Visions du Réel Documentary Film Festival Has a New Artistic Director

Anne Delseth has been involved with Visions du Réel since 2023 as a member of the selection committee. She was chosen from among approximately fifty applicants, the festival announced on Monday. “I am very pleased that, in Anne Delseth, we have found an outstanding successor to Emilie Bujès who knows the festival inside and out,” said Philippe Bischof. He is the president of the board of trustees and former director of Pro Helvetia.

Anne Delseth has been active in the film industry for over twenty years and has held positions at festivals, in film distribution, in cinema operations, and in education. In particular, she spent ten years on the programming team for the “Quinzaine des cinéastes” at the Cannes Film Festival and has collaborated with the festivals in Locarno, Solothurn, and Marrakesh.

She has also been directing the program at the Cinéma CityClub near Lausanne for fifteen years and serves as artistic director of the Ulan Bator International Film Festival in Mongolia. Throughout her career, she has also worked for the distribution company Trigon-film and directed the Master’s program in Film at the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL) and at the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD).

“I want to promote works that broaden our perspective and strengthen the bridges between films and their audiences,” explained the future artistic director. Before taking office, she will participate in several festival events, notably the Locarno Film Festival, to facilitate the transition.

In April, it was announced that Emilie Bujès would be joining the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) as artistic director, effective early August.