A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO CINEMA AND TELEVISION VISIONARIES
The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF, October 31 – November 9) will honor two major filmmakers: Sir Stephen Frears will be honored with the Film & Beyond Award on November 7 and screenwriter Alan Ball will take part in a moderated conference on November 4. A leading figure in British cinema and television, Stephen Frears has, for over forty years, established himself as one of the most daring and eclectic filmmakers of his generation. Alan Ball, an emblematic figure of the golden age of television, blends narrative innovation with audacity in his writing, thereby redefining the format. The Festival will celebrate their careers spanning both cinema and television through talks and screenings.
STEPHEN FREARS, MASTER OF GENRES
Brought to international attention with My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) and Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Frears challenged the representation of minorities in British cinema. His distinctive adaptations propelled his career: Dangerous Liaisons (1988), a drama honored with several Academy Awards, and The Grifters (1990), a thriller produced by Martin Scorsese. At the turn of the 2000s, he directed the emblematic adaptation of the bestseller High Fidelity (2000). Frears has often turned his camera toward unseen realities—immigration at the heart of Dirty Pretty Things (2002), or the inner workings of Buckingham Palace after the death of Lady Diana in The Queen (2006).
On television, Sir Stephen Frears has distinguished himself as an exceptional creator with a unique vision of British politics and society: The Deal (2003) revisits the strategic pact between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown; A Very English Scandal (2018), which had its Swiss premiere at the 24th edition of the GIFF, blends drama and political satire; and Quiz (2020) dissects with brilliance a media scandal at the crossroads of popular fascination, justice, and television culture. His rich and varied work draws from literature and real events to reveal the beating heart of society.
A special program will celebrate his extraordinary career with screenings of six of his works, alongside a moderated conference on November 7.
ALAN BALL, ICON OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF PRESTIGE TV
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for American Beauty (1999), Alan Ball is a defining figure of the golden age of prestige television. He has stood out with writing that is at once daring, intimate, and often transgressive. With Six Feet Under (2001–2005), he redefined the family drama by weaving together themes of grief, identity, and poignant portraits of human relationships. He went on to create True Blood (2008–2014), an adaptation of Charlaine Harris’s novels, where fantasy, horror, and social critique converge to explore otherness, sexuality, power, and norms.
With Banshee (2013–2016), an action-driven yet psychologically complex series on which he served as executive producer, Ball confirmed his ability to reinvent narrative codes. Finally, Uncle Frank (2020)—which he wrote, directed, and produced—marked a more personal turn, delicately addressing exile, family, and homosexuality. Through these works, Ball demonstrates that a screenwriter is more than a craftsman: he is a revealer of the invisible facets of the human condition.
He will take part in a moderated conference on November 4, and a selection of his landmark works will be presented at the GIFF as well as featured on the MyCanal platform.
