Company Profile
Founded in 1988 by Ruth Waldburger, Vega Film is today one of Switzerland’s most renowned film production companies, with over 100 films produced. Its extensive filmography includes both Swiss productions and international co-productions. Over the years, Vega Film has produced a total of 11 films by Jean-Luc Godard and has collaborated with respected industry figures such as Béla Tarr, Virginie Despentes, Alain Resnais, Robert Frank, Gianni Amelio, Noémie Lvovsky, Ursula Meier, Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond.
Vega Film is renowned for its national and international box-office successes, as well as for its continued presence at major festivals: 15 films in Cannes (including 11 in competition), 12 in Berlin (including 7 in competition), 5 in Locarno, and 8 in Venice (including 4 competing for the Golden Lion). The company has won the Silver Bear four times, as well as the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes, the Golden Leopard in Locarno, and the Best Director Award in Venice.
In 2003, Ruth Waldburger was honoured by the Locarno Film Festival with the Raimondo Rezzonico Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as an independent producer. In 2015, she received the Bremen Film Prize for her contribution to independent European film. She was honoured with the prestigious Swiss Film Award of Honour 2023 for her entire body of work.
In 2023, Niza Lou Waldburger took on the role of producer and managing director of Vega Film. She is an alumni of the Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris 2022/2023 program for emerging producers and distributors and EAVE's Creative Producer Indaba program 2024/2025.
Today, mother and daughter work closely together to foster an intergenerational exchange that shapes the selection of stories and the future of Vega Film.
Vega Film continues to produce films by both established and emerging Swiss and international directors. As one of the rare companies in Switzerland to collaborate equally with French- and German-speaking filmmakers, its catalogue ranges from popular comedies to visually and thematically ambitious works. This diversity reflects a constant commitment to high-quality, creative, relevant and often bold productions.
Our philosophy is rooted in a deep trust in directors’ vision and in the urgency of their stories. Committed to fostering an avant-garde approach to cinema, the company seeks out filmmakers with bold creative voices, offering fresh perspectives and alternatives to mainstream narratives. The company puts a particular emphasis on socio-political issues and expands its commitment to themes of cultural hybridity, historical uprisings and Pan-Africanism.
Beyond production, Vega Film places great importance on the international distribution of its catalogue. The restoration and digitisation of older works, such as those of Jean-Luc Godard, play a key role in preserving cinematic heritage.
Vega Film is member of the European Producers Club (EPC) and GARP in Switzerland.
Company Highlights
TIDES 2021
Genre: Science-Fiction
Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Screenplay: Tim Fehlbaum, Mariko Minoguchi
Cast: Nora Arnezeder, Iain Glen, Sarah-Sofie Boussina, Sope Dirisu, Sebastian Roché, Joel Basman, Bella Bading,
Eden Gough et al.
When Earth became uninhabitable for humans, the ruling elite colonized the planet Kepler 209, but its atmosphere made the new inhabitants barren. Two generations later, a program is to determine whether life on Earth is possible again: Mission Ulysses II is to bring certainty. The space capsule gets out of control when it enters the Earth's atmosphere. The astronaut Blake (NORA ARNEZEDER) is the only one to survive the landing - but she has to realize that she is not alone on Earth. A fight for survival begins, and Blake must make decisions that will determine the fate of all mankind.
German Film Award 2021: Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Score, Best Production Design, Best Hair & Make-Up, Best Visual Effects,
NIFFF 2021: RTS-audience award, Best Production design
Shown at Berlinale Special 2021, in Competition at Sites International Film Festival 2021
SCHWESTERLEIN / PETITE SOEUR 2020
Genre: Fiction
Director: Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond
Screenplay: Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond
Cast: Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller, Jens Albinus,
Brilliant playwright, Lisa no longer writes. She lives in Switzerland with her family but her heart has stayed in Berlin, beating to the rhythm of her brother’s heart. The ties between the twins have grown stronger since Sven was diagnosed with an aggressive type of leukaemia. He’s a famous theatre actor and Lisa refuses to accept his fate, moving heaven and earth to get him back on stage. She gives her all for her soul mate, neglecting everything else, even risking her marriage. Her relationship with her husband starts to fall apart, but Lisa only has eyes for her brother, her mirror, who connects her back with her deepest aspirations and rekindles her desire to create, to feel alive...
In Competition at Berlinale 2020
FORTUNA 2017
Genre: Fiction
Director: Germinal Roaux
Screenplay: Germinal Roaux
Cast: Kidist Siyum Beza, Bruno Ganz, Patrick D’Assumçao, Yoann Blanc
Fortuna (14), a young Ethiopian teenage girl, has had no news of her parents since arriving in Lampedusa, Italy. Together with other refugees, she is given shelter for the winter in a Swiss catholic hospice at an altitude of over 2000 meters. While they wait for their fate to be decided by the Swiss authorities, Fortuna meets Kabir, a 26-year-old African refugee, and falls desperately in love. Their relationship develops in secret, till the day Kabir disappears.
68th Berlin IFF (2018) Awards: Crystal Bear for Best Film, Grand Prix of the Generation 14+ International Jury
5th Edition Cinema Sneakers FF Warszawa (2018) Award: First Prize Youth Feature Film Competition
Festival International du Film Francophone de Tübingen 2018 Grand Prix du Festival