LIFE IS SHORT Swiss Films
TIFF 2026 presents LIFE IS SHORT Swiss Films, a selection of 11 best Swiss short films of the last 10 years, exploring humanity through animation, fiction, and documentary.
From memory and intimacy to imagination, identity, technology, and the world around us, each film offers a distinct perspective on the human experience, proving that even a few minutes of cinema can hold an entire world.
The Programme
Fulesee by Christina Benz | Switzerland | 2020 | 4′ | Animation
Greylands by Charlotte Waltert, Alvaro Schoeck | Switzerland | 2023 | 12′ | Animation
In a Nutshell by Fabio Friedli | Switzerland | 2017 | 5′ | Animation
Intimity by Élodie Dermange | Switzerland | 2017 | 5′ | Animation
Matta and Matto by Bianca Caderas, Kerstin Zemp | Switzerland | 2023 | 10′ | Animation
Only a Child by Simone Giampaolo | Switzerland | 2020 | 6′ | Documentary, Animation
Schächer by Flurin Giger | Switzerland | 2018 | 30′ | Fiction
The Gap by Keerthigan Sivakumar | Switzerland | 2024 | 15′ | Fiction
The Lonely Orbit by Frederic Siegel, Benjamin Morard | Switzerland | 2019 | 10′ | Animation
The Newt Congress by Matthias Sahli, Immanuel Esser | Switzerland | 2022 | 16′ | Fiction
Why Slugs Have No Legs by Aline Höchli | Switzerland | 2019 | 10′ | Animation
On behalf of the Federal Office of Culture, we provide Swiss filmmakers with support in promoting and marketing their works as well as strengthening their international networks. We advise producers on their exploitation strategies and actively facilitate the distribution of Swiss films by means of targeted activities.
Sylvain Vaucher, Consultant Shorts at SWISS FILMS, presents two curated short film programmes as a «carte blanche» from the festival. The first program features three fictional shorts, while the second showcases eight animated gems. Each of them moved me deeply, and I hope you will enjoy their originality as well!