Overview
trigon-film is a Swiss non-profit film distribution company and home entertainment label founded in 1988 and based in Ennetbaden, near Zurich. The company is located at Limmatauweg 9, 5408 Ennetbaden, with phone contact at +41 56 430 12 30. trigon-film distributes cinema from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe in Switzerland, four regions whose films are systematically underrepresented in European theatrical distribution. The company's non-profit status reflects its mandate as a cultural rather than purely commercial operation.
trigon-film releases 12 to 17 films per year in the Swiss theatrical market, distributing across German-speaking, French-speaking, and Italian-speaking Switzerland through partnerships with arthouse cinemas and cultural venues. The company released 17 films in 2024, 12 films in 2025, and has 11 films scheduled for 2026. Its DVD and Blu-ray label has produced over 100 editions of films from the global south and Eastern Europe, creating one of the most extensive home video archives of world cinema available in Europe.
The company's geographic focus specifically excludes European and North American films that dominate Swiss theatrical distribution, creating a catalog that represents a genuine alternative to the mainstream theatrical market. trigon-film is the only Swiss distributor specializing exclusively in cinema from these regions.
Distribution Model
trigon-film distributes theatrically in Switzerland through partnerships with arthouse cinemas and cultural venues across all three language regions (German-speaking, French-speaking, and Italian-speaking). The company handles its own Swiss theatrical marketing and publicity, including subtitle production in German and French (and sometimes Italian).
The company maintains a traditional theatrical window stance. Theatrical exposure comes first, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases through the trigon-film home entertainment label, and then digital availability through the company's streaming platform. This sequential release pattern prioritizes cinema attendance and physical media collecting, consistent with the company's cultural mission.
The company's non-profit structure allows it to release films that would not be commercially viable for a profit-seeking distributor. This extends the range of global cinema available to Swiss audiences beyond what market forces alone would support. The funding model includes support from Swiss federal cultural agencies, cantonal cultural funds, and membership subscriptions. This mixed funding base provides stability that commercial distributors lack, allowing trigon-film to maintain its programming focus across decades without being driven by box office performance alone.
trigon-film also operates a streaming platform for its catalog, making films from the global south and Eastern Europe available digitally to Swiss audiences. This platform complements the theatrical and physical media operations rather than replacing them.
Example Titles They've Released
trigon-film's catalog spans 38 years of cinema from underrepresented regions. Representative titles include:
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof, 2024) - Cannes 2024 Special Jury Prize. Iran, Germany, France co-production. Swiss theatrical release February 2025. Germany's official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards.
- Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (2024) - Documentary about the South African photographer, premiered at Cannes 2024. Swiss theatrical release April 2025.
- Agent of Happiness (2025) - Documentary from Bhutan. Swiss theatrical release March 2025.
- Where the Wind Comes From (Amel Guellaty, 2025) - Tunisia, France, Qatar co-production. 99 minutes. Swiss theatrical release September 2025.
- All That's Left of You (2025) - Palestinian cinema. Swiss theatrical release November 2025.
- Love on Trial (Koji Fukada, 2025) - Japan, 124 minutes. About a J-Pop idol bound to a system of strict rules.
- Palestine 36 (Annemarie Jacir, 2025) - Palestine, 119 minutes. Set during the British Mandate period. Palestine's official Oscar submission. Tokyo Grand Prix Best Film. 20-minute standing ovation at TIFF 2025.
- The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonca Filho, 2025) - Brazil, 160 minutes. Premiered at Cannes 2025.
- DJ Ahmet (Georgi M. Unkovski, 2025) - North Macedonia. Sundance 2025 World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award winner.
- All We Imagine as Light (2024) - Indian cinema.
- The Story of Souleymane (2024)
- The Village Next to Paradise (2024)
- Confidante (2024)
Earlier catalog titles include Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas, 2007) and films from across the company's 38-year history.
Deal Structure Reputation
trigon-film structures deals as modest MG-based acquisitions for Swiss territorial rights, often combined with all-media rights for Switzerland. The company's non-profit model means MGs are significantly lower than commercial distributors.
MGs typically range from $1,000 to $5,000 for Swiss rights. The company provides genuine theatrical exposure and long-term catalog support through its DVD and streaming platforms. For filmmakers whose priority is reaching Swiss audiences rather than maximizing short-term revenue, trigon-film offers a distribution pathway that commercial distributors cannot match for films from underrepresented regions.
The company handles subtitles in German and French (and sometimes Italian), local marketing, and theatrical booking across Swiss arthouse venues. After the theatrical run, films enter the trigon-film DVD and Blu-ray catalog, which has produced over 100 editions. Select titles also become available on the company's streaming platform.
The non-profit funding model means trigon-film can acquire films on cultural and artistic grounds rather than purely commercial ones. A film with strong critical credentials and genuine cultural significance from an underrepresented territory can find Swiss distribution through trigon-film even if its commercial potential is limited.
Typical Acquisition Profile
trigon-film acquires films from four specific geographic regions:
- African cinema from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the francophone African tradition
- Asian cinema from Iran, India, South Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, and other territories
- Latin American cinema from Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and beyond
- Eastern European cinema from territories including Bulgaria, Romania, and the Balkans
The company also acquires documentary features from the global south engaging political, social, and cultural subjects. The programming explicitly excludes European and North American films that dominate Swiss theatrical distribution.
trigon-film acquires films at IDFA, Locarno (whose Swiss location gives it natural access to the festival), Cannes, Berlin, and through relationships with international sales agents and directly from filmmakers and national film institutes from the regions it focuses on. The company also acquires titles that have premiered at smaller festivals and have strong critical reception but limited commercial profile.
The company does not maintain a formal open submissions process, but filmmakers from target regions can approach trigon-film directly through film@trigon-film.org. The company evaluates projects on cultural and artistic grounds rather than purely commercial ones, reflecting its non-profit mandate.
Recent Slate and Acquisition Activity
trigon-film's 2025 and 2026 theatrical releases demonstrate the company's geographic and programming range:
2025 releases (12 films):
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (February 2025) - Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran
- Agent of Happiness (March 2025) - Documentary from Bhutan
- Gou zhen (April 2025) - Chinese cinema
- Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (April 2025) - South African documentary
- Where the Wind Comes From (September 2025) - Tunisia
- All That's Left of You (November 2025) - Palestine
- Love on Trial - Japan, Koji Fukada
- Palestine 36 - Palestine, Annemarie Jacir
- The Secret Agent - Brazil, Kleber Mendonca Filho
- DJ Ahmet - North Macedonia, Georgi M. Unkovski
- On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
- Mother - North Macedonia, Teona Strugar Mitevska
2026 upcoming releases (11 films):
- A Sad and Beautiful World (August 20, 2026) - Lebanon, Cyril Aris, 110 minutes
- Salvation (September 10, 2026) - Turkey, Emin Alper, 120 minutes
- The Dreamed Adventure (October 29, 2026) - Bulgaria, Valeska Grisebach, 167 minutes
- Congo Boy (November 26, 2026) - Central African Republic, Rafiki Fariala, 91 minutes
- Tina - New Zealand, Miki Magasiva, 124 minutes
- We Are All Strangers - Singapore, Anthony Chen, 157 minutes
- A Girl Unknown - China, Jing Zou, 125 minutes
- No Good Men - Afghanistan, Shahrbanoo Sadat, 103 minutes
- Komedie Elahi (March 2026)
- Promised Sky (April 2026) - Tunisia, Erige Sehiri
- Kokuho - The Master of Kabuki (February 2026)
DVD and Blu-ray Archive
trigon-film's DVD and Blu-ray catalog is one of the most significant collections of global south and Eastern European cinema on physical media in Europe. Over 100 films from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe are available through the label, often as the only European physical media editions of films that were not commercially distributed on home video by any other company.
The DVD archive includes films from across the company's 38-year history, with editions that frequently include bonus materials, essays, and restored transfers. For cinephile audiences and academic institutions, the trigon-film DVD catalog is a primary resource for accessing world cinema that is otherwise unavailable on European home video. The company continues to produce new DVD and Blu-ray editions alongside its theatrical releases.
New home cinema releases include Promised Sky (Erige Sehiri, Tunisia, 2025), Mother (Teona Strugar Mitevska, North Macedonia, 2025), and Where the Wind Comes From (Amel Guellaty, Tunisia, 2025).
Watch: Trailers and Interviews
What Filmmakers Should Know
For filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe seeking Swiss theatrical distribution, trigon-film is the primary specialist contact. The company's non-profit mandate and cultural mission make it more accessible for films without obvious commercial appeal than commercial distributors would be. trigon-film acquires films at IDFA, Locarno, Cannes, Berlin, and through relationships with international sales agents and directly from filmmakers and national film institutes. The company also acquires titles that have premiered at smaller festivals and have strong critical reception but limited commercial profile. For filmmakers whose work has premiered at a major festival and comes from one of trigon-film's target regions, the company is a realistic and appropriate distribution partner for the Swiss market. trigon-film typically acquires Swiss theatrical rights and all-media rights for Switzerland, handling subtitles in German and French (and sometimes Italian), local marketing, and theatrical booking across Swiss arthouse venues. Deal structures reflect the non-profit model: MGs are modest, typically ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for Swiss rights, but the company provides genuine theatrical exposure and long-term catalog support through its DVD and streaming platforms. Contact: film@trigon-film.org, +41 56 430 12 30.
See Also
For how non-profit and publicly supported distributors serve films that commercial markets underserve, see Distribution Deals Explained. For an overview of world cinema distribution specialists across different territories, see the broader Film Distributors Directory. To model the revenue from a multi-territory distribution strategy that includes small-market non-profit distributors, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For how festival premieres at Locarno and Cannes drive international distribution for global south cinema, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue.
