ABOUT

Tove Stille is the joint artistic identity of Vera von Gunten and Tomas Schweigen – two award-winning creatives known for their multi-layered and bold storytelling across theatre, interdisciplinary performance and film.
Both studied at the Zurich University of the Arts and have collaborated regularly for over twenty years. Together, they have developed and realised dozens of successful and idiosyncratic performances, theatre pieces and transdisciplinary projects. Their previous work spans documentary theatre, interactive and walk-in social media series, immersive installations, hybrid film-theatre productions, performances and plays.

They have received numerous awards for their work – most recently the Nestroy Prize 2023 for Best Director (awarded to Tomas Schweigen) – and have been regularly invited to international art and theatre festivals.
Under their shared identity Tove Stille, the duo now focuses on cinematic storytelling through ambitious and unconventional feature film projects.

Their debut feature film, DÉBUT SANS FIN, is currently in development, supported by the Migros Culture Percentage Story Lab (Switzerland). It explores the theme of unconventional ageing in Western society.
At the same time, they are investigating the creative and ethical implications of AI in their ongoing short film project HEIST AI (working title).

CURRENT FILM WORK

DÉBUT SANS FIN (in development)
Supported by the Story Lab of Migros Culture Percentage (Switzerland)

DAS UNTIER (2025)
Funded by Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (Austria) and Kulturland Burgenland (Austria)

HEIST AI (work in progress)
Filming began in Arizona and New Mexico (USA) in 2023

FAARM ANIMAAL (2022)
Hybrid project consisting of a 20-minute short film and a 45-minute performance
Awarded the Nestroy Prize 2023 for Best Director 

VERA VON GUNTEN
Born in Bern (Switzerland), she now lives in Vienna. Following her studies at ZHdK, she co-founded the independent theatre group FAR A DAY CAGE (FADC) with director Tomas Schweigen. Together they have created more than 15 projects that have been invited to the most important independent theatre festivals in the German-speaking world.
In 2007, she received the ‘Echos’ Prize from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia for her own performance project Loba Town. As an actress, she was ensemble member at Theaterhaus Jena, Theater Basel and Schauspielhaus Wien. In addition to her screenwriting work, she continues to work as an actress and dramaturgical consultant for theatre, dance and performance projects.

TOMAS SCHWEIGEN
Born in Vienna (Austria), he lived and worked in Zurich, Basel and London for over 15 years before returning to Vienna. After studying directing at ZHdK, he directed more than 60 productions throughout the German-speaking world – both in the independent scene and at renowned municipal theatres in Zurich, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hanover and beyond.
His productions have received numerous awards and have been regularly featured at prominent theatre and arts festivals. He worked as artistic co-director of Theater Basel for three years and led Schauspielhaus Wien as artistic director from 2015 to 2023.