Condor Films

Condor Films

Type	Corporation
Industry	Media
Founded	1947
Founder(s)	Heinrich Fueter
Headquarters	Zurich, Switzerland
Key people	Kristian Widmer
Products	Film, TV, Digital Media
Divisions	Condor BB/A, Condor Commercials
Subsidiaries	FaroTV
Website	www.condorfilms.com www.farotv.ch

"Grat am Himmel" (1947)

"Imitationen" (1969)

"Pablo Picasso" (1973)

Condor Films is a film and TV production company based in Zurich, Switzerland. The company produces commercials, documentary films, feature films, image films, product films and interactive multimedia solutions. The company is also known with its subbrands Condor Productions, Condor Communications, Condor Corporate, Condor Commercials, Studio Bellerive, Condor Features, Condor Audiovisuals, Condor Movies & Series and Condor Pictures as well as Condor Documentaries. Since 2009 the marketing of the group has been refocused on its major brand Condor Films.

Condor Films is a founding member of The International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers.

History

Condor Films produced more than 952 Commercials, more than 237 corporate films for international companies and over 55 feature films. For its feature film "Reise der Hoffnung" by Director Xavier Koller, the company was awarded with an Academy Award for best foreign picture in 1991. Condor Films defines itself as a transmedia production company for all kind of moving images. Building creative audiovisual content as well as digital production for cinema, TV and the internet drives the company nowadays.
Condor Films Ltd. was founded in 1947 by Heinrich Fueter. The majority of the company was owned by the founder and his family. In 1964 the company was the first swiss company to produce commercials.^[1] From 1987 to 2005 the Zurich based media company Tamedia owned 70% of Condor Films. In 2005 the company was bought by a group around managing director Kristian Widmer in a MBO. In 2006 Condor Films bought 100% of FaroTV, a Swiss based TV-Production Company. In 2008, Kristian Widmer took over the majority of shares of the company.

Filmographie

Among other products, Condor Films produced:

• Commercials for Credit Suisse, UBS, Schweiz Tourismus, McDonalds, Fiat, Allianz, Orange, Feldschlösschen, Sinalco, Bicoflex, Axpo, SUVA, Sympany, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Swisscom, Emmi, Ricola and Migros,
• Imagefilms and Productfilms for Zurich Financial Services, Swiss Re, Chocolat Frey, KPMG, Geberit, Volkswagen, RUAG, Die Post, Swisslos, Swiss Life, Coop, Maurice Lacroix, Völkl, ICRC, BKW FMB Energie AG, Louis Widmer, Novartis, Adam Opel AG, Bank Vontobel, Sika AG, Danzas, Roche, Mettler Toledo, IWC Schaffhausen, BMW and ABB Group,
• Infofilms for Schweizer Grenzwachtkorps, Universität Zürich, Swissair, Neue Aargauer Bank, Georg Fischer, SBB and Crossair,
• interactive Online-Applications for Gerber, PostFinance|Post Finance, and IWC Schaffhausen,
• Documentaries about Roger Federer, Norman Foster, Pablo Picasso or the Mount-Everest-Expedition in 1952,
• Features for Cinema and TV with Gérard Depardieu, Richard Chamberlain, Julian Sands, Anja Kling, Michael Gwisdek, Meret Becker, Lars Rudolph and with Directors Daniel Schmid, Jan Švankmajer, Xavier Koller, Samir, Nicolas Gessner, Rolf Lyssy and Dani Levy,
• Short Films for IWC Schaffhausen starring John Malkovich and Jean Reno
• Musicvideos with Carmen Electra and the Bloodhound Gang.
• Circlevision-, 4D-Motion-Simulator-, Vistavision-Dome and 70MM-Films for Autostadt with Directors Xavier Koller, Dani Levy, Michael Ballhaus, Ralph van Deusen, Christoph Silber and Michael Steiner and for the Swiss National Exhibition Landesausstellung Expo.02
• 3D-Films for Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
• Product Placements und Branded Entertainment for Subaru, Charles Vögele, Helsana, Qualipet, Hills, Dyson, Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz and Weight Watchers.

With its subsidiary FaroTV also is involved in the creation and production of TV-shows such as

• the TV-Gameshow "Joya Runs" starring Andrea Jansen for Sat1 Schweiz],
• the TV-Gameshow "Joya Travels" starring Andrea Jansen for Sat1 Schweiz,
• the TV-Show "Celebrations" for Sat1 Schweiz,
• the TV-Show "Move-In!" starring Viola Tami for Sat1 Schweiz,
• the Reality-Soap "Chor auf Bewährung" for Schweizer Fernsehen SF2,
• the Docusoap "leichter leben" starring Viktor Röhtlin and Hausi Leutenegger for Schweizer Fernsehen SF1,
• the Docusoap "Tapetenwechsel" for Schweizer Fernsehen SF2,
• the TV-Series "Tierische Freunde" for Schweizer Fernsehen SF1,

and was also involved in

• the Swiss Saturday-Primetime-Show "Happy Day" starring Röbi Koller for Schweizer Fernsehen SF1
• the TV-Series "Bauer ledig sucht" starring Marco Fritsche for TV Broadcaster 3plus
• the Creation and Production of the TV-Casting-Show "Einer wie Beni" starring Bernhard Thurnheer for Swiss Sport Television SSF.

Awards

Academy Award (1991)

• 1991: Academy Award (Oscar) for Journey of Hope ^[2]
• 2010: World Luxury Award, Gold Award for "Spirit of Navigation" ^[3]
• 2011: Art Directors Club Switzerland, 5 Awards ^[4]
• 2011: Cannes Lion for "More than Mountains" (Client: Swiss Tourism, Agency: Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett); Shortlist Cannes Lions Category 'Craft' for Camera in "More than Mountains" ^[5]

External links

• Webpage Condor Films
• Webpage FaroTV
• Condor Films at the Internet Movie Database
• Condor Films in Procinema
• Condor Films in the Swiss National Film Archive Cinémathèque Suisse
• Imagefilm for Swissair, produced by Condor Films in 1967
• Imagefilm for General Motors produced by Condor Films in 1964

References

1. ^ Pionier der Luxusklasse: Weltwoche Nr.2.10. p.63
2. ^ Winners of the 63rd Academy Awards
3. ^ World Luxury Awards 2010
4. ^ Winners 2011 ADC Switzerlands
5. ^ Winner Canneslions 2011

• Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Sprünge über die chinesische Mauer, 25.08.06, Ausgaben-Nr. 196; Seite 63
• Thomas Binotto, Leidenschaft für den Film, Filmbulletin 2010-10-08, Pages 36–39
• Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Heinrich Fueter-Blanc
• Anne Cuneo, Anne-Marie Blanc - Gespraeche im Hause Blanc, Roemerhof Verlag, Zurich 2009
• Herve Dumont, Geschichte des Schweizer Films, Schweizer Filmarchiv, 1987