The Swiss Federal Office of Culture (BAK) wants to set up a streaming platform for Swiss films.
The model is Netflix, but, if possible, the Swiss offer should be free of charge for viewers. After all, consumers have already financially supported the films through their taxes, Ivo Kummer, head of the film department at BAK, told German-language Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
The BAK supports Swiss movie productions every year with around CHF30 million (€26 million).
Swissflix, the working title, is intended to prevent films from being forgotten after they have been released at film festivals, in cinemas and on DVD, covering both current and classic productions. The project is to be implemented by 2024. The long preparation period is necessary because of the comprehensive copyright clarification required.
According to initial plans, the national film archive, Cinemathèque Suisse in Lausanne, will be responsible for the new streaming service.
