Schiwago Film

Name

Schiwago Film

Legal name

Schiwago Film GmbH

Website

https://schiwagofilm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live-Action TV Movies, Miniseries & Specials Production (MPADABAD), Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)

Keywords

• Feature film production
• Television series production
• International co-productions
• Broadcast commissions
• Festival distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Feature Film Production: Production of theatrical feature films for cinema distribution, including award-winning productions like A Coffee in Berlin (2012), STYX (2018), LARA (2019), and international co-productions like INSIDE (2023) and AMERICA (2021). Revenue generated through theatrical distribution, festival screenings, and subsequent licensing.
2. TV Film and Series Production: Production of TV films and series for German broadcasters including ZDF. Notable productions include the OSTFRIESLANDKRIMIS series, TATORT, FLUSS DES LEBENS series, and other TV movies. Revenue generated through commission from broadcasters and subsequent broadcast licensing rights.
3. Festival and Award Revenue: Revenue opportunities through festival participation, awards, and associated recognition that enhance film value and distribution prospects. Films have won multiple international festival awards.
4. Co-production Services: Partnership-based production services for international co-productions, working with partners across Europe including INSIDE (2023) and AMERICA (2021).

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Schiwago Film GmbH is a Berlin-based film and television production company that develops and produces theatrical feature films, TV films, and series. The company's television division produces commissioned content primarily for German public broadcaster ZDF, including the long-running Ostfrieslandkrimis crime series, while its cinema division produces award-winning feature films for theatrical release and international co-productions.

Product overview

Schiwago Film GmbH is a Berlin-based film production company founded in 2000 by Martin Lehwald and Michal Pokorny, with Marcos Kantis joining as partner in 2007. The company operates as both a cinema film producer and television production house. Its cinema portfolio includes award-winning feature films such as A Coffee in Berlin (Oh Boy) (2012), Muxmäuschenstill (2004), LARA (2019), STYX (2018), Inside (2023), and international co-productions including America (2021), Toubab (2021), and Layla M. (2016). The television division produces the popular Ostfriesland crime series (Ostfriesenkrimis) for ZDF based on Klaus-Peter Wolf novels, the Fluss des Lebens anthology series, and Tatort episodes. The company focuses on ambitious, sophisticated material with a commitment to young director talent development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A Coffee in Berlin (Oh Boy) 2012 feature film following a young law school dropout drifting through Berlin; Schiwago's greatest commercial success to date, distributed theatrically in Germany and internationally.
• Ostfrieslandkrimis (Ostfriesland Crime Series) A long-running series of television crime films based on novels by Klaus-Peter Wolf, featuring detective Ann Kathrin Klaasen, part of the ZDF television film programming slate.
• Fluss des Lebens (River of Life) Television film anthology series exploring personal journeys along famous rivers worldwide, produced for ZDF.
• Tatort German crime drama television series produced for various public broadcasters.
• INSIDE 2023 international co-production directed by Vasilis Katsoupis, starring Willem Dafoe, awarded Best Director at Sofia International Film Festival.
• LARA 2019 feature film starring Corinna Harfouch about a mother on her son's concert day, winning multiple German Film Awards.
• STYX Award-winning 2018 feature film in Schiwago's international co-production portfolio.
• AMERICA 2021 international co-production as part of Schiwago's global market expansion.
• Layla M. 2016 Dutch-German co-production about a Muslim girl's radicalization, winner of Jury Special Prize at Philadelphia Film Festival 2016 and Audience Award at Les Arcs 2017.
• Muxmäuschenstill 2004 satirical comedy about a self-appointed do-gooder pursuing minor offenders in Berlin, winning multiple awards including German Film Award for Best Editing and Max Ophüls Preis Best Film Award.
• Toubab Internationally acclaimed and award-winning feature film in Schiwago's portfolio.
• Manifesto 2015 feature film installation by Julian Rosefeldt starring Cate Blanchett, presented at Nationalgalerie Hamburg Bahnhof.
• Danke für Nichts (Thanks for Nothing) 2025 feature film by Stella Marie Markert about four friends in a sheltered housing project, currently streaming on ZDF Mediathek.
• Ostfriesensturm (Ostfriesen Storm) 2026 ZDF television film in the Ostfriesland crime series based on Klaus-Peter Wolf's novels, directed by Marcus O. Rosenmüller.
• Der Prag-Krimi (Prague Crime Series) Crime television film series set in Prague.
• Matröshki

Quantifiable outcome

• A Coffee in Berlin became company's greatest success to date (2012)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for productions like Danke für Nichts. Film school collaboration providing emerging talent support and academic production resources.
• ZDF - Das kleine FernsehspielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary broadcaster co-producer for TV films. Commissioned productions including Danke für Nichts and INSIDE.
• Klaus-Peter WolfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthor providing source material for OSTFRIESENSTURM based on his novel series.
• Young Talent Foundation BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner supporting emerging talent development for productions like Danke für Nichts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UFA Fiction: Largest German TV and cinema production house; part of UFA/Bertelsmann. Competes with Schiwago for prime-time German broadcaster commissions (Tatort, ZDF, ARD) but operates at substantially greater scale and across more genres.
• Tobis Film: Long-standing German film production and distribution company handling theatrical releases and broadcaster co-productions. Comparable in the German theatrical-distribution channel used by Schiwago's cinema films, though at substantially larger scale.
• Constantin Film: Major German production and distribution company producing cinema and TV, including Tatort and event films. Competes with Schiwago in the German theatrical and TV commission space but at substantially larger scale.
• Studio Babelsberg: One of Germany's oldest and largest film studios, producing theatrical features and international co-productions. Comparable in the international co-production space (e.g., INSIDE-type projects) but with substantially greater resources and slate scale.
• Studio Hamburg Production: Established Hamburg-based production company producing cinema features, television series, and broadcaster commissions for German public channels. Comparable genre mix (crime, drama) and broadcaster focus, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Wiedemann & Berg Film: Munich-based independent German film and series producer producing both theatrical features and high-end television, including international co-productions. Closely comparable to Schiwago in scale, mixed cinema/TV slate, and quality positioning.
• Polyphon Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft: Mid-size independent German production company producing television films and crime series for public broadcasters, including ZDF. Comparable to Schiwago in production volume, broadcaster dependency, and crime/TV genre focus.
• Beta Film: Munich-based independent German producer and international distributor with strong co-production and broadcaster relationships. Highly comparable to Schiwago in the co-production-financing-and-international-distribution model.
• X Filme Creative Pool: Berlin-based independent German film production company of similar boutique scale, producing premium cinema and television with international co-production capability. Highly comparable to Schiwago; notably, Marcos Kantis worked at X Filme Creative Pool as Herstellungsleiter (2001-2006) before joining Schiwago.
• Network Movie Film- und Fernsehproduktion: Hamburg-based mid-size German production company producing crime series and TV films for ZDF and ARD. Closely comparable to Schiwago in ZDF crime-franchise production (similar genre profile to OSTFRIESLANDKRIMIS).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/schiwagofilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schiwago Film