EN: Swiss film project breaks records in crowd financing
Switzerland - 8 April, 2021 -- A revolution is looming in the film business and its leader is a vengeful version of the children's book character, Heidi. The Swiss film project MAD HEIDI generated a record amount of over 1 million Swiss francs in fan investments and will now be realized this autumn.
The money invested so far comes from 296 investors from 18 countries from Canada to Japan. Hardly a handful of film projects have succeeded in this since crowdfunding began.
The film revolves around the world-famous children's book character Heidi, who pokes fun at Switzerland. In analogy to the exploitation genre, the makers call the film genre Swissploitation. This has already caused red faces in the otherwise rather humourless Alpine country. A recreational screenwriter was dismissed without notice from his employment because of his work on the film. A look at the teaser shows why the film is infectious.
The fans as the driving force
However, this did not affect the popularity of the project. Over 40,000 fans worldwide follow the project on various social media channels.
The success is no accident. One of the producers is the Finn, Tero Kaukomaa, who is one of the pioneers in crowdfinancing with the "Iron Sky" films. A completely new investment system was developed for Mad Heidi, in which the investors participate directly and automatically in the film revenues via a blockchain-secured system. "For the first time, a large number of investors can participate transparently and efficiently in its success," explains Kaukomaa.
Another central component of the project is that no film distributors are involved in its realisation. The film will be released directly via its own platform, madheidi.com
A look at the merchandise statistics shows that this strategy can work... In addition to investments, t-shirts and other items were sold in 46 countries for over 150,000 euros. This is hardly surprising in a Disney film, but with a Swiss film?! That makes you prick up your ears.
"The fans are our most important asset. They multiply our marketing and provide added value that money cannot buy", explains producer Valentin Greutert (Paradise War). Fans also have numerous opportunities to take part in the production, for example they can visit the set or work as extras.
The director will be the young Swiss director Johannes Hartmann, who also had the idea for this wacky film.
What the movie is about
MAD HEIDI puts the cult figure Heidi in a dystopian Switzerland that has come under the fascist rule of an autocratic cheese magnate. Heidi lives well-protected in the idyllic Swiss mountains with her grandfather Alpöhi, who tries hard to protect his granddaughter from the bad influences of the world. But Heidi wants more, she wants to live and be free. Soon their longing for personal freedom will spark a revolution. The innocent girl becomes a courageous fighter - determined to put an end to the cheese fascists.