The main goal of the Swiss company SRG SSR is to keep the participating producers “happy”, Gregory Katella said in Locarno.
“We benefit from this success and exposure. Our financial participation is not huge – for us, it is more about prestige. The films and co-productions of minorities that come to us aim to gain international recognition at festivals.”
Speaking at the Switzerland and Co-Financing Opportunities for Independent Films seminar, Katila encouraged Locarno Pro participants to apply for a so-called audiovisual charter.
“I know you're here to talk about money, so let's talk about money,” he said, revealing that the deal now has 34 million Swiss francs ($39.2 million) to offer: a figure that has risen by 1.5 million francs.
“The aim of this increase is not to produce more films or series, but to better finance our co-productions. Costs are rising,” he noted. While the Audiovisual Pact programme – which offers up to CHF 10 million ($11.5 million) for feature films and CHF 2 million ($2.3 million) for animation – targets Swiss co-productions, it is possible to “get involved” as an international co-producer. And now, also when working on documentary series for broadcast and platforms.
However, potential applicants should start with the Federal Office of Culture, which offers a selective fund and an automatic fund based on theatrical releases and festival participation of previous films. The Swiss Film Investment Refund Scheme is also available, although there is a cap.
“We can only co-produce with countries that have a treaty with us. We can do other co-productions if they are covered by the European co-production agreement, but we cannot co-produce with countries that do not have a treaty,” Patrizia Pesco noted.
Separate treaties exist with Austria, Germany, Canada, France, the French Community of Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, and Mexico.
“You are free to work with Japan or China, but it cannot be recognised as an official co-production by the Swiss state,” Pesco added. “If you are not recognised as an official co-production, you lose some rights. For example, your film cannot be screened at festivals as an official Swiss co-production.”
Media Desk Suisse offers more flexibility.
“There is a possibility that you have a co-production with Switzerland according to an existing agreement with the third partner. If you are from Kazakhstan and you have a co-production agreement with France, and France has a co-production agreement with Switzerland, that is the triangle of co-producers,” said Corinna Marchal.
“We only provide development funding and no production support – for projects with a Swiss majority, but also for co-development of projects with a Swiss minority. Our total development budget per year is CHF 1.2 million (US$ 1.4 million) for all genres combined.”
With this amount, Media Desk Suisse finances approximately 23 projects per year. The support usually comes at the end of the development phase and the nationality of the author is irrelevant. There is also no commitment to theatrical release of the project.
The application is submitted by the Swiss production company, which “must have a certain track record”. The evaluation is carried out by foreign experts.
“Funding is usually useful if you need more time and extra money for extensive research – for archival material, for example, to create a marketing or promotional strategy.”
Marshall also discussed the Swiss Minority Co-Development Fund, which awards extra points to children’s films and animation, and to Swiss (co-)authors. It offers up to CHF50,000 ($57,670) in non-refundable grants, while the funding can cover up to 70% of the expenses of the Swiss minority partner. A Swiss minority producer must apply for the funding at least eight months before filming.
“It is important that these projects are linked to Switzerland through the subject, the crew or the actors. We are targeting projects with high artistic and production value that can reach a global audience,” she added.
“The success of the film with the audience is good, but it is mainly a question of whether the film can travel abroad – and not just to festivals. Is there a possibility of that?”
Countries with low production capacity should turn their attention to Visions Sud Est, founded in 2005. Since then, the company has supported more than 200 projects, including “All we imagine as light”, “Bibi” or “Interception”.
“The aim is to support films for theatrical distribution,” explained Madeleine Robert. In return for the support, all Swiss rights are included in the fund. The director must be from one of the eligible countries – as must the production company applying. The filming must take place in one of the eligible countries and in the local language.
“We don’t work with an American filmmaker from the diaspora who is filming in Tanzania. That’s not what we do,” she added.
No Swiss producer or European partner is required on board. Visions Sud Est supports films in production (with a maximum grant of CHF 50,000 (US$57,670) for a feature film) and post-production – with a maximum grant of CHF 20,000 (US$23,000). The selection process takes 16 weeks.
“It’s a very competitive fund, so it’s important not to apply too early and to be really ready to produce,” Robert explained, noting the importance of “the quality of the project, the originality of the project and the strengthening of the local film industry.”
“For us, it is important to participate at the right stage. [of the project]She added that the film “Agora” received support in the post-production stage, and the director said: “Now I can finish the film and show it in a big festival,” and the film is scheduled to be shown at the festival later this week.
Later, Robert said, diverse“The most common mistake is applying too early. Since you can only apply once for each stage of support, it is important to apply when the script is complete – in production – and when the first cut of the entire film is complete – in post-production.”
But such a happy ending isn't always necessary, notes Tenzin Roder of Migros' Cultural Ratio Story Lab.
“We want to help with the filmmaking process, and as we know, it's not realistic for every project to get made.”
The lab is dedicated to all audiovisual narrative formats in the “very early” stages of development, including multimedia and gaming projects.
Talk to diverse After the seminar, Rudder emphasized the importance of the anonymous judging process and providing training and mentoring opportunities.
“In a small country like Switzerland, where industry players are relatively well-known, it is crucial to ensure that diverse voices are heard. The ability to tell stories, whether in audiovisual or literary media, is a form of engagement and influence. We believe it is essential to approach topics from diverse perspectives,” she added.
“We offer tailored support, which is particularly valuable for emerging talents new to the industry. The barriers to entry in the film industry are high, and access to the industry is difficult. Through our training offerings, we aim to contribute to the strengthening and professionalization of these new voices.”
“It is important to create an environment that allows for experimentation and exploration, especially in this competitive landscape. We are creating a space where stories can emerge and take shape,” she added.
