Union Internationale du Cinéma
Les membres sont des organismes nationaux qui représentent les cinéastes de leur pays
Fondée en 1937 à Paris et membre du ClCT auprès de l'UNESCO
UNiCA 2025, 17-22 August, Birmingham, UK
Congress Card and Special Events Booking
Open now to 31 July 2025 in en/de/fr
In a spirit of peaceful co-operation and friendship between peoples, UNiCA promotes international understanding and cooperation, in particular in the field of art, culture, education and science, in accordance with the principles of UNESCO.
UNiCA is an independent international organisation. She is a member of the CICT - International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication at UNESCO, which is an authoritative body. The supreme body of UNiCA is the General Assembly where all member organisations have the right to participate and to vote. Executive power is held by a Committee composed of eleven members and selected for a three-year term by the General Assembly.
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
This is the highlight of UNiCA's annual meeting when each member presents a selection of films.
Prizes are awarded by an international jury.
The most interesting productions are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals.
Every year ICFT / CICT offers the UNESCO Fellini Medal (Delmiro de Caralt Prize) to be awarded to a work witnessing to the values of tolerance and peace fostered by UNESCO.
The Young UNiCA competition is intended for young filmmakers up to the age of 25. It is included in the competition of the national programmes.
Any country may send 1 film of no more than 60 seconds long, including all titles and credits.
A country whose film was selected for the final 16 in the previous year, may send 2 films.
The committee selects the best 16 films.
The sequence of films will be determined by drawing lots.
Finally the 16 films are judged by audience vote.
The purpose of the "Friends of UNiCA“ is to support UNiCA, to promote its work and contribute to a cheerful and positive development of the group.
When requested, UNiCA supports national and international film festivals which commit themselves to the regulations of UNiCA.
For these events a special UNiCA prize is offered to be awarded by the organisers.
Are you an ambitious young filmmaker (age 18 - 25) who does not produce films professionally, nor studies full time at a film school?
Make sure you send in your film(s) to compete in a festival organised by your own country's National Organisation for non-commercial (amateur) film! They are the ones that give out the invitations!
UNiCA's Film Library, established in 1938, currently has over 1300 works in the form of film and video. The oldest item dates from 1935.
The film and video copies in the library have been donated by their makers and the corresponding national organisations.
There is a digital catalogue on the Internet with detailed information on the titles of the films in the library.
In 1931, five countries
organised the first international amateur film competition in Brussels.
UNiCA was founded at the
World's Fair in Paris in 1937
and it goes on:
"The role of festivals has changed.
You used to go and see films you would never get back, now you can catch up on platforms.
Exchanges between spectators, filmmakers and institutions
have become important."
Niccolò Castelli, film director
Director Ticino Film Commission and Director Solothurn Film Festival, Switzerland (Azione 16.1.2023)
We'd like to remind you that launching the videos will send some data to YouTube, Vimeo or other video servers.
The General Assembly (GA) is held once a year in the course of the UNiCA Congress.
The GA is composed of the delegates, their deputies, the members of the Committee and the members of the existing special commissions. The GA is open to the public, except by a contrary decision of the GA.
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Cine Museo 65 (1922-1987), CH-6997 Sessa TI.
This exhibition introduces you to the history of do-it-yourself films and shows you many contemporary documents such as amateur films, movie cameras, projectors and other devices. The formats range from 8, Super8, 9.5 up to 16 mm.
The golden age of Agfa, Bauer, Braun, Beaulieu, Bell & Howell, BOLEX Paillard, Kodak, Nizo, Pathé Baby, Zeiss Ikon, ...
Our team
Bold = working for UNiCA2025
Jean-Claude Lejosne's (founder)
and some more
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Arie de Jong develops the first website for UNiCA.
This is now an archive and no longer updated.
Dave Watterson created this site.
This is now an archive and no longer updated.
Dave Watterson is also the author of this independent, unofficial news site.
This is now an archive and no longer updated.
Photos Rolf Leuenberger & SRF
UNICA mourn the loss
of its former Honorary President,
Max HÄNSLI CHE
On Tuesday 9 January 2024, Max HÄNSLI passed away in Zürich, in the Switzerland he loved so dearly and where he was born ninety-one years ago.
Max was a great supporter of UNiCA, which he chaired for fifteen years, from 1994 to 2009.
UNiCA has lost a great friend
Serge Michel remembers ... read more, click here (pdf)
Foto Rolf Leuenberger
UNICA mourn the loss
of a long-standing member of the committee, Alois URBANEK AUT
On the night of 16 to 17 April 2024, Alois Urbanek passed away peacefully in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 91.
Alois was not only president of the VÖFA, the Association of Austrian Film Authors, for 18 years, he was also a founding member of the AFC, the Amateur Film and Video Club Vienna, and its long-standing club leader.
He became a member of the UNICA committee, in which he tried to expand the organisation, involve new young film authors and win friends all over the world for UNICA.
Wolfgang Allin remembers ... read more, click here (pdf)
Foto Rolf Leuenberger
UNICA mourn the loss
of its former Vice President,
Bernhard LINDNER DEU
Bernhard passed away on Sunday, 21 April 2024 in Plochingen at the age of 78.
I had often seen Bernhard Lindner, before I met him. When he was coopted to the UNICA Committee in 2014 to prepare a report on the choosing and workings of UNICA juries, I noted his quiet, calm demeanor.
In 2015 he and I were both elected to the Committee. He remained Vice-President until the end of the COVID years in 2021.
Dave Watterson remembers ... read more, click here (pdf)
Foto Rolf Diehl
UNICA mourn the loss
of its former President,
Georges FONDEUR LUX
Georges passed away on Saterday, 1 February 2025 in Luxembourg at the age of 80.
He was UNiCA President from 2009 to 2014.
Jan ESSING remembers ...
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