About Frame Film

Swiss Film Production Since 2012

The Company

Frame Film GmbH was founded in 2012 by Mano Khalil. The company is based in Bern, Switzerland, and produces documentaries, feature films, and short films with international reach.

Our films explore universal themes such as migration, identity, homeland, and the human search for belonging. They have been honored at numerous international film festivals and reach audiences worldwide.

Mano Khalil - Director and Producer

Mano Khalil

Director, Screenwriter & Producer

Mano Khalil (born 1964 in Qamishli, Syria) is a Swiss-Kurdish screenwriter, director, and producer.

Khalil studied law and history in Damascus from 1981 to 1986, followed by film and television directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Czechoslovakia (FAMU Prague) from 1987 to 1994.

After graduating, he worked as a director and screenwriter for Czech State Television. In 1997, he relocated to Switzerland, where he has lived and worked ever since.

His films have been honored at numerous international film festivals and reach audiences worldwide. His feature film «Neighbours» was nominated for an Oscar and won over 100 awards globally.

"As a student, I spent almost all my money on going to the cinema. In Syria, of course, I could only see films that passed the regime's censorship. In film, you can make your own wishes, fantasies, and dreams come true. I wanted that too. And I dreamed of telling the story of my people through films."

— Mano Khalil

Filmography

2021 Neighbours DCP 124 min. Feature Film
2013 The Beekeeper Documentary
2010 The Swallow 35mm/HD 90 min. Feature Film
2008 Our Garden Eden Documentary
2007 Time Flows Like the Euphrates – A Journey to Kurdistan TV Documentary
2005 Bablo 35mm 15 min. Short Film
2003 Zozan 35mm 90 min. Feature Film
1998 The Story of Mona Lisa Documentary
1997 I Love You Too 35mm 90 min. Feature Film
1994 Faces – Destiny 35mm 75 min. Feature Film
1990 When the Horses Run 16mm 15 min. Short Film
1989 My Pain, My Hope 16mm 15 min. Short Film
1988 Oh World! 16mm 11 min. Short Film

Awards (Selection)

2023
Nomination for Academy Award (Oscar) – Best International Feature Film Neighbours
2021
Film of the Year – Nomination Swiss Film Prize Neighbours
2021
Best Film Award – Middle East Now Festival, Florence Neighbours
2021
Best Film Award – Arab Cinema Center Awards Neighbours
2021
Audience Award – Solothurn Film Festival Neighbours
2021
Audience Award – Zurich Film Festival Neighbours
2021
Grand Prix – Int. Film Festival Troia, Portugal Neighbours
2021
Audience Award – International Film Fest Oldenburg Neighbours
2013
Audience Award – Solothurn Film Festival The Beekeeper
2011
Best Screenplay – Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival The Swallow
2010
Best Mediterranean Film – Mediterranean Film Festival Split The Swallow
2010
Best Screenplay – National Egyptian Film Festival, Cairo The Swallow
2010
Best Film – Duhok International Film Festival The Swallow
2008
Audience Award – Solothurn Film Festival Our Garden Eden
2007
Best Documentary – International Arabian Film Festival Zurich Time Flows Like the Euphrates
2005
Best Short Film – Arab Film Festival Rotterdam Bablo
1994
Best Film & Best Newcomer Director – Czech Film Academy Award Faces – Destiny
1993
Young Filmmakers Honorary Award – International Film Festival Rotterdam

...and over 100 more awards