Showcasing cinematic talent among students at ECAL (Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne): this is the aim of the Double Clap prize, inaugurated in 2021 for the fourth annual Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne cinema festival.
Reconnecting with cinema
This year, we wanted to reaffirm our values of transmission and innovation by creating the Double Clap award
Monique Vialatou
CEO of BNP Paribas in Switzerland
It took quite an effort to make this year’s festival a reality after last year’s event was cancelled due to the health crisis. Now, one year on, it is time to reconnect with the silver screen. This is likely why this year’s theme is “Vive le Cinéma !”
And this was all the more reason for BNP Paribas in Switzerland to launch the Double Clap award, given to a student at ECAL, a school of art and design in Lausanne.
In 2021, audiences will be invited back to the world of cinema through a reimagined festival, combining small group events and digital presentations, all while complying with the relevant health guidelines. There is also an opportunity, for those who wish to do so, to meet Bertrand Blier (this year’s guest of honour) Doria Tillier, Jean Dujardin and many others.
The Double Clap prize
The BNP Paribas Group has supported cinema for over a century. We promote our values of transmission and innovation through the festival, but we wanted to go further, so we created the Double Clap prize.
All of the students competing for the award attend ECAL and they each have to create a 20-minute short film. In addition to the visibility provided by Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne, the winner will receive a cash prize of CHF 10,000, which we hope will serve as a springboard for future success.
Les Héritières
For the first annual Double Clap award, nine short films were shortlisted. The winner is Avril Lenmann, an ECAL student in the final year of her undergraduate degree, for her short film entitled Les Héritières.
Here is the synopsis:
Diana (24) and Luna (27) have just lost their father. A hunting enthusiast, he left them his only asset: an old family home. The two heirs have to decide what to do with the house. But the nostalgic Diana does not have the same vision as Luna, who wants to sell it to fund her future. To settle their dispute in a manner their father would have appreciated, they enter into a bet during a hunting trip. After that, the sisters settle old scores on a trip where anything goes.
Two powerful women with a common vision; both equally concerned with the local commitment and international influence of the companies they lead. A renowned bank, an emblematic hotel and a shared passion for cinema. Nathalie Seiler, Managing Director of the Beau-Rivage Palace and Monique Vialatou, CEO of BNP Paribas in Switzerland are founding partners of Think Cinema Lausanne (Rencontres 7e Art).
HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THE THIRD EDITION OF THINK CINEMA?
Nathalie Seiler : I am both happy and moved, and also persuaded that the impact and influence of the first two editions will have convinced and attracted new audiences and partners.
Monique Vialatou : After the first edition’s great success and a second edition of consolidation, this third year sees Think Cinema enter adulthood, an age of reason that will set the tone for the following editions.
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO COMMIT TO VINCENT PEREZ WHEN HE PRESENTED HIS PROJECT TO YOU THREE YEARS AGO?
N.S. : I was convinced by Vincent’s enthusiasm, the way the project was imagined, conceived and inspired by his origins, his vision of Lausanne as both a cultural and holiday destination for artists, local audiences and international guests alike, with a strong identity, and a friendly atmosphere.
M.V. : It’s the story of the relationship between a European bank with French roots that is present in Switzerland, and a talented Swiss artist with very European roots who has made many films in France. Also, we share common values: the passing of knowledge, bridging generations, and innovation. In addition, 2017 marked a century of collaboration between BNP Paribas and the film industry.
WHAT BENEFITS HAVE THE FIRST TWO EDITIONS OF THINK CINEMA BROUGHT ABOUT FOR YOU?
N.S. : Think Cinema has contributed to further our reputation, to share exceptional moments, to bring together numerous celebrities and partners, and to perpetuate the history of the hotel and the Sandoz family, whose story is closely linked to culture and to Lausanne. It is also wonderful to see the involvement of the city and especially of Grégoire Junod who enabled us to collaborate with many local stakeholders, magnifying the impact of the event. Think Cinema is also an opportunity to take part in an exceptional project with my colleagues who wholeheartedly contribute to the success of this event, and I am infinitely grateful for their commitment.
M.V. : It’s an exceptional event that enables us to invite our clients and employees to take part in a unique experience with prestigious guests. Whether you are a cinema lover or not, these are wonderful opportunities for people to meet. It is also a way to showcase BNP Paribas’ support for cinema, and we are delighted to help promote Lausanne on an international level with the Beau-Rivage Palace.
HOW DOES AN EVENT LIKE THIS HIGHLIGHT YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR INSTITUTION IN PARTICULAR?
N.S. : The event highlight the unique quality of Lausanne’s hospitality, promoting the destination by making it more widely known. The Beau-Rivage Palace plays a leading role here, as an emblematic figure and perfect embodiment of this historic tradition of hospitality, offering a fertile ground for rich human exchanges.
M.V. : Meeting great directors and renowned actors in an intimate atmosphere is an opportunity to showcase our commitment at all levels of cinema. Each year BNP Paribas contributes to financing half of all French audiovisual productions. As a supporter of film heritage, BNP Paribas is proud to participate in the restoration of great classic movies such as Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times and Jacques Demy’s The Young Girls of Rochefort. BNP Paribas also supports more than 40 festivals in Europe.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE LOVE STORIES IN CINEMA?
N.S. : I have many. If I had to choose, I would say the ones that moved me most were Doctor Jivago, by David Lean and on a lighter note, Love Actually, by Richard Curtis. We have such a need to see and be reminded of beautiful things.
M.V. : I may be a bit sentimental, but I would say Anthony Minghella’s The English
Patient without hesitation. Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, and Juliette Binoche are at the top of my list of favourite actors. Think Cinema’s theme this year is a universal one that will provide us all with an enchanting escapade.
The bank, official partner and founder, is supporting the third edition of this annual international event set up by Vincent Perez, “Think Cinema Lausanne”.
A century of history between BNP Paribas and the film industry
2017 marked a century of shared history between BNP Paribas and the movie industry. These 100 years have enabled BNP Paribas to build a close relationship and cultivate a set of joint values with cinema art, becoming over time the number one bank in Europe for cinema.
BNP Paribas is a major player in the financing of audio-visual productions. The bank provides financing and support for filmmaking through a dedicated Image & Media unit staffed by experts who work exclusively on cinematographic and audio-visual projects. Every year, BNP Paribas is involved, directly or indirectly, in financing half of all films produced in France. BNP Paribas is the exclusive partner to national cinema promotion initiatives and enables as many people as possible every year to go out and enjoy the cinema.
BNP Paribas helps to preserve cinema heritage. BNP Paribas has helped to restore a number of classic film reels, including Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort by Jacques Demy.
The Group provides support to over 40 film festivals in Europe and has launched Séance Radio, a web-radio channel which brings movie fans news reports and stories devoted exclusively to the world of film. BNP Paribas launched as well the Séance Ciné app which provides an easy way for groups of friends to organize trips to the cinema.
BNP Paribas supports innovation. In a changing world, where new habits and ways of doing things are constantly emerging, BNP Paribas is more determined than ever to support change and development in the cinema world. Accordingly, the Group offers its various publics the opportunity to try out new ways of enjoying movies, including in Virtual Reality mode through collaboration with the MK2 VR space and the VR Arles Festival.
« The cinema has naturally become an allied territory for the BNP Paribas brand and today, the Group is active across the entire value chain of the 7th art, from creation to distribution.
With BNP Paribas you’ll always be inspired by cinema. We’re therefore delighted to support “Think Cinema Lausanne”. This third edition of a major event – between heritage and potential – shares values that are dear to us: transmission and innovation. We encourage all generations to participate in this reflection relating to the 7th art »
Monique Vialatou, CEO of BNP Paribas in Switzerland.
Think Cinema Lausanne, an annual international event set up by Vincent Perez
It will be the third edition of Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne, which will take place from the 4 to the 8 of March.
The second edition of Think Cinema Lausanne was a more than thrilling success: Think Cinema welcomed nearly 10,000 festival-goer in four days.
The 2020 Love Stories thematic offers a journey into couple and love behaviour throughout the history of cinema. This edition will be honored by the presence of Isabella Rosselini, Roland Joffé, Cédric Klapisch, Bertrand Blier, Patrice Leconte… A selection of masterpieces, in collaboration with the swiss Cinémathèque, will be shown on the big screens such as Casablanca, The Piano, Annie Hall and others
The bank, official partner and founder, is supporting the second edition of this annual international event set up by Vincent Perez, “Think Cinema Lausanne”.
A century of history between BNP Paribas and the film industry
2017 marked a century of shared history between BNP Paribas and the movie industry. These 100 years have enabled BNP Paribas to build a close relationship and cultivate a set of joint values with cinema art, becoming over time the number one bank in Europe for cinema, with involvement at all stages of the film industry value chain. The cinema has therefore quite naturally become one of the main areas for developing Customer Affinity with the BNP Paribas Brand.
BNP Paribas is a major player in the financing of audio-visual productions.
The bank provides financing and support for filmmaking through a dedicated Image & Media unit staffed by experts who work exclusively on cinematographic and audio-visual projects. Every year, BNP Paribas is involved, directly or indirectly, in financing half of all films produced in France.
BNP Paribas is the exclusive partner to national cinema promotion initiatives.
Since 2007, the Bank has been engaged in an exclusive partnership with the French National Cinema Federation to enable as many people as possible every year to go out and enjoy the cinema.
BNP Paribas helps to preserve cinema heritage.
BNP Paribas has helped to restore a number of classic film reels, including Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort by Jacques Demy. The Group also supports iconic movie-theatres such as Le Trianon at Romainville/Noisy-Le-Sec, which has been receiving assistance since 2010. The Group provides support to over 40 film festivals in Europe. These include: in France, the Lumière Festival in Lyon, Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, and the Télérama Festival; in Belgium, the BNP Paribas Fortis Film Days, which are held every year across some 450 movie-houses; and in Italy, where BNL is the main partner to the Rome International Film Festival. In 2012 BNP Paribas launched Séance Radio, a web-radio channel @seanceradio, which brings movie fans news reports and stories devoted exclusively to the world of film. In 2014, BNP Paribas launched the Séance Ciné app which provides an easy way for groups of friends to organise trips to the cinema.
BNP Paribas supports innovation.
In a changing world, where new habits and ways of doing things are constantly emerging, BNP Paribas is more determined than ever to support change and development in the cinema world. Accordingly, the Group offers its various publics the opportunity to try out new ways of enjoying movies, including in Virtual Reality mode through collaboration with the MK2 VR space and the VR Arles Festival.
“The cinema has naturally become an allied territory for the BNP Paribas brand and today, the Group is active across the entire value chain of the 7th art, from creation to distribution. With BNP Paribas you’ll always be inspired by cinema. We’re therefore delighted to support “Think Cinema Lausanne”. This second edition of a major event – between heritage and potential – shares values that are dear to us: transmission and innovation. We encourage all generations to participate in this reflection relating to the 7th art”, explains Monique Vialatou, CEO of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA.
Think Cinema Lausanne, an annual international event set up by Vincent Perez
Over 8,000 spectators attended the first edition, meeting 13 world renowned guests and attending screenings of over fifty films. Think Cinema Lausanne is back for its second edition from March 7 to 10, 2019. Think Cinema Lausanne is an event for film enthusiasts, students and professionals to rediscover films past and present, and reflect on cinema’s future. This year we are going “Beyond Limits”, with internationally renowned guests, a selection of some thirty groundbreaking films, talks, conferences, Q&As, and a Think Cinema zone in the heart of Lausanne. Think Cinema Lausanne will show a selection of films that have transcended social or technical conventions, challenged boundaries, or whose makers went beyond the limits of sanity or reason in the making of their masterpieces. 
Think Cinema Lausanne has had the support of the City of Lausanne and the Swiss Film Archive since its first edition. The 2nd edition is placed under the patronage of Alain Berset, Federal Councilor Head of the Federal Department of the Interior.
BNP Paribas, the major European bank of cinema strengthens its commitment to the 7th art.
The bank is backing the first edition of this annual international event on cinema set up by Vincent Perez.
A century of history between BNP Paribas and the film industry
2017 crowned a century of history between BNP Paribas and the film industry. One hundred years over which BNP Paribas has been able to build a privileged relationship and cultivate common values and as such, has become the major European bank of cinema. 
BNP Paribas is a key player in audiovisual production funding and an exclusive partner of national operations for film theatre promotion. BNP Paribas supports the financing of films via its BNP Paribas “Image & Media” division, made up of specialists exclusively dedicated to cinematographic and audiovisual activities. Every year, BNP Paribas participates in funding half of the French audiovisual productions and is happy to be able to assist in offering a degree of distraction in front of the big screen to a wide audience. As a supporter of cinematographic heritage, BNP Paribas is proud to take part in restoring major film classics like “Modern Times” by Charlie Chaplin or “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort” by Jacques Demy. The Group also sponsors more than 40 festivals in Europe and in 2012 it launched “Séance Radio”, a web radio for film enthusiasts and the application “Séance Ciné” for easily organising cinema outings among friends. In a changing world and with the advent of new practices, BNP Paribas wants more than ever to support the cinema through these developments and puts innovation at the heart of its commitment. With this in mind, the Group, along with MK2 VR and the VR Arles Festival, offers the opportunity to discover new ways of enjoying the cinema like Virtual Reality.
“The cinema has naturally become an allied territory for the BNP Paribas brand and today, the Group is active across the entire value chain of the 7th art, from creation to distribution. Today, we’re therefore delighted to support “Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne”, which strengthens BNP Paribas’ commitment to cinema. This first edition of a major event – between heritage and potential – shares values that are dear to us: broadcasting and innovation. We encourage all generations to participate in this reflection relating to the 7th art” explains Geoffroy Bazin, CEO of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA.
Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne, an annual international event set up by Vincent Perez
Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne is an annual international event that seeks to involve the public in a reflection relating to cinema. Launched by the actor Vincent Perez, the event celebrates the history of film with the projection of mythical works and passionate public debates among prominent personalities (actors, directors and producers) and specialists from various sectors. 
For this first edition, which will take place from 24th to 28th March 2018, Rencontres 7ème Art Lausanne (r7al) will present around thirty films, well-known or less renowned, and other treasures from the Swiss film library, in six film theatres, including the emblematic Capitole – which will be the heart of the event – the Cinematographe and the Paderewski theatre of Montbenon, and three other Pathé Les Galeries and Pathé Flon theatres. Between heritage and potential, r7al provides a powerful, creative incubator and a unique signature in the world of cinema, by associating with important schools from the canton of Vaud, like ECAL, UNIL, EJMA, EHL, HEIG-VD and EPEL*. With the support of the town of Lausanne and the Swiss film library, the festival, far from any sort of competition, sheds a new light on the 7th art and positions Lausanne as an important place to talk about film, reflect, innovate and bring meaning. * Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (Lausanne Cantonal School of Art), Université de Lausanne (University of Lausanne), Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle (School of Jazz and Modern Music), Ecole Hôtellière de Lausanne (Lausanne School of Hotel Management), Haute Ecole d’Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (School of Business and Engineering Vaud), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne).