Hans Syz is new majority shareholder of Condor Films
Effective January 1, 2020, Hans Syz, a Swiss film producer and former owner of Turnus Film, has joined the film production company Condor Films as a producer and majority shareholder. The existing shareholders will remain minority shareholders. With this move, Switzerland’s oldest film production company aims to continue and strengthen its legacy as a producer of high-quality feature films.
Condor Films was founded in 1947 by Heinrich Fueter and has produced over 2000 commercials and commissioned films as well as 55 feature films in the past 72 years.
Hans Syz, who worked for several years as a DOP in Germany and abroad, has a long relationship with Condor Films. He became a member of the management team as early as 1988. A year later, Syz was given the opportunity to take over Turnus Film and developed the company into an internationally active commercial film production company.
With the acquisition of Condor Films, Hans Syz, who parted ways with Turnus Film in summer 2019, sees great potential to expand the production company's national and international presence. "I would like to return Condor Films to its core business, namely the production of high-quality feature and TV films."
Brand expansion
Already, several projects are in the pipeline. "Among other things, we are developing two TV series, several comedies and arthouse films, including again with Michael Steiner," says Syz. "I have the ambition to make Switzerland's oldest film production company fit for its eighth decade." To do so, Syz wants to rely on collaborations with renowned filmmakers, but also offer opportunities to young talents.
That's why a film hub for film-related companies is to be created in the listed Studio Bellerive on Zurich's Kreuzstrasse. "Our vision is to open up the historic space of Condor Films as a co-working space to other companies along the entire value chain of creation, production, marketing and distribution," says Syz.
Condor Corporate as an independent company
The existing non-feature division of Condor Films will also be based at Studio Bellerive and bundled into the economically independent Condor Corporate Films. FaroTV, until now a 100 percent subsidiary of Condor Films, will operate independently and work closely with the other two companies.
Managing Director Markus Röthl: "We are very excited about the new owner, as it fits perfectly with the history of Condor Films. In this constellation, we can strengthen and further expand our service portfolio in the fictional area and in commissioned films."
