Annual Film Competition between Nations and Congress
Union of Cinema - UNiCA
Members are national organizations that represent the filmmakers of their country
The UNiCA was founded in 1937 in Paris and is a member of the ClCT at UNESCO
Benvenuti Bienvenue Willkommen Bienvenido Bine ați venit Welkom Vítejte na Üdvözöljük Välkommen მოგესალმებით добредојде 환영 Witamy
The Crescent Theatre
Eleven Brindley Place, Brindleyplace,
Sheepcote St, Birmingham B16 8AE, UK
Andrzej Przezdziecki POL hands over the sceptre to Linda Gough GBR in Poznań
under the supervision of Rolf Leuenberger
Click here to go to the
UNiCA 2025 Film Festival Website:
The first and so far last time UNiCA took place in Great Britain was in London and Glasgow in 1951 ...
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Past UNiCA festivals
1951-57 shot by Donald Elliot.
1979 - onwards by Arie de Jong.
Up to 1989 shot on 8mm.
Thereafter on various video formats.
Includes glimpses of
PL-Poznań 2024
3 Jury Members
Jan Watterson GBR, Thomas Schauer AUT, Wojtek Kukla POL
Jury substitute Nadine Scharfenort DEU
and a voice from the audience per day
day 1 Adalbert Becker DEU, day 2 Romy Van Krieken NLD , day 3 Bernd Zimmermann DEU
I-Comacchio 2023
3 Jury Members
Martin Stoll CZE, Thomas Schauer AUT, Romy Van Krieken NLD
Jury Assistant Tini Schuurmans NLD
and new a voice from the audience per day
day 1 Josep Rota ESP, day 2 Jürgen Richarz DEU, day 3 Jan Watterson GBR
Vimeo VIDEO link
from the jury session about the film "Charlot's Last Suit" (UBC - Guy Gauthier).
Commentary on a French translation by Kamelya Özdemir, edited by Luc Toussaint.
CH-Locarno 2022
3 Jury Members
Sandor Buglya HUN, Jacqueline Pante ITA, Thomas Schauer AUT
Jury Assistant Tini Schuurmans NLD
CZ-Blansko 2018
5 Jury Members
Martin Stoll CZE, Tarmo Hotanen FIN, Alfons Hereu ESP, Thomas Schauer AUT, Mike Whymann GBR
Jury Coordinator Rolf Leuenberger
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AUT - Fieberbrunn 2013
7 Jury Members
Daniel Caracci FRA, Wim Aegerts BEL, Wolfgang Allin AUT, Reinhardt Steininger AUT, Greta Varts EST, Ladislav Frantis CZE, Bernhard Lindner DEU
Jury Coordinator Rolf Leuenberger CHE
BEL - Blankenberge 2005
7 Jury Members
Georg Schörner AUT, Dave Watterson GBR, Julien Loncke BEL, Michel Creten BEL,
Rolf Leuenberger CHF, Diana Nenandic HRV, Pawel Levski POL
A new start 21 - 27 August Locarno (CHE)
82nd Film Competition
between Nations and Congress
There was a restart in Switzerland,
after the second World War,
with the UNiCA Congress in Lugano (CHE)
UNiCA - Union Internationale du Cinéma
was founded
at the Paris World's Fair (FRA)
BRUXELLES (BEL)
1st International Amateur Film Competition with participation from five countries
and a 36-month forced break
a new start in 2022 in Locarno Switzerland
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[2020 BIRMINGHAM (GBR) cancelled due to COVID-19]
[2021 WARSZAWA (POL) cancelled due to COVID-19]
[2022 KERSON (UKR) postponed to 2024]
2022 21.-27.8. LOCARNO (CHE)
2023 10.-16.9. COMACCHIO (ITA)
[2024 KERSON (UKR) cancelled due to the war]
2024 18.-23.8. POZNAN/POSEN (POL)
2025 Birmingham (GBR) Website from 1.1.2025
2026 Skopje (MKD)
2027 Cannes (FRA)
2028 open
I-Poznan 2024 - General Assembly
Thomas Kräuchi, Viorel Ieremie, Jaroslav Kolčava, Wolgang Allin, Mitze Chapovski, Wolfgang Freier, Public, Serge Michel, Public,
Rolf Leuenberger (just taking this picture), Marcus Siebler, Tini Schuurmans, Andrzej Przeżdiecki (covered by Tini)
I-Comacchio 2023 - General Assembly
Thomas Kräuchi, Rolf Leuenberger (just taking this picture), Marcus Siebler, Tini Schuurmansr, Viorel Ieremie
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CH-Locarno 2022 - General Assembly
Marcus Siebler, Viorel Ieremie, Wolfgang Allin, Thomas Kräuchi, J.Essing, Rolf Leuenberger, Andrzej Przeziecki, Tini Schuurmans
BUL-Ruse 2012 - General Assembly
Artashes Hovanessian, Wolfgang Freier, Alois Urbanek, Rolf Mandolesi, Jeanne Glass,
Georges Fondeur, Jan Essing, Thomas Kräuchi, Stanislaw Puls, Zeljko Balog, Rolf Leuenberger
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NL-Zeist 2019 (Hilversum) - Archive of NLD Amateur Film Makers
Rolf Leuenberger
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D-Dortmund 2017 - People who have contributed a lot to UNiCA over the years
Jan Essing, Jacqueline Pante, Dave Watterson, Max Hänsli, Georges Fondeur, Arie De Jong
CH-Einsiedeln 2010 - Excursion to Lucerne
Mitze Chapovski, Odilion Dupont, Jozef Van Gompel, Jan & Dave Watterson, Jean-Claude Lejosne, Claire Auda; Zvonimir Karakatic
CH-Lugano 1946
The event went off brilliantly and with great camaraderie. Switzerland, Film Amateurs and especially the Lugano Club,
under the leadership of Messrs Wullschleger and Vicari, deserve our warmest thanks. E. Weissenberger (interim Secretary General)
Video by Dieter Leitner
Video by Barnabás Tóth
Video by Thomas Speckhofer
Many thanks to the authors
UNiCA Committee
UNiCA 2025:
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