MAD HEIDI

Fiction, 92 minutes, CH 2022

A film by Johannes Hartmann & Sandro Klopfstein

 

 

Visit madheidi.com 

 

In a dystopian Switzerland that has fallen under the fascist rule of an evil cheese tyrant (Casper Van Dien), Heidi (Alice Lucy) lives the pure and simple life in the Swiss Alps. Grandfather Alpöhi (David Schofield) does his best to protect Heidi, but her yearning for freedom soon gets her into trouble with the dictator’s henchmen. The innocent girl transforms herself into a kick-ass female fighting force who sets out to liberate the country from the insane cheese fascists.

MAD HEIDI is an action-adventure exploitation spoof based on the popular children‘s book character Heidi and the very first Swissploitation film. Watch it now on www.madheidi.com

 

THIS KIND OF HOPE

Documentary, 82 minutes, CH/D

A film by Pawel Siczek

 

Storyline
Belarus and Me tells the story of diplomat Andrei Sannikov, who was in charge of the disarmament negotiations about the massive atomic weapons arsenal of Belarus after the downfall of the Soviet Union, who quit his job under president Lukachenko and and entered the dangerous path of political opposition. After the uncanny death of his closest political comrade he decided to run for president against Lukachenko, but the election was forged and Andrei Sannikov was arrested, tortured and put into solitary confinement. Today he lives in forced exile in Warszaw and keeps on fighting for his dream: a free and democratic Belarus.
The film combines documentary and archive material with animated sequences and creates the personal portrait of a courageous man relentlessly taking a stand for his home country. At the same time the film sheds light on an important but hardly known episode of the Cold War and its consequences.
 
Team
Buch & Regie – Pawel Siczek
Kamera – Daniel Samer
Schnitt – Claudio Cea
Musik – David Langhard
Produzent – Valentin Greutert
Koproduzent – Thomas Kràl
 
Coproduction Partner
Departures Film, Germany

PARADISE WAR - The Story of Bruno Manser

Drama, 142 minutes, CH 2019

Directed by Niklaus Hilber

Story
1984: Searching for an experience that goes deeper than the superficiality of modern civilisation, Bruno Manser travels into the jungles of Borneo and finds it with the nomadic Penan tribe. It is an encounter that changes his life forever. When the existence of the Penan is threatened by relentless deforestation, Manser takes up the fight against logging with a courage and determination that makes him one of the most renowned and credible environmentalists of his time. Based on a true story.
The film was shot in 76 days in Switzerland, New York, Budapest and Borneo. In a massive operation, the team went to remote locations in the last remnants of primary jungle on Borneo. The indigenous actors were cast among the original Penan people who continue their struggle to this day. The soundtrack was composed by Academy-Award winner Gabriel Yared (The English Patient).
 
Team
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Coproducer – Philip Delaquis
Written by – Niklaus Hilber, Patrick Tönz, David Clemens
Director – Niklaus Hilber
Director of Photography – Matthias Reisser
Production Designer – Michael Baumgartner
Costume Design – Verena Haerdi
Hair & Makeup – Marina Aebi
Line Producer – Stephan Barth
Production Manager – Maja Sanchez
Editor – Claudio Cea
a.m.o.
 
Cast
Sven Schelker – Bruno Manser
Nick Kelesau – Along Sega
Elizabeth Ballang – Ubung
Matthew Crowley – Carter-Long
David Kse – Chang
Benjamin Mathis – Roger Graf
a.m.o.
 
Drehorte
Borneo, Switzerland, New York, Budapest
 
Release
2019
 
Distribution
Switzerland: Elite Film AG
International: TrustNordisk ApS
 

MAGICIANS

Fiction, 105 minutes, AT/CH 2017

Directed by Sebastian Brauneis

 

Story
«Magicians» follows the intersections of the lives of very contradictory characters. Around the story of a boy who vanishes and reappears, the film descends into the depths of the human psyche caught between impotence, manipulation and empowerment. An everyday parable about humans locked up in the maze of fact and fiction.
Based on different short stories by the Austrian novelist Clemens Setz, the film script was written in collaboration with director Sebastian Brauneis and actor Nicholas Ofczarek. A Film Company is coproducing this Austrian «New Wave» psycho-shocker for Superfilm in Vienna.

 

Financing Partners Switzerland
Zürcher Filmstiftung
Bundesamt für Kultur

 

TRADING PARADISE

Documentary, 78 minutes, CH 2016

Written & directed by Daniel Schweizer

Français  Deutsch 

 
Storyline
Trading Paradise presents itself like the chronicle of a foretold scandal: After the Nazi gold and the bank secret, the practices of commodities trading companies based in Switzerland will be the reason for the next defamation of the country. Large parts of the world trade in commodities are handled by companies based in Zug and Geneva. They are known to pay very little taxes and to defy responsibility for environmental damages caused in the extracting countries. Trading Paradise shows, how this business works and how engaged collaborators of NGOs try to improve the transparency and liability of these commodities giants.

 

Team
Writer & Director – Daniel Schweizer
Producer – Valentin Greutert
DoP – Patrick Tresch
1st AD – Fabiano D’Amato
Editor – Malena Demierre
Line Producer – Maja Sanchez

 

Financing Partners
Migros Kulturprozent CH-Dokfilm Wettbewerb
SRG SSR

 

TWO HOOKERS & A BITCH

Experimental comedy, 85 minutes

A film by Daniel Young

 

Story
Two Hookers and a Bitch is an experimental comedy following the three prostitutes Fanny, Lea and Henry over the course of three nights on their street as we watch them discuss love, marriage, sex, men and women and the prospects of a stable prosperous future. An original and funny trash-film. To be released in 2017.

 

Cast
Dalma Berger
Juli Jakab
Boglarka Koman
Mate Birkas
et al.

 

Team
Writer & Director – Daniel Young
Producers – Valentin Greutert, Kati Cszenyi, Daniel Young
Director of Photography – Gergely Poharnok
Sound – Balazs Szurdi
Production Design – Panni Lutter
Editors – Mate Birkas, Daniel Young

AMATEUR TEENS

Drama, 92 minutes, CH 2015

A film by Niklaus Hilber

 

Story
A group of normal 14-year-old teenagers at a secondary school in Zürich with the normal yearnings for love and acceptance. But the power of social media, with its high-gloss selfies and perpetual pressure towards cooler and sexier, increasingly forces the kids to deny their true feelings. So a tragedy runs its course, one in which it is almost impossible to differentiate between perpetrator and victim, guilt and innocence.

 

Cast
Fabrizio Borsani as Selim
Chiara Carla Bär as Sabrina
Annina Walt as Lara
Jérôme Humm as Jan
Benjamin Dangel as Adi
Luna Wedler as Milena
Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen as Alina
Fayrouz Gabriel as Fatima
Nicolas Heini as Dave
Veton Hamza as Kemal
et al.

 

Team
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Screenplay – Niklaus Hilber & Patrick Tönz
Editing – Benjamin Fueter
Director of Photography – Tobias Dengler
Sounddesign & Mix – Ramon Orza
Production Sound – Jan Illing
Productions Design – Sophie Reinhard, Sophie Stalder
Costume – Tanya Sonderegger
Make-up – Adrienne Chauliac
Line Producer – Maja Sanchez
et al.

 

Financing Partners
Zürcher Filmstiftung
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF
SRG SSR
Bundesamt für Kultur
Kulturfonds Suissimage
Focal

ROBBERS AND COPS

Webseries, 10×7 minutes, CH 2015

Directed, filmed & edited by Patrick Karpiczenko

Online on srf.ch 

 

Story
ROBBERS & COPS is a modern mug-story about a family on the verge of poverty. Mom and dad decide to become robbers. They exploit their eight-year-old daughter and find ever more pleasure in the criminal lifestyle.
An interactive web series about morality, sex and ham.

 

Cast
Philippe Graber
Rahel Hubacher
Sophie Gallo
Peter Freiburghaus
et.al.

 

Team
Director, Camera, Editor – Patrick Karpiczenko
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Screenplay – Philippe Graber, Rahel Hubacher, Patrick Karpiczenko
Set Design – Chasper Bertschinger
Costume – Rudolf Jost
Sound – Ivo Schläpfer
Mix – Manu Gerber
Line Producer – Maja Sanchez

 

THULETUVALU

Documentary, 96 minutes, CH 2014

Written & directed by Matthias von Gunten

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Storyline
Two places at the edge of our planet are making headlines due to climate change: Thule, Greenland, because of record ice melts there; and Tuvalu, because this remote Pacific island nation is one of the first countries on the verge of sinking as a result of rising sea levels. Whereas for us the warming of the planet occurs almost solely in the media, it is changing the entire existence for the inhabitants of Thule and Tuvalu. The film portrays how they are forced to abandon their traditional way of life as they move towards an unknown future.
This important and touching film has been traveling the world. It was shown and still is being shown on countless festivals around the world. Watch it on our website by clicking the rent button.

 

Team
Writer & director – Matthias von Gunten
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Director of Photography – Pierre Mennel
Production Sound – Valentino Vigniti
Editors – Caterina Mona, Claudio Cea
Music – Marcel Vaid
Sounddesign – Roland Widmer
Mix – Felix Bussmann, SDS
Postproduction – Andromeda Film

 

World Sales
Perry Street Advisors

 

Awards
Séstèrce d’argent – Visions du réel 2014
Nomination Best Documentary Swiss Film Prize 2015
Nomnation Best Cinematography Swiss Film Prize 2015
Nomination German Documentary Film Prize 2015

 

Festivals
More than 50 festivals around the globe, among them Hot Docs Toronto, Dokfest München, Locarno IFF, CPH:DOX, Margaret Mead FF New York.

 

 

AIMLESS

TV drama, 90 minutes, CH 2014

A film by Niklaus Hilber

 

Story
19-year old Pascal is in constant conflict with the people around him. He has quit his apprenticeship and hangs around aimlessly. When he is drafted into Basic Training, he unexpectedly and for the first time ever discovers how developing team spirit and taking responsibility can lead to recognition, self-respect and friendship – and how good this feels. After graduating from Basic Training, Pascal tries to secure a foothold in his old life and attempts to complete his apprenticeship – but because of his poor grades, nobody seems willing to give him a second chance. His frustration with the harsh realities of society grows until his anger explodes in a fatal event.
Watch this film by clicking the rent button above.

 

Cast
Joel Basman as Pascal
Mona Petri as Sonja
Peter Jecklin as Kommandant Zünd
Tanja Lehmann as Leila
Marc Schmassman as Bodenmann

 

Team
Director – Niklaus Hilber
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Screenplay – Niklaus Hilber & Patrick Tönz
Director of Photography – Stéphane Kuthy
Production Design – Sven Zahn
Costume – Tanya Sonderegger
Make-up –  Adrienne Chauliac
Editing –  Beni Fueter
Music –  Baldenweg
Production Manager – Maja Sanchez
Assistant Director –  Thomas Kaufmann
Casting – Corinna Glaus
Commissioner SRF –  Maya Fahrni

 

Awards
Nomination Prix Europa 2014
Nomination Fernsehpreis Baden-Baden 2014
Prix Swissperform «Best Actor» 2015 (Joel Basman)

 

VIKTORIA – A TALE OF GRACE AND GREED

Drama, 88 minutes, CH 2013

Directed by Men Lareida

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Story
She hopes for big money in Zurich. So Viktoria leaves her hometown of Budapest to spend her nights under the pale lights of Zurich’s whore pit. There she waits for clients, to satisfy them in their cars on dark parking lots. She can only fight her disgust with thoughts of the fortune she will make and how to use it at home. Despite being caught in a environment of violence, greed and a world of fast sex, she discovers here also love and friendship – and herself.
Viktoria – A Tale of Grace and Greed is an emotional journey into the world of sexworkers, shot in Budapest and Zurich.
 Watch it by clicking the rent button above.

 

Cast
Franciska Farkas als Viktoria
Angéla Stefanovics als Blondie
Zsolt Nagy als Junior
Erika Lakatos als Marina

 

Team
Producers – Valentin Greutert, Simon Hesse
Screenplay – Men Lareida, Anna Maros
Director of Photography – Marco Barberi
Production Design – Nina Bachmann
Costume Design – Eszter Salamon
Assistant Director – Tamás Lukács
Line Producer – Stephan Barth
Editor – Claudio Cea
Music Composer – Michael Kalt

 

Awards
Nomination Prix de Soleure 2014
NDR-Regiepreis 2014

 

Festivals
Max-Ophüls-Preis Saarbrücken, Solothurner Filmtage, Locarno IFF et al.

PAUL BOWLES: THE CAGE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN

Documentary, 86 minutes, CH 2012

A film by Daniel Young

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Storyline
Even though his musical and literary oeuvre is neither large nor very well known apart from his bestseller-novel «The Sheltering Sky», the American composer and author Paul Bowles (1910-1999) was a man of immense charisma and influence.
When he moved to Tangier (Morocco) in 1949, it was a city divided into zones, a sanctuary for artists, writers and the wealthy to do as they pleased without fear of prosecution. Soon Paul’s friends and peers from America began visiting: Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsberg, William Burroughs and many others. The Neo-Lost Generation, the Beats, the Hippies all searched him out, lured by the mysterious and magical world he depicted in his books.
But that was only one side. Though Paul Bowles never hid his homosexuality, he was married to the lesbian writer Jane Bowles. What attracted them despite their extremely different personalities was a shared worldview: that one must travel to the point of no return in order to find salvation.
Based on an exclusive series of interviews with Bowles shortly before his death and anecdotes provided by his friends and collaborators, the film tells of a daring and visionary life and a relationship shaped by a co-dependency that went way beyond sexuality.
Watch this special and eccentric film directly on our website by clicking the rent button above.

 

Protagonists
Paul Bowles, Roland Beaufre, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ira Cohen, Karim Debbagh, Tamara Dragadze, Ruth Fainlight, Oliver Harris, John Hopkins, Richard Horowitz, Christopher Sawyer-Laucanno, Mohammed Mrabet, Cherie Nutting, Bachir Skiredj, Mohammed Temsamani, Florian Vetsch, Gore Vidal, John Waters, Edmund White.

 

Team
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Executive Producers – This Brunner, Stanley Buchthal, Andres Bruetsch, Simon Hesse
Camera – Imre Juhas, Andres Bruetsch, Robert Adrian-Pejo, Felix von Muralt, Marco Möschler, Yoav Parish
Music & Sound Design – Csaba Kalotas
Animations – Robin Bushell, William Crook
Editor – Kaya Inan

 

World Sales
Submarine Entertainment

 

Awards
Audience Award at Torino LGBT 2013

 

Festivals
Berlinale Panorama 2013, Mostra Sao Paolo 2012, Zurich Film Festival 2012 et al.

 

 

ONE WAY TRIP (3D)

Horror, 89 minutes, CH/AT 2011

Directed by Markus Welter

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Story
Eight young people travel to the Jura with food and tents. It is peak season for magic mushrooms. Everything is fine until one of the guys who had left to get beer returns to the campsite battered and beaten up. Suddenly, a storm gathers and their telephones no longer work. The campers seek protection at a farm nearby, but this only renders a bad situation worse, for now they are trapped. Hounded by their eerie pursuers, a thrilling frenzy into death begins.
One Way Trip 3D was one of the very first S3D-films produced in Europe. It’s available in 3D on Bluray. You can also watch it 2D by clicking the rent button above.

 

Cast
Sabrina Reiter, Harry Lampl, Aaron Hitz, Simon Käser, Isabelle Barth, Matthias Britschgi, Martin Loos, Tanja Raunig, Herbert Leiser, Melanie Winiger

 

Team
Producers – Valentin Greutert, Simon Hesse
Coproducers – John Lüftner, David Schalko
Screenplay – Matthias Bauer, Bastian Zach

Line Producer – Stephan Barth

Director of Photography – Filip Zumbrunn
Production Design – Urs Beuter

Costume Design – Carol Luchetta

Make-Up Effects – Anne-Rose Schwab

SFX & Stunts – K-Stunts & Mazzotti Action

Stereographer – Jan Bernotat

Editor – Cecile Welter

Visual Effects – Celluloid VFX

Music Composer – Michael Sauter

Casting – Corinna Glaus

 

Coproduction Company
Superfilm, Vienna

 

Distribution
Ascot Elite Entertainment (Schweiz & Deutschland)
Thimfilm (Österreich)
Lightning Entertainment (World Sales)

 

Awards
Nomination Taurus World Stunt Awards 2012

 

 

ROCKSTEADY: THE ROOTS OF REGGAE


Documentary, 95 minutes, CH/CAN 2009

Written & directed by Stascha Bader

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Storyline
On the small caribbean island of Jamaica a music was born that conquered the world. Coming out of the ghetto, it has inspired generations to believe in and to fight for a better world. Today, everybody knows Reggae and its superstar Bob Marley. But the story of the founders of Reggae has never been told. Forty years later they are reuniting for the first time to record their old hits on an album and to tell their story.
Watch this beautiful hit documentary directly on our website by clicking the rent button above.

 

Singers
Stranger Cole
Judy Mowatt
Hopeton Lewis
Ken Boothe
Dawn Penn
Marcia Griffiths
Derrick Morgan
Leroy Sibbles
U-Roy

 

Special Appearance
Rita Marley

 

Team
Writer & director – Stascha Bader
Producers – Valentin Greutert & Betty Palik
Executive Producers – Michael Prupas & Simon Hesse
Director of Photography – Piotr Jaxa
Sound – Dieter Meyer
Editors – Claudio Cea, Mathieu Grondin
Line Producer – Robert Boulos
Music Producer – Moss Raxlen
Music arrangements – Lynn Taitt / Ernest Ranglin

 

Coproduction Company
Muse Entertainment, Montreal

 

Distribution
MK2

 

Soundtrack
published by Moll Selekta

 

Awards
Film Prize City of Zurich 2009
Nomination Best Documentary Swiss Film Prize 2009

 

Festivals
More than 20 festivals around the world, among them Slamdance 2010, Filmfest München 2009, Thessaloniki 2010, Buenos Aires 2010

 

 

DAY AT THE SEASIDE

Drama, 98 minutes, CH 2008

A film by Moritz Gerber

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Story
Dave is about to turn 30 and having his first mid-life crisis. A pretty successful DJ and record store owner, Dave is back with ex-girlfriend Sarah, but he isn’t happy with his lot. In doubt about the relationship and mourning dreams he meets 20-year-old Alice, who embodies the tempation of youth. Is Dave too old for adventure or is he still young enough? 
«Day at the Seaside» is a sensitive portrait of an urban generation swaying between the freedom of youth and commitment of life.
Watch this beautiful first feature directly on our website by clicking on the rent button above.

 

Cast
Dominique Jann as Dave
Doris Schefer as Sarah
Manuel Löwensberg as Matthias
Patricia Mollet-Mercier as Alice
et al.

 

Team
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Writer & Director – Moritz Gerber
Editor – Claudio Cea
Director of Photography – Piotr Jaxa
Production Design – Isabel Robson/Sara Weingart
Costume Design – Margarita Tarnover
Make-up – Milena Pfleiderer
Original Music – Michael Sauter
Sounddesign – Gregg Skerman
Production Manager – Olivier Monnard

 

Awards
Berner Filmpreis 2009

 

Festivals
Hofer Filmtage 2008, Max-Ophüls-Preis 2009, Cairo IFF 2009 u.v.m.

 

 

MAX FRISCH, CITOYEN

Documentary, 94 minutes, CH 2007

A film by Matthias von Gunten

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Storyline
Max Frisch was the last great Swiss intellectual widely respected as a voice in his own right, both at home and internationally – a type of personality that hardly exists today. The film recounts Frisch’s life story as a “citoyen” and takes us on a trip through his texts and speeches in the backdrop of the unfolding 20th century. Frisch’s perspective is complemented and contrasted by statements of several writers and politicians such as Gunter Grass or Henry A. Kissinger who knew him personally.
You can watch this film directly on this website by clicking the rent button above.

 

Protagonists
Helmut Schmidt
Peter Bichsel
Gottfried Honegger
Henry A.Kissinger
Günter Grass
Christa Wolf

 

Team
Writer & Director – Matthias von Gunten

Producer – Valentin Greutert

Director of Photography – Matthias Kälin

Sound – Martin Witz

Assistant Director – Christine Hürzeler

Original Music – Martin Todsharow

Editor – Caterina Mona
Off-
Voices – Reto Haenny, Silke Geertz

 

 

HER SECOND CHANCE

TV-drama, 90 minutes, CH 2006

Directed by Tobias Ineichen

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Story
Sonja spent 6 years in prison for the alleged murder of her husband – a crime she insists was an accident. Her son Tim lives with her in-laws who do not allow her to see him. Stefan, her husband’s former business partner and the only witness of the murder, is Sonja’s last chance. If he confirmed her innocence, Sonja could reclaim custody of Tim. But the past turns out to be more complex than Sonja expected …

You can watch this film by clicking on the rent button above.

 

Cast
Melanie Winiger as Sonja
Marlon Altenburger as Tim
Urs Hefti as Armin
Suly Röthlisberger as Julia
Renate Steiger as Elvira
Andreas Matti as Brändli
Michael Finger as Stefan
Oliver Zgorelec as Dejan
et al.

 

Team
Director – Tobias Ineichen
Producer – Valentin Greutert
Screenplay – Dave Tucker
Director of Photography – Felix von Muralt
Sound – Patrick Becker
Production Design – Georg Bringolf
Costume Design – Regula Wetter
Make-up – Connie Sacchi
Editor – Lilo Gerber
Casting – Corinna Glaus
Production Manager – Filippo Bonacci
Mix – Ramon Orza
Commissioner SRF – Lilian Räber
et al.

 

Awards
Prix Swissperform «Best Swiss TV Movie» 2006