1969
Short Doc Film

ZURICH

writer-director-producer; silent; 5 min.; Super-8; documentary.
An improvised documentary about the city life of my home town Zurich, in 1969.

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My very first film experience,  at the  incredible age of eight, was shot in one afternoon - completely on my own - after my dear Uncle Otto Steinmann had introduced the basic of his Super-8 Camera he lent to me. 

A gem of a natural look back to the late 60s.

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1974
Short Experimental Film

DIE WELT STEHT KOPF

writer-director-producer; silent 11 min.; Super-8; experimental-fantasy.
A man experiences awkward happenings in his home town Zurich.  An experimental jouney through various possible camera-tricks .
- Awarded in the 1st Swiss Youth Film Festival (Sept 18, 1976).

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1975

Short  Crime -Thriller Film

DIE TÜRE ('The Door')

writer-director-producer; silent; 13 min.; Super-8; crime thriller.
A robber hides the haul in his door only to loose it quickly again as he is visited by burglars who just break in through this very door - easy come, easy go.

- Broadcasted in Swiss national TV, along an interview and reviewed by Academy Award nominee Markus Imhoof (aired on April 10, 1976).

- Awarded in the 1st Swiss Youth Film Festival  (Sept 18, 1976).

- First prize in the film competition of the Swiss association of Photo and Film (Jan 19, 1976).

 

​​`Die Türe` marked my first feature based on a detailed script.  As the only film savvy, I executed all behind-the-camera duties, while the cast was recruited from within many motivated high school mates - two  of the recuring in the next 4, respective 3 films were renowned professors Peter Bürgisser, in math, and Andre Bellmont, in music.

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1976
Short Comedy Feature

DIE ZWEI VOM KLUB  ('The Two from the Club')

writer-director-producer; silent; 18 min.; Super-8; crime farce-comedy.
A hold up on a local grocery store is thwated  by two members of an amateur detective club.
- Awarded in 1st Swiss Youth Film Festival (Sept 18, 1976).

 

Thanks to the incredible location of school mate Thomas Krebs` family grocery store, this heist-comedy is naturally augmented in production value.

 

 

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1977

Short Feature Film

THE VELORALLYE OF SWITZERLAND

writer-director-producer; sound; 25 min.; Super-8; slapstick-adventure-farce.
Zany characters on zany bycicles compete in a turbulent rallye across Switzerland.  
- Awarded in the 2nd Swiss Youth Film Festival  (Sept 17, 1977).

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Inspired by Monte Carlo or Bust!

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1977
Short Prank Film

Unternehmen Röbi `U.R.`

writer-director-producer; silent; ca. 4 min.; Super-8; documentary.
Prank with High school-Teacher Robert `Röbi` Frei due to his seemingly unjustified bullying:   The front wheel of the teacher`s bycicle was mounted 5 meters up at a fence  - thus he had to climb up to retrieve it.

 

Presented as a `surprise`after the official showing in the high school, in fornt of the assembled two classes (nearly 60 students).

This Candid- Camera Prank-Film marked the first of several, a I was hired to do them for weddings (on at least two such occasions in the 1980`s) and another one for my father`s 50th birthday in 1987.

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1977
Short Doc Film

DIE MASCHINENTIERE  ('The Machine Animals');

writer-director-producer; sound; Swiss-German/High-German; 22 min.; Super-8; documentary.
Analysis of large-scale animal husbandry compared to the ordinary old fashioned farming.
- First prize of the Swiss Animal Rescue Association (CHF 1'000.00;  Sept 17, 1977).

- Awarded in 2nd Swiss Youth Film Festival  (Sept 17, 1977).

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Shot during my summer-holidays of 1977 at the large `classic` farms of two of my uncles, and in an emergency butchery.  The film was narrated by well-voiced class-mate Eva Wurzer.

The impact of this reality picture was as  immense that my sister Nicole became vegetarian ever since.  And with the wife of TV-executive Büchi getting sick after the showing , the film was deemed to shocking to be aired on TV. 

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1977

Short Disaster Film

DIE FLUTKATASTROPHE  ('The Flood Disaster')

writer-director-producer; sound; Swiss-German, 15 min., Normal-8; disaster-drama. Watch the entire Film.
The dam of the Sihlsee, situated 50 km from Zurich, collapses due to an earthquake.  In less than one hour a good part of the metropolis  of one million is flooded.  Fictional film based on real threat. 
- Broadcasted in first national Swiss TV, along with a lengthy interview with me (Nov 4, 1978).

- First prize in 2nd Swiss Youth Film Festival (Sept 17, 1977).

- Awarded 'Silver Scissors' for editing by the association Swiss amateur filmmakers (Jan 21, 1978).

- Subject on a half-page article in Switzerland largest newspaper BLICK (Sept 13, 1977).

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Inspired by the wave of the genre from Hollywood, I knew about the test alarms in Zurich. - The FX on real film quite a challenge from within my student budget of about CHF 200.00.  Though my craftly friend Heinz Zürcher put up a model, after our life research on the real dam where we drove with our mopeds. - The finished film envied quite a lot of seasoned colleagues.

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1978
Short Doc Film

EIN TAG IN DER TIERARZTPRAXIS ('One day in the Veterinary')

writer-director-producer; Swiss-German; 20 min.; Super-8; documentary.
Reportage about the life of city-based pets and their owners on the occasion of their visit at the veterinary.
- Second time in a row: First prize of the Swiss animal Rescue Association (CHF 1'000.00; Sept 9, 1978).

- Awarded in 3rd Swiss Youth Film Festival  (Sept 9, 1978).

 

1978
Short Doc Film

RANDGRUPPEN DER GESELLSCHAFT?

writer-director-producer; Swiss-German; 12 min; Super-8; report.

Commissioned work by the catholic Church 'Heilig Kreuz' in Zurich-Altstetten.
Analysis of a residential home for mentally disabled and its question about their place in society. 

 

 
 

 

 

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1978/79

Film Project

KREBS! (Cancer!)

writer; original full-length feature-screenplay; High-German; disaster-drama.
While the wife of the Chief of Police of Zurich fights a life threatening cancer, her husband has to fight a crab mutating into a huge monster due to environnemental poisening (the German word for 'cancer' signifies a double meaning, the illness but as well the animal).

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1980
Screenplay 

DER ALPTRAUM  (The Nightmare)

writer; original full-length feature-screenplay, High-German; parody.
In the Swiss alps are several signatory scenes of the James Bond-series parodied.

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1982
Short Film 

LA FALAISE

writer-director-producer; 7 min; Super-8; documentary.
Impressions from the northcoast of France, scored by Francis Lai's 'Bilitis'. 

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1981/82
Teleplay 

DIE 1234. TV-SENDUNG "WAS BIN ICH?"  (The 1234. edition of the TV-quiz show "What's my profession?")

writer; original teleplay; 45 min.; High-German; parody.
Parody of the longest running quiz show in German TV.

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1982
Theater Production  

BESCHTI REFERENZE

(aka 'Buchhalter Noetzli'/'Bookkeeper Noetzli'); director-producer; stage-theater in Zurich, Premiered on June 5, 1982; Swiss-German, 120 min.; comedy.
A humble accountant is by mistake elevated to the post as CEO.  After the detection of the misunderstanding, he is relieved only that the corporation wants him back after the real CEO proofes uncapable.

First Swiss stage production of this hit comedy by Hans Schubert, initiating the biggest success of legendary Swiss comedien Walter Roderer on stage and film.

Early 1981, I came across this well crafted stage play.  Despite being theater - and not of my own feather - I planned an amateur production for right after  my military training school (July to November 1981).  I quicly found motivated, mostly new-to-me, collaborators. 

Fun fact: At 20, I was the youngest in the team of 16 persons between 25 and 60 - as the director and producer.

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1982/83
Screenplay

DIE LIEBE MEINES LEBENS  ('The Love of my Life)

co-writer, with Dr. Mario Gmür; original full-length feature screenplay, High-German; romance.
A dramatic observation of a couples romantic journey over the course of their entire lifes, together, or apart, shown in various episodes.

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1983

Director of Photography/additional Writing
PORTRAIT DES RADSPORTLERS LOUIS PFENNINGER;

Doc-Report by Ghaouti Bendedouche;  director of photography, additional writing; German, 22 min., 16mm;
Portrait about Swiss bicycle legend Louis Pfenninger, winner of two Tour de Suisse competitons.

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1984

Screenplay / Pre-Production
DER VOYEUR ('The Voyeur')

co-writer and co-producer, with Markus Imthurn; original full-length feature screenplay; High-German; thriller- comedy. 
While Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is being watched by the protagonist on TV, across the street he just happens to observe the same type of killing - with nobody believing him.

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DER VOYEUR  marks the first of many collaborations with Markus Imthurn until 2020.  During this time, he accompanied all my productions - and even created some designs for my Publishing of Greeting Cards in the early 2000`s.

With the Swiss National TV showing interest for funding the production of DER VOYEUR, Markus and I started preparations as co-producers, and with me as director.  Interest came from popular Swiss stars such as Ursula Schäppi, Walter Andreas Müller, Yvonne Kupper, and Cabaret Rotstift. 

But with the TV-station withdrawing, it was not possible to find funding in due time.
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1985
Line Producer

KAMERA: ALBERT G.

Documentary by Markus Imthurn ; line producer; Swiss-German; 16mm; 15 min.; documentary.
The ordinary world becomes special as experienced 'trough the eyes' of a blind man.

 

This production shows my versatiltiy during this period of my life, as I was in the duty of Line Producer in Markus` film.  Some scenes were even shot on Piz Gloria (the James Bond-location - what I discussed 13 years later with George Lazenby in Hollywood). 

The picture shows Albert Gisler with me on a tandem.​​

 

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1985 - 1987

Theater-Production / Stage Play  

ACHTUNG-FERTIG-LOS!  ('Ready-Steady-Go!')

writer  and producer; original full length stageplay, Swiss-German, 100 min.; cabaret-satire-comedy.  Directed by Markus Imthurn; additional writing by him and Sonja Fricker.
With the action on stage becomes boring, some six audience-members revolt - though . these six persons belong to the play, and end up on stage.  Thus the normal audience experience the action right within them what allows a new perspective in a theater.
- Audience award at the  Swiss Theater Festival in Aarau/

Switzerland in Summer 1987.

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1988
Director in Theater-Production

SCHELMEREIE (Sweet Cheating)

director of the comedy-play by Mateo Lettunichs; stage-theater; Swiss-German, 135 min.
An art dealer sells fake paintings as expensive originals just slightly below the indexed price just to cheat himself as a genuine original slips his attention and is sold way too cheap.  

 

I was hired  as (paid) Director with the well established Theatergesellschaft Oberentfelden.  The 10 performances were visited by an astonishing  number of close to 10`000 spectators.
 

 

 

1988, October
Director of Documentary

INVASION GRÜN  (Invasion Green)

writer-director-producer; 16mm, Swiss-German, ca. 90 min.; documentary.
Top Secret documentary film of the first maneuver at the Zurich airport, with 6´000 military personnel and the head of the Swiss Military Department, council-minister Arnold Koller, participating.

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During my regular yearly Swiss military service as an assistant doctor, I was asked to create this reportage with no less than  14 cameras and 4 camera helicopters - not bad, since after all I only was in the rank of a simple soldier – who was uniquely allowed in doing the service mostly in civilian clothing...

 

 

1989/90
Stageplay

DER ZAHNKLEMPNER  ('The Nutty Dentist')

writer; original full-length stageplay; High-German; comedy.
When a dentist performs his playboy life in his clinic too wildly, his wall-to-wall neighbor, a spinster attorney, starts a law suit until becoming his next victim - `Pillow Talk` updated.

This play was intended for my own production and direction with popular Swiss comedian Ursula Schäppi and Hansjoerg Bahl - though due to their busy schedule, the project didn`t move foward.

I re-used the conception of the two characters along the split-stage-concept  32 years later for WIN=WIN.

 

1990
Infomercial (Promo)

ROTSCH

writer-director-producer; sound; Swiss-German, 10 min., 16 mm; TV-commercial.
Ursula Schäppi plays the dual roles of the naughty kid Lisbethli and her scolting Mother presenting the bootle stopper 'Rotsch'.

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I did not only invent the to advertise product, but as well did its marketing-spot  aka infomercial - with my dream-cast of Ursi-National,  Switzerland`s superstar of the day.

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1990/91
Stageplay

STURMFREI  (No Parents No Trouble)

writer; original full-length stageplay, High-German; comedy.

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1991/92
Screenplay

SERENDIPITY

co-writer, with James Valentine; English; drama; WGA reg. 509884.
A young, poor girl from Ecuador searches the man who made her pregnant, finding him as an heir of a noble family of New York.
 

 

1992/95
Screenplay

BUM AND THE KID

co-writer, with Robert Scott Steindorff, after his original story.  Additional co-writing with Linda Stuart; full-length screenplay, English; adventure-drama.
When travelling back from  L.A. to his midwest hometown, he teams up with a homeless kid by froming an endearing unusual family.
 
 

 

1993

Outline of Screenplay
THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

co-writer, with Academy Award nominee Don Mankiewicz, outline based on my original sceenplay DIE LIEBE MEINES LEBENS (1982/83); English; romance. 
A dramatic observation of a couples romantic journey over the course of their entire lifes, together, or apart, shown in various episodes. 

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1994/95
Outline for Screenplay

ADOLPHIA

co-writer, with James Valentine; English; satire.

A female Adolph Hitler aims to reinstall a fourth Reich in a hidden jungle in South America doomed to collapse.

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1994

Rewriting Screenplay
PROJECT  METALBEAST

additional rewritings to the screenplay by Timothy E. Sabo & Alessandro De Gaetano, the latter also directing; English; sci-fi-horror; released globally in 1995. 
A soldier is injected with blood of a werewolf in the aims to create the pefect killer. 

Find the fillm`s  Listing at Wikipedia
 

 

1995-98

Screenplay
THE PARTYKILLERS

writer; original full-length screenplay, after an original story together with Rodney Heeringa, Markus Imthurn & Sidonia Held.  English; screwball comedy.
A humble inventor of a magical Teddy crashes nothing less than the engagement party of a toy manufacturer. After having killed his party, he not only has sold his invention but captured the bride.
 

 

1996

Screenplay
THE CASTLE IN THE SKY

co-writer,  with Scott Strohmaier;  based on the original story by me;  full-length screenplay, English; adventure-drama.
A looser returns to his home town after 20 years only to see how it is changed by his former best friend-turned-enemy becoming the corrupt mayor changing all harmony into a money machine.  The bum gets rehabilitatet after he puts order back in place.

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1997-99

Screenplay
12 BILLIONS

writer; full-length screenplay, English; romantic-drama.
Roman Holiday (1953) meets Soylent Green (1973):  A wealthy heiress is saved by an outlaw in the year 2050 where only the rich among the world popopulation of 12 billions have access to fresh air and  fresh water.

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1997/2000

Film Production
ILLUSION INFINITY  (aka PARADISE)

writer; original full-length screenplay, English; drama.
With her biological clock ticking, Patricia Paradise wants to leave her successful, but hollow, singing career in Las Vegas and start a new life - as a mother.  Faith brings her to Death Valley where she finds in her dream place Shangri-La a harmonic family life - until her beloved son grows up and bullies his mother`s yearnings.
This film was labeled as biopic; however, it was an original screenplay by Steinmann about the supposed real Las Vegas singer Patricia Paradise (played by Dee Wallace) and her life-long search for a genuine soul-mate, and a home she calls ‘Shangri-La’.

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2000, DECEMBER
ILLUSION INFINITY; director & co-executive producer;
Principal photography in Hollywood with Jolie Jackunas, Ray Walston, Edward Albert, Eddie Albert and Lilyan Chauvin.
The tragic, unexprected death of Ray Walston on Jan 1, 2001, has put an immediate stop on the production what was scheduled to continue after the holidays.
 
2002, OCTOBER to DECEMBER
PARADISE aka ILLUSION INFINITY; director & co-executive producer. Color, Dolby Sound, 35 mm, 107 min.
Second attempt with a new cast of Dee Wallace, Timothy Bottoms, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Carrera, Martin Kove, Theresa Saldana and the only one of the first attempt, Lilyan Chauvin. Principal photography in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Death Valley.
US-Premiere in Los Angeles on April 30, 2004; European premiere at the market of the Cannes film festival on May 17, 2004; Asian premiere at the Shanghai international film festival on June 8, 2004.
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

​2005-07

Screenplay
LIFE INSURANCE

writer; original full-length screenplay; English; drama.
An ordincary life insurance sales agent lives a depressive life convincing people of something he doesn't believe in until he breaks free, living his life spontaneous and risky, then 'one has to life now - and not when one is gone'. 
 

 

 
2010-12
Screenplay

GOLD DIGGER MAFIA

writer; original full-length screenplay; English; adventure-comedy.
Eager teenager is convinced to be able to overcome all obstacles to find the treasure before the mafia does.
 
 

 

 

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Since 2014
Rewriting Screenplay

THE PARTY KILLERS

sole re-writer of the former script from 1995/98; English;  screwball-comedy.
A humble inventor of a teddy-bear robot crashes a wedding party to sell his product, and ends up with the deal of his life: the bride.

As one of the two vehicles for Mike Angelo, I altered the screenplay from almost 20 years ago, adding some extensive alterations of the plot in order to re-launch this commercial viable production with an international cast - next to Mike shows his friend Pierce Brosnan interest in one of the lead-roles.

 

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Since 2015
Screenplay

LADIES FIRST

writer; original full-length screenplay;  English; screwball-comedy.
An ordinary father in holidays on a tropical island falls for the same person as his daughter.

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​This  screwball-comedy, specially taylored to Mike Angelo in the dual role as a male lover and as a female singer who attracts the father of nobody else than his girlfriend – my mentor`s Some Like it Hot echoes not truly coincidentally.

At one point were, next to Mike, Bruce Willis, Gerard Depardieu and Beat Schlatter (for the role of  the father)  along  Melanie Griffith  and Pascal Ulli attached to the project. 

Though with co-producer Mike`s intensifying engagement in China, both projects became of little avail as of now.

 

 

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Since 2016

Film Production (unfinished)
PHONY

writer, producer and director; English, Swiss-German, and Thai; Farce-Comedy ca. 110 min.
What happens, when all internet worldwide cease its function, and no cell phones work anymore?

In January 2018, the filming commenced in Switzerland with Gilles Tschudi and Pascal Ulli in the Canadian and Swiss segement, respectively.

In March followed the segment in Thailand.

Together with the documentary scenes, filmed by me at 30 destinations in Europe and Asia since 2016, PhonY was to 70% shot.

The remaining segments with Burt Reynolds,  Barbara Carrera and Talia Shire were scheduled in Los Angeles for October 2018. Though - a mere month before, Burt Reynolds untimely passed away.  

In December 2019, Golden Globe winner Elke Sommer agreed to participate,  with Arnold Schwarzenegger showing interest for the Reynolds-role.  But - with the outbreak of the Covid-panic, filming became difficult if not impossible for two years - and the production of PhonY has stalled since.