Editor

At its General Assembly of 14 November 2007 the Association of the Fribourg International Film Festival re-composed its Committee and appointed the artistic director for the next three editions (2008-2010).

Edouard Waintrop will be in charge of the course and the artistic programming of the Festival from 2008 to 2010. Already designated last summer by the FIFF Committee for the 2008 Festival, he expressed the wish to be able to continue beyond his upcoming initial experience, which will take place from 1st to 8th March 2008. The General Assembly gladly and unanimously confirmed his engagement for three years.

As for the composition of the Committee, four new members were elected as follows: François Dominique Blancpain, Sven Wälti, Dominique Willemin and Patrice Zurich. Thierry Spicher and Anne-Lise Jaccaud accepted a new mandate.

Jean-François Giovannini and Prosper Dombele will contribute to the continuity factor by remaining on the Committee until the end of the next edition. Sergio Ferrari and Pierre-Alain Meier take leave of the FIFF Committee after many years of dedicated service. The General Assembly, the President, Mrs Ruth Lüthi, the Committee, the management and the entire Festival team extend to them their warm thanks.

Franziska Burkhardt presented a balanced budget for 2008. The FIFF is happy to have been able to compensate in part for the decrease in the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC) subsidies by finding other support. The search for sponsors goes on. Without the support of private sponsors the budget will have to be revised and decreased.

The financial situation and the general lines of the artistic programme for the 22nd edition will be traditionally divulged during the Cinematographic Days in Soleure in January. There are many changes in store regarding the infrastructure, and the 2008 edition promises to be rethought, energised and open to the future.

The Ancienne Gare, officially inaugurated in September 2007, will host the core of the Festival, for the public, the press, and the professionals. The public screenings will take place primarily at the Salafa cinemas and Cap’Ciné in downtown Fribourg.