Film News from Central Switzerland (2/26)

Photo: Dominik Wunderli
(From left to right: Nicole Reisinger, Erich Felber, Lili Kaelin, Michael Rüedi)

It is official: At the general assembly of our supporting association on 4 May, Erich Felber, Nicole Reisinger and Michael Rüedi were elected to the co-presidency. The three previously formed the executive committee and continue to work in their respective areas of focus: strategy (Erich), organisational development (Nicole) and financing (Michael). You will find all other board members on our About us page.

Film Commissioner Lili Kaelin is also taking over the management again, a position she already held from the association's founding in late 2016 until September 2022. She will be supported in the areas of back office and marketing/communication.

We are delighted to continue together in this new constellation and to dedicate ourselves with full energy to the film region of Central Switzerland.

Productions

A summer with many shoots in different regions and cantons - very much in the spirit of our motto "From alpine to urban – great locations for great movies"

Start of Filming for the Prime Video Series «Superior»

Photo: Prime Video

The new Prime Video series «Superior» is a mix of romance, elite boarding school life and mystery crime for a young target audience – telling the story of a fictional, exclusive hotel management school in the Swiss mountains. Directed by Franziska Margarete Hoenisch, filming will take place from mid-July to mid-August in Lucerne and the Lake Lucerne region.

The cast of «Superior» has just been presented at the Munich Film Festival, just in time for the start of shooting: Manal Raga a Sabit, Jule Hermann, Jonathan Kriener, Zoe Fürman, Kjell Brutscheidt and Lukas von Horbatschewsky (pictured from left to right) play the students at the exclusive Swiss Hotel Academy Walding (short: SHAW), the best hotel management school in the world!

With head writer Adrian Spring from Lucerne and the Lucerne production company Zodiac Pictures, the series not only brings local work but also our region out into the world. Amazon Prime Video has over 200 million members worldwide – an impressive showcase for Central Switzerland as a film set. Find out more here.

Extras wanted:

Extras are still being sought for «Superior» – men between 18 and 50 years of age are particularly in demand! All information on how to register can be found here.

Children's Short Film in Muotathal SZ

Photo: Lili Kaelin

On a terrace above Illgau at the entrance to the impressive Muotathal, director Noemi Natascha Schneider has found the perfect location for her new short film «Vogel». It is produced by Konafilm from Zurich/London, and filming took place in early June.

Preparations for Feature Film Shoot in Zug

Photo: Lili Kaelin

Comedians Manu Burkart and Jonny Fischer from the cabaret duo Divertimento are filming their first feature film with Condor Films under the direction of Markus Welter. In addition to various interiors, locations in Zug include the alleys and streets of the old town and city centre.

To ensure that filming runs smoothly and with as little disruption as possible, careful preparation involving all persons and agencies concerned is required – the reconnaissance of locations with production managers and the relevant city/municipal authorities is central to this.

In the picture: Alex Biondi, production manager at Condor Films, in conversation with Marco Bischof, project manager for security for the City of Zug, during the site inspection in early June.

Many thanks to all those responsible at the City of Zug for the excellent cooperation!

More information about the film can be found at Condor Films and at SRF.

Swiss Television Films for National August 1st Broadcast

Last week, Swiss television filmed the hosting segments for the national holiday broadcast in and around Lucerne. Presenters Sébastien Pache, Carla Norghauer, Corina Schmed and Sven Epiney were involved – together they represent all four national broadcasters. In the picture, they are enjoying the terrace of the Hotel Montana; we won't reveal where else the four have ended up – see for yourself when the programme airs on 1 August at 8:00 pm on RTS, RSI, RTR and SRF!

Network

New: Partnership with Luzern Hotels

We are extremely pleased about our new partnership with the Luzern Hotels association. The organisation comprises around 75 hotels of all categories in and around Lucerne. Thanks to this valuable partnership, we can arrange particularly favourable conditions for production companies and filmmakers.

Many thanks to the board and all members of Luzern Hotels!

We accompany productions from the initial location search to the hotel booking – get in touch with us early!

Spot on

Here we present people, companies or organisations from the Central Swiss creative industry.

Today we turn the spotlight on Uri:

Trickreich in Altdorf – Studio Umär

Photo: F.X. Brun

Hüünä. Hönnä. Rüüdig. Mega. Umär. – This is the credo of Adrian «Floyk» Flückiger and Cynthia Kaufmann, the two minds behind the Altdorf-based independent studio. Since 2008, the two have been creating animated films, graphic design, illustration and digital art – from independent work to commissioned films, from Vitra advertisements to theatre sequences.

Adrian Flückiger, a native of Uri and Master of Arts from HSLU, is one of Central Switzerland's most prominent animators: his short films have won awards at the Solothurn Film Festival, and in 2010 he received the Culture Prize of the Canton of Uri. As a guest lecturer at HSLU, he passes on his knowledge of stop-motion and puppet animation – and leads animation workshops for everyone who wants to try their hand at it.

More at studio-umaer.ch – and if you are wondering what «Umär» means: you will surely find the answer on your next visit to the Uri region!

Discover

From alpine to urban – and everything in between: Central Switzerland has a great variety of landscapes in a small area as well as unique locations. Today we present a brand-new location:

Titlis Tower, Engelberg OW

Photo: TITLIS Bergbahnen

Hardly opened, the structure is already one of the new landmarks of the Alps: The Titlis Tower was created by repurposing a former transmission tower and was redesigned by the internationally renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron at 3,020 metres above sea level, making it accessible to a tourist audience. The centrepiece is the "Horizon Deck" with a panoramic view of the Alps, glaciers and the Swiss Plateau – below it are a fine-dining restaurant and the highest-altitude Rolex boutique in the world.

Central Switzerland thus has another extraordinary film set at the highest level – both literally and figuratively.

More info and pictures can be found in the location directory on our website.

And finally:

Congratulations, dear Chris Franzen!

Photo: Dominik Wunderli

Our board member Chris Franzen, Managing Director of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, was named "Hotelier of the Year" at the Falstaff Hotel Awards 2026.

With the peace summit last week, he and his resort also made headlines on a completely different level: within less than 48 hours, his team prepared the resort for the historic meeting – a logistical masterpiece that shows what our region is capable of achieving even under extreme time pressure.

We congratulate Chris Franzen and his team on this impressive appearance by Central Switzerland on the world stage!

Best wishes from Lucerne and see you soon in Central Switzerland!

Lili, Erich, Nicole & Michael