over 15 countries. 
• Romana Lanfranconi, a Lucerne-based director whose short Bari traced a generations’ coming of age at a Swiss public pool.
• Simona Volpe, a ZHdK graduate whose debut Forum confronted sex trafficking and the realities behind Swiss online sex forums. 
• Molly Ehrenberg-Peters, whose directorial debut In the Dark explored memory, trauma and foregiveness.