The international “Shoot the Book!” programme is dedicated to current literary works and promotes the adaptation of books into films and networking between the literary scene and the film industry at the Marché du Film in Cannes. This year it has a special focus on Switzerland, which will be the guest country at the film market.
Held at the Palais des Festivals on 16 and 17 May 2024, the 11th edition of “Shoot the Book!” is set to bring more than 200 publishers from around the world to Cannes.
In collaboration with Pro Helvetia, nine publishers from three Swiss language regions are travelling to Europe’s leading film festival to take part in pitching sessions and network meetings.
Pitching sessions
Four publishers have been selected to present their literary works to filmmakers in the pitching sessions:
- Die Jagd (The Hunt) by Sasha Filipenko (Diogenes): The Russian author’s crime novel is a revealing political fable.
- Rendez-vous by Martina Chyba (Editions Favre): The comic diary of a woman in her prime.
- Inflorescence by Raluca Antonescu (Editions La Baconnière): A portrait of four women and four different generations, revealed through their complex relationships with nature.
- Silenzi (Silences) by Luca Brunoni (Gabriele Capelli Editore): A sober yet virtuosic examination of the dramatic lives of foster children.
The pitching sessions are aimed at using short, concentrated presentations to spark interest in the respective story, reach out to representatives of the international film industry and thus initiate future film projects.
Authors Luca Brunoni, Martina Chyba and Sasha Filipenko will also take part in the pitching sessions, alongside representatives of the publishers.
Rendez-vous
Five other publishers from Switzerland have been invited to personalised networking meetings with their books in the “Rendez-vous” format: Limmat Verlag (Zurich), Hélice hélas (Vevey), Slatkine (Geneva), Kein und Aber (Zurich), La Joie de Lire (Geneva).
Pro Helvetia is a long-standing partner
Pro Helvetia has supported “Shoot the Book!” since 2019.
The programme is a joint initiative by the Marché du Film and the creators’ rights society SCELF (Société Civile des Editeurs de Langue Française). It brings together publishers and agencies from Europe and further afield with international film producers who are interested in filming literary works.
The programme’s partners include the Institut Français, CNL, CNC, Film Paris Region, BIEF, SOFIA, CFC, TAICCA, Frankfurt Book Fair and Le Film Français.
Shoot the book!
The key events will take place on 16 May (Masterclass, Pitching Session) and 17 May (Rendez-Vous).
The film market at the Cannes International Film Festival is considered the most important in the world, with 14,000 participants from over 140 countries.
Switzerland will appear as a guest country at the Marché du Film in 2024, emphasizing co-production and innovation.
The programme is organised by the Marché du Film and the promotion agency SWISS FILMS, in collaboration with the Federal Office of Culture, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) and many other partners.
Pro Helvetia is taking part in Switzerland’s overall representation within the framework of its “Shoot the Book!” activities.
