Winter Palace: The Highly Anticipated Series Premiering at GIFF

The Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), the only Swiss festival to dedicate a significant part of its program to series production, will showcase the Swiss premiere of the headline series Winter Palace, the first RTS series co-produced in collaboration with Netflix. Two episodes will be screened during the soirée RTS on November 2, which will also mark the 70th anniversary of Swiss Romande Television. Other prestigious Swiss series will be revealed on October 10, date of the full program release.

Winter Palace

The highly anticipated series Winter Palace
 – the first Romande coproduction (RTS, PointProd) with Netflix and Oble – will have its first two episodes screened in an exclusive Swiss premiere during the soirée RTS (November 2). The full series will be broadcasted on RTS 1 and Play RTS starting December 26, as well as on Netflix. Directed by Pierre Monnard, a prominent figure in Swiss audiovisual landscape known for his films Platzspitzbaby (2020) and Bisons (2024) – the latter winning three trophies at the 2024 Swiss Film Awards – as well as for the series Hors-saison (2022) and Wilder S01 and S02 (2017, 2019). Cyril Metzger, Astrid Roos and Axel Granberger, all acting in this extraordinary series, will also attend the soirée alongside creator Lindsay Shapero.

Winter Palace will be showcased in the Highlights section, which regroups the major events of the Festival.

©RTS/Laurent Bleuze
WINTER PALACE (S1, ep. 1 & 2) | LINDSAY SHAPERO, PIERRE MONNARD | 2024 | CH, FR | 8×45′ | SWISS PREMIERE

Set in the Swiss Alps in 1899, the ambitious Swiss hotel-keeper André Morel has a bold vision: a five-star hotel that will remain open throughout the winter season. However, his risky venture is challenged by extreme weather conditions, a somewhat uncooperative staff and demanding guests. This eight-episode series, inspired by real events, portrays the birth of luxury alpine tourism and, more broadly, the concept of winter vacations. Alongside its sumptuous period drama facette, it delivers captivating stories filled with desire, aspirations, and hidden love.

A series directed by Pierre Monnard, created by Lindsay Shapero, based on an original idea by Jean-Marc Fröhle.

In partnership with

SWISS SERIES STORYTELLING AWARD

GIFF enters its third decade with the launch of a project close to its heart: the Swiss Series Storytelling Award, strengthening the Festival’s position as an innovation hub for audiovisual fiction. This award, the first of its kind in Switzerland, aims to honor the most creative series in terms of storytelling. The winners will be announced on November 8 during a special evening and will receive a CHF 20,000 prize offered by the SSA and Suissimage cultural funds. The award will be presented by an international jury composed of Mirela Nastase (Director Drama, ZDF Studios, DE), Brice Mondoloni (Editorial Head of Series, CANAL+, FR), and Tanguy Dekeyser (Head of Belgian Cinema and Series Co-Productions, RTBF, BE).

Following a call for participation that closed on August 20, the series competing for the Swiss Series Storytelling Award are:

BREAKAWAY : UNE SAISON POUR L’HISTOIRE | SAMUEL GRANDCHAMP | 2023 | CH, US | 5×30′
DAVOS 1917 | ADRIEN ILLIEN, THOMAS HESS, MICHAEL SAUTER | 2023 | CH, DE | 6×45′
DÉLITS MINEURS | NICOLE BORGEAT, JACQUELINE SURCHAT | 2023 | CH, BE | 6×52’
ESPÈCE MENACÉE | BRUNO DEVILLE, LÉO MAILLARD | 2024 | CH, FR | 6×45′
JEUNESSES ! | STÉPHANE GOËL, CÉLINE PERNET, DANIEL WYSS | 2023 | CH | 4×45′
L’ULTIM RUMANTSCH | ADRIAN PEREZ | 2024 | CH | 5×30′
LES ENQUÊTES DE MAËLYS | JEAN-MARC DUPERREX | 2023 | CH | 30×10′
LES INDOCILES | JOANNE GIGER, CAMILLE REBETEZ, DELPHINE LEHERICEY | 2023 | CH, BE | 5×55′
MINDBLOW | ERIC ANDREAE | 2024 | CH | 6×30′
NEUMATT SAISON 3 | MARIANNE WENDT | 2024 | CH | 8×45′
TSCHUGGER SAISON 3 | DAVID CONSTANTIN, MATS FREY | 2023 | CH | 5×30′
ALTER EGO | CARLOTTA BALESTRIERI, CLAUDIA BELLANA, ERIK BERNASCONI, ANDREA VALERI, ROBERT RALSTON JR. | 2023 | CH | 6×45′

Tschugger IV

A beloved festival regular, the team behind the SRF series Tschugger – created by David Constantin and Mats Frey, and directed by Johannes Bachmann and David Constantin – returns with their Swiss-German epic that has captivated Switzerland. Here’s a preview of what awaits viewers in this new season, presented by SRG SSR, SRF and Play Suisse:

TSCHUGGER SAISON 4 | DAVID CONSTANTIN, MATS FREY | 2024 | CH | 147’

Concocted by David Constantin, Mats Frey, Johannes Bachmann and Sophie Toth (Shining Film), Tschugger returns for a fourth season, which promises to be even more offbeat than the previous ones. The vibrant cast of colorful characters is ready for a new set of adventures: the dynamic duo Bax and Pirmin investigate a mysterious car fire while Valmira is determined to organize a rap collaboration with a star from overseas. With sharp punchlines, quirky humor, and numerous improbable situations, the signature Tschugger recipe remains strong for its final season, and it works brilliantly.

In partnership with