Director of Photography shooting narrative, documentary and commercial work.

Marco Barberi grew up in Italy and Winterthur as a classical secondo.

After graduating from high school, he attended the renowned diploma program in photography at the Zurich University of the Arts, which he completed in 1989 with an MFA.

From 1997 he studied cinematography for 2 years at the American Film Institute AFI in Los Angeles and was able to further his education in “Visual Storytelling”.

Since then, Marco has shot films in various countries on three continents, both digitally and on celluloid, in the studio and on location, with state-of-the-art technology and “old-school in camera” tricks, features and documentaries.

The Swiss-Canadian co-production JILL by Steven Hayes earned him a nomination for “Best Cinematography” at the Swiss Film Awards 2023. He has also won 2 EDIs for Best Cinematography on Commercials.

J’ai suivi une formation en image à « l’Institut des Arts de diffusion » (IAD) en Belgique de 1987à 1989.

J’ai travaillé ensuite pendant 10 ans comme assistante caméra sur divers films de fiction et documentaires.

Je suis passée cheffe opératrice en 1998 et j’ai tourné depuis, entre autres choses, plus d’une dizaine de longs métrages de fiction et plus de trente documentaires.

J’ai réalisé également quelques documentaires dont deux long-métrages.

Gabriela Betschart developed her eye for visual storytelling as a graphic designer and deepened it at film schools in Lucerne, Zurich, Munich, and Potsdam with a focus on cinematography. In her work, she passionately seeks the core of a story in order to shape a clear visual language from it. She sees collaboration as a creative dialogue. Her documentary and fiction films have been shown internationally and have received multiple awards. She shares her knowledge and experience as a lecturer at ZHdK. “I’m not interested in shooting new things, I am interested to see things new.” – Ernst Haas (pioneer of color photography). Gabriela Betschart is not drawn to spectacle, but to a fresh gaze – on the seemingly familiar, on people, on stories.

Geboren in Zürich, Studium in Berlin, Filmschaffender in New York

Matthias Bolliger is a Swiss-German cinematographer/DoP, film lecturer & coach, also known under his stage name “le bolligé”. He has been working as a lighting DoP for scenic and documentary productions since 2004. In addition to his award-winning works such as “Chiko”, “4 Blocks”, “PARA - Wir sind King” and “Reeperbahn FD65”, he also teaches at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwisgburg and at the Hamburg Media School. He is a member of the German Film Academy and the Swiss Cinematographers Society (SCS). Matthias is the host of the annual EXPOSURE - Videocast on Visual Storytelling. He lives in Hamburg and Lucerne.

Wichtigste Arbeiten Kamera seit 2012:

„Hebammen – auf die Welt kommen", 2022, Doc Kino, 90 min, Produktion & Realisation: Leila Kühni

„Parallel lives", 2021, Doc Kino, 139 min, Produktion: RecTV, Realisation: Frank Matter

„Der Imker“, 2012, Doc Kino, 90 min, Produktion & Realisation: Mano Khalil

„Von heute auf morgen“, 2012, Doc Kino, 90 min, Produktion: Soap factory, Realisation: FrankMatter

Seit 2014 Mitarbeit im Leitungsteam der Kinemathek Lichtspiel, Bern

2008-2015 Mitglied Begutachtungsausschuss Dokumentarfilm des BAK

Seit 2003 Dozent Film/Video an der Schule für Gestaltung, Bern

Seit 1995 Arbeit als Kameramann, Schwerpunkt Dokumentarfilm

1992-1995 Hauptstudium Film/Video an der ZHdK

1991-1992 16mm- Filmkurs an der Schule für Gestaltung, Bern

After studying at INSAS in Brussels, Joakim Chardonnens now works as director of photography on feature films, documentaries and shorts.

Zahorí, Marí Alessandrini's first feature-length fiction film, won the Pardo 2020 ‘Films after tomorrow’ at the Locarno Film Festival, the Best First Film Award at the India International Film Festival, the Best Cinematography Award at the FAB in Argentina, and has been selected for over 25 film festivals.

Je travaille dans le documentaire depuis 1990. Ma recherche est depuis toujours de me fondre dans une situation pour capter sans artifice ni mise en scène les événements tels qu’ils se déroulent.

I have been working in documentary filmmaking since 1990. My quest has always been to immerse myself in a situation in order to capture events as they unfold without artifice or staging.

Ich habe als Beleuchter beim Film angefangen und habe mein Weg hochgearbeitet über Kameraassistenz, um schlussendlich Director of Photography (Chef-Kamera) zu sein. Seit dem habe ich eine breite Erfahrung im Film erarbeitet. Dazu gehören renommierte internationale Kunden für Werbung, sowie auch im TV-Serien und Kinoformat. Zu meinen Stärken gehört, dass ich ein guter Teamplayer bin und zusammen das Projekt gestalten möchte. Ausserdem habe ich eine tiefe Leidenschaft was Filme angeht. Und all dieses Wissen, lasse ich in meine visuelle Arbeit einfliessen.

*1977, lives in Zurich, graduated in visual communication from the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg in 2006. Works as a freelance cinematographer, writer, director and producer for fiction feature and documentary films since 1999. Co-founder the development and production collective 8horses in Zurich. Nominated for Best Newcomer Cinematography at the Camerimage Festival and winner of Swiss Film Award Best Cinematography for ALOYS by Tobias Nölle, 2017. Member of the Swiss Cinematographers Society.

Born in 1982 in Speicher, Switzerland. From 2001 to 2004, he attended the School of Design in Basel. He works as a freelance cinematographer and director.

As a director of photography, he was responsible for "E1027 - EILEEN GRAY AND THE HOUSE BY THE SEA" by Beatrice Minger and Christoph Schaub, "DIE ANHÖRUNG" by Lisa Gerig, "PRINZESSIN" by Peter Luisi, "ARCHITEKTUR DER UNENDLICHKEIT" by Christoph Schaub, "EL TIEMPO NUBLADO" by Arami Ullon, "EUROPE, SHE LOVES," and "OFF BEAT" by Jan Gassmann.

"OFF BEAT," "EUROPE, SHE LOVES," and "E1027 - EILEEN GRAY AND THE HOUSE BY THE SEA" were each nominated for the Swiss Film Award in the category "Best Cinematography." The documentary "DIE ANHÖRUNG" by Lisa Gerig won the Swiss Film Award for Best Documentary, the Zurich Film Prize, and the Prix Solheure in 2024.

Während ihres Studiums an der École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne und an der Hochschule für Gestaltung Zürich spezialisierte sie sich auf die Kamera. Carlotta Holy-Steinemann arbeitet seit 1999 als Kamerafrau in der Schweiz, in Kirgistan, Jamaika, Indien und anderen Ländern. Sie arbeitet in verschiedenen Genres (Spielfilm, Dokumentarfilm, Animationen und Werbung). Ihr Ansatz, die bestmögliche Aufnahme zu machen, ist eine Kombination aus «regard douce» und «Stamina». Im Jahr 2021 erhielt der Dokumentarfilm „soné“ eine lobende Erwähnung in der „Opera Prima“ der Solothurner Filmtage.

Peter Indergand was born on February 26, 1957, in Crest, France. He graduated from the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles in 1982 with a degree in cinematography. In the following years, Peter Indergand photographed numerous feature films and documentaries worldwide.

His work with Christian Frei played a significant role. His Oscar-nominated film War Photographer received international acclaim, and Peter Indergand was nominated for an Emmy award.

Peter Indergand has received numerous awards for his work as a cinematographer, including the Gold Panda Award at the Sichuan TV Festival, the award for Best Photography at the Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival, the Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and the 2019 Swiss Film Prize.

Born in 1981 in Basel, he discovered his path to cinematography through Visual Communication, studying at the HGK Basel and the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Since 2004, he has been working as a freelance cinematographer, developing a particular passion for documentary storytelling. In 2019, he deepened his narrative approach to cinematography by completing a Master’s degree in Film at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

Der Schweizer Tom Keller, wohnhaft in Berlin, ist bisher vor allem als Kameramann für Spiel- und Dokumentarfilme bekannt. Er ist Mitglied der Swiss Cinematographer Society (SCS) sowie der German Society of Cinematographers (BVK). An der Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) studierte er von 2007 bis 2012 Film und erwarb Kenntnisse in Regie, Schauspielführung und Drehbuchschreiben, bevor er sich auf die Bildgestaltung spezialisierte. Im Jahr 2009 gründete er die Produktionsfirma 24frames GmbH, mit der er zahlreiche Dokumentar- und Werbefilme von der Konzeptentwicklung über das Drehbuch bis zur Umsetzung begleitete. Seit Februar 2024 unterrichtet er Cinematography an der Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf.

Stéphane Kuthy was born in Paris in 1968 and grew up in Switzerland. After studying film at the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL), he worked for several years as a camera assistant. Since then, he has been the director of photography on more than fifteen feature films and over twenty feature documentaries, as well as numerous television productions. His work has received international awards and nominations. Stéphane regularly teaches at film schools and is President of the Swiss Cinematographers Society (SCS).

Kameramann für Spielfilme, Dokumentarfilme und Serien

Gabriel Lobos, born in Basel in 1975, studied at Lodz film school, after completing an MA in Geneva. Since then, he has worked as cinematographer on feature films, fiction series and documentaries. His award-winning films include The Shameless, Apenas El Sol, Raving Iran and Blue My Mind. He was awarded the Swiss Film Prize for best cinematography in Winterthur in 2011 for the short Le Début de la Fin. Swiss Film Award nominations followed in 2018 (Blue My Mind) and 2025 (The Shameless), as well as a nomination for the Deutscher Kamerapreis. In 2021, he received the Zürcher Filmpreis for the cinematography in Apenas El Sol. Between 2020 and 2022 he shot ten episodes of the AppleTV+ series Servant, produced and showrun by M. Night Shyamalan. He is a member of IATSE Local600, SCS and the European Film Academy.

Elia Lyssy wurde 1968 in Zürich geboren. 1988 ging er in die USA und studierte Film an NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Nach Abschluss des Studiums begann er als Kameramann zu arbeiten.

Seit 1997 drehte er verschiedene Projekte in Nord- und Südamerika, Europa, Asien und Afrika.

Elia lebt in Brooklyn und ist immer interessiert neue Leute kennenzulernen und an interessanten Projekten teilzunehmen.

Early on it was clear to her, that both the photographic image and the cinematic moving image, and thus the work behind the camera, would be the common thread of her professional path. After studying film at the ZhdK (CH), she gained experience as an assistant camera on national and international film productions. With her Master in Cinematography from the Film University Babelsberg (D), she established herself as a cinematographer. In 2025 she was awarded with the Grimme Prize for her camera work for the feature documentary «Exil never ends». The focus of her fictional and documentary filmmaking is to create worlds in visual storytelling that touch, encourage, entertain and create connections between cultures, themes and people. She lives in Zurich and Berlin and enjoys working worldwide.

Born and raised in and around Zurich, I have lived in French-speaking Switzerland, more precisely in Lausanne, for more than forty years.

Between 1976 and 1993, I worked as a gaffer on 35 feature films in Switzerland and Europe, in addition to countless commercials, commissioned films and documentaries. My last works as a gaffer were ‘Blue’, “White” and ‘Red’ by Krzysztof Kieslowski. In ‘Red’ I also signed for the 2nd camera.

In 1994 I took the plunge and since then I have shot more than 30 feature and television films in Switzerland and internationally, including Emmanuel Finkiel, Alain Robe-Grillet, Samir, Julius Berg, Jacques Akchoti, Kamal Musale, Ramon y Pedro.

And of course I continue to work for commercials and corporate films.

1964        Geboren in Zürich

1986        Gründungsmitglied der Videowerkstatt Zürich

1992-95  Studium an der Hochschule für Gestaltung. Studienbereich Film /Video ZHdK

Seit 1995  Freischaffender Kameramann in Spiel-, Dokumentar-, und Werbefilmen 

Seit 2005  Dozent für Licht- und Bildgestaltung an der ZHdK

Seit 2015  Professur für Bildgestaltung an der ZHdK

Lorenz Merz, SCS (1981, Zurich) award-winning cinematographer, director and writer. Formed in music, painting and photography before studying film in Zurich and Buenos Aires. His works – One Day and Nothing, Cherry Pie, Chrieg, Summer Games and Soul of a Beast – screened at major A-list festivals as Locarno, Venice, Toronto, San Sebastián, among others, received numerous awards, including the Silver Leopard and twelve nominations at the Swiss Film Awards. Soul of a Beast received eight nominations and won four prizes. Summer Games was Switzerland’s official entry for the 2012 Oscars. Merz’s cinematography has earned him three Swiss Film Awards and multiple selections at Camerimage. He is a member of the Swiss Cinematographers Society, the Swiss Film Academy and the European Film Academy. He lives between Palermo, Zurich and Paris.

Leandro Monti is a Swiss-Argentine Director of Photography, based in Lausanne, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After ten years of experience as a first assistant on numerous Swiss and International fiction films, he began his adventure as a cinematographer in 2011. He has over 20 fiction and documentary films.

Greg Pedat débute comme électricien sur des films à l’âge de 17ans. Après quelques années d’expérience, il accède au rang de Chef Electricien (Gaffer). Il acquière alors une très bonne connaissance de la lumière en travaillant aux côtés de grands Directeurs de la Photographie de renommés internationales tel que : Edouardo Serra ASC - AFC, Tim Morris-Johns ASC, Renato Berta AFC.

En 2006, il tourne son premier long métrage ¨Motel¨ en tant que Directeur de la Photographie, ce qui lui permet d’exploiter son talent. Fort de ce premier essai, il se fait rapidement remarqué par de nombreux réalisateurs dont, Jean-Luc Godard qui pense à lui pour son film ¨Film : Socialisme ¨.  Ils ne collaboreront finalement pas ensemble, mais il garde un très bon souvenir de ces discussion sur la préparation du film durant plusieurs semaines.

Gabriel Sandru (*1974 in Rumänien) ist ein in Zürich ansässiger Kameramann mit internationaler Tätigkeit. Er studierte Film/Video an der Zürcher Hochschule der Künste sowie an der Universität für Theater und Film „I. L. Caragiale“ in Bukarest. Zu seinen bedeutenden Kameraarbeiten zählen „Electric Child“ (2024), „Polvo serán“ (2024), „Azor“ (2022), „Semret“ (2020), „Al-Shafaq – When heaven divides” (2018), “The idea of a Lake” (2015) und „Köpek“ (2014). Gabriel Sandru wurde mehrfach für den Schweizer Filmpreis in der Kategorie „Beste Kamera“ nominiert und war 2022 für den Oscar als „Bester Live-Action-Kurzfilm“ für „Ala-Kachuu“ nominiert. 2013 gründete er mit Freunden die Zürcher Filmproduktionsfirma 8horses. 2025 gewann er den Schweizer Filmpreis in der Kategorie „Beste Kamera“ für „Electric Child“.

Michael Saxer grew up in the Peruvian Amazon and lived there until his early teens. After high school, he studied film and history at the University of Zurich. At the same time, he began to gain his first experience on film sets in various departments. In 1997, he began studying film production at the Zurich University of the Arts, which he completed succesfully in 2002. His final project ‘Joshua’ was entered directly into the student competition at the Camerimage Festival in Lodz in 2003. Saxer continued to deepen his knowledge during a masterclass in cinematography at the National Film & Television School PWSTiF in Lodz, Poland. He has then been working as Director of Photography since 2004.

Timon Schäppi, born in Zurich, is a Swiss cinematographer based in Zurich and Berlin. He studied at the Film University Babelsberg "Konrad Wolf".

His debut "Love Steaks" developed within the FOGMA collective won all major awards at Filmfest München, received the Max Ophüls Prize and a German Film Award nomination. He further collaborated with dir. Jakob Lass on "Tiger Girl" and "So was von da".

TV credits include "Eichwald, MdB", "4 Blocks" (S2, dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel), and two Tatort episodes. His Swiss debut "Spagat" premiered in San Sebastián. Recent works include "Die Liebesgeschichten der Liv S." and "Davos 1917", a high-end WWI series acclaimed for its visual style.

He also shoots commercials and recently worked on the children’s feature "Der Prank – April, April!". He is a member of SCS and the German Film Academy.

Er wurde in den 70-iger Jahren mit einer Super8 Kamera in der Hand geboren. Seitdem lernt er Neues dazu. Derzeit beschäftigt er sich mit der Wirkung von Farben auf Mensch und Tier und der Verarbeitung von Bildern und Bildfolgen im Gehirn des Menschen. Im Vorfeld dazu hat er sich alles über die passende framerate beigebracht. Am liebsten überführt er Sprache und Visionen in Bildfolgen.

Mit 16 Jahren kaufte ich meine erste Videokamera und habe seitdem nie aufgehört, die Welt durch eine Linse zu betrachten.

Nachdem ich 1998 mein Regiediplom an der Filmschule Davi/Ecal in Lausanne, Schweiz, erworben hatte, setzte ich meine Arbeit als Kameramann weltweit fort.

Regisseure kennenzulernen, ihre Ideen weiterzuentwickeln, neue visuelle Herausforderungen anzugehen, um ihre Geschichte zu erzählen, und Erfahrungen auszutauschen, sind meine Hauptantriebe.

Gaëtan Varone was born in 1977 in the mountains in the district of Savièse (Switzerland). He moved to Zurich in 1989. After high school, he worked as a lighting technician and camera assistant. From 2007, he studied cinematography at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. “Schwarzer Panther” is his graduation film at the dffb and was nominated for the FIRST STEPS Award. In 2014 he received his diploma as Director of Photography and in the following years he worked on various cinema and television productions. In 2019 he was accepted into the Swiss Cinematographers Society.

*1963 Fotografenausbildung ICP New York - UNI Zürich abgebrochenes Soziologiestudium. Praktikum Cinerent Filmequipment Service. 7Jahre Focuspuller. Seit 1991 Kameramann auf Spiel- und Dokumentarfilmen.

Awards:

Nominationen Schweizer Filmpreis für beste Kamera "Eine wien jig - der Dällenbach Kari" und " Die Schwarzen Brüder". Schweizer Filmpreis für Beste Kamera für "Schellenursli". Nominiert golden Frog Camerimage Torun "Bis wir tot sind oder frei"

Seine Faszination fürs Licht, jenes der Landschaften und der Gesichter, für bewegte Bilder und bewegende Geschichten, führten Thomas Wüthrich zum Beruf des Filmemachers. Und speziell zur Kameraarbeit.

Er ist in Zürich geboren und aufgewachsen. Studierte Rechtswissenschaften an der Universität Zürich und die Grundlagen des Filmemachens an der London International Film School. Er lebt heute am Genfersee, in Chardonne.

​Er hat mit so unterschiedlichen Regisseurinnen und Regisseuren gearbeitet, wie Jacqueline Veuve, Dominique Othenin-Girard, Dominique de Rivaz, Fernand Melgar, Michael Huber, Mike Eschmann und Martin Guggisberg.

A graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, Pietro shoots films all over the world, from the United States to Europe and India.

He is a member of the European and Swiss Academies.

With 25 years of experience, he is considered one of Switzerland's most experienced directors of photography.

In addition to being a director of photography, Pietro has several projects in the pipeline as a Director, including ‘Cherubs’, shot in 2024, and ‘Grave’, in preparation for 2025.

Schon früh entdeckte Filip seine Leidenschaft für Kameras und Fotografie. Nach der Matura 1989 entschied er sich für eine Laufbahn in der Filmbranche. Ab 1992 arbeitete er als erster Kameraassistent und Focus Puller bei unzähligen Werbe-, Corporate, Dokumentar- und Spielfilmen. Seit 2001 ist er als freischaffender Kameramann tätig und wurde mehrfach mit Schweizer Filmpreisen ausgezeichnet. Auch international erhielt er viel Anerkennung für seine Arbeiten. Er ist Mitglied der Europäischen Filmakademie und der Schweizer Filmakademie.

Entered the industry by working at Schwarz Filmtechnik (film lab), Berne, for two years. Started at Condor Films, Zurich as a clapper loader. Advanced by being a focus puller, a 1st AC and a camera operator. His mentors were, among others, Andreas Demmer, Martin A. Fueter, Gerry Fisher BSC, Tony Richmond BSC / ASC. Left Condor Films after 4 years.

Started working as a freelancer in the year 1970 on long format films directed by Wolfgang Panzer („The bookfair murders“, „Baba’s song“, „The bridge“), Bruno Moll („Gente di mare“), Mark M. Rissi („The black spider“), Jacqueline Veuve, Ferry Radax, Peter Hamm, Michael Baier.

Co-founder of the SCS and president from 2004 to 2014.

Piotr Jaxa, SCS/PSC is a Swiss-Polish cinematographer and photographer graduated from the Polish National Film School in Lodz. He worked as Director of Photography on a range of fictional and documentary films worldwide. Simultaneously he has been active as a freelance photographer, specialising in film-stills and editorial photography. Following his collaboration with Krzysztof Kieslowski on the trilogy "Blue", "White" & "Red", he prepared an exhibition entitled "Remembering Krzysztof" which has been touring the world since 1994. He is also the author of a series of photographic books. Since 1995, he has been working on a new book and exhibition project entitled "Cinematographers" - a collection of portraits of DoP's from around the world. Since 2019 he is living in Poland and working as freelancer photographer and cinematographer.

Rainer Klausmann began his career in the 1970s. Early on, he worked as a camera assistant with renowned cinematographers and was involved in major productions such as Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo.” As a cinematographer, he helped shape numerous visually striking films in collaboration with outstanding directors. Among his most important works are “Gegen die Wand” (2004), “Der Untergang” (2004), “Der Baader Meinhof Komplex” (2008), and “Aus dem Nichts” (2016). For his achievements, Klausmann was honored with the Adolf-Grimme-Preis, the Deutscher Filmpreis in Gold, and awards at Camerimage and the Manaki Brothers Camera Film Festival. In 2024, he received the «Ehrenpreis des Deutschen Kamerapreises».

Born in Vevey. Attended primary and secondary school in Vevey. Admitted to the Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne in 1961. Earned a drawing teacher's diploma in 1966. Spent time in Paris and Etretat. Settled in Lausanne in 1967 and taught drawing at the Elysée school until 1971. Bought a 16mm camera and became interested in the cinematic image. Made a few films with artist friends. Followed internships and on-the-job training as camera assistant for ten years. From 1980 onwards, director of photography for around fifty documentaries and fiction films (working with Jacqueline Veuve, Alain Tanner, Jean-François Amiguet among others), as well some commercial films. Received several film awards, including a César in 1997 for my work on the film Microcosmos. Free from professional commitments since 2009, I now dedicate myself fully to painting.

Reinhard Schatzmann, Director of Photography

Born in Windisch in 1952. Primary and secondary school in Windisch. At the age of 12, he made his first short films on Super 8. From 1969 to 1972, he trained as a photographer, and from 1973 to 1974, he trained as a cameraman at Swiss Television.

Since then, director of photography on over a hundred documentaries and feature films for Swiss television. Since 1996, freelance feature film productions with renowned directors in Germany and Switzerland.

Director and cinematographer on his own documentary film productions.

Since 2009, development of a small winery with award-winning wines.

Roli Schmid, born in 1955, grew up in Möriken, Canton Aargau, where he completed primary and secondary school. After completing a photographer apprenticeship in Olten and various freelance photography jobs, he began his first film experiences at Büro Cortesi in Biel. This was followed by a 10-year permanent position at Condorfilm, where, after solid basic training, his first work as a DoP followed in 1985. Since 1988, Roli Schmid has worked as a freelance DoP.