Michael Souvignier

Membership: Regular

Year Joined: 2025

Country: Germany
Languages: German, English

Biography

Michael Souvignier is an award-winning German film and television producer and the founder and CEO of Zeitsprung Pictures, one of Germany’s established independent production companies.

Originally trained in Photo and Film Design, Michael began his career as a cinematographer and director before founding Zeitsprung in 1985. Over the course of four decades, he has produced more than 500 non-fiction programs and over 100 feature films, television movies, and series, building a body of work that spans ambitious historical drama, literary adaptations, contemporary fiction, documentaries, and internationally successful series.

His credits include the Netflix hit Kleo, which reached the Top 10 in more than 35 countries; Oktoberfest 1900; The Diary of Anne Frank; Contergan; Cranko; Führer und Verführer; and Lieber Thomas, which won nine German Film Awards in 2022, including Best Film for producers Michael Souvignier and Till Derenbach.

Michael also produced the acclaimed television film Ein Schnupfen hätte auch gereicht, for which lead actress Anna Schudt received the 2018 International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress.

His productions have received numerous major German and international honors, including German Film Awards, German Television Awards, Grimme Awards, the Golden Camera, the Bambi, and international festival prizes.

Michael is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the European Film Academy, and the German Film Academy.

Filmography

Selected Filmography

Cinema

Medicus 2 (2025)
Führer und Verführer (2024)
Cranko (2024)
Black Box (2023)
Lieber Thomas (2021)
Mackie Messer – Brechts Dreigroschenfilm (2018)
Erik & Erika (2018)
The Diary of Anne Frank / Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank (2016)
Themba (2009)

Series & Event Television

Oktoberfest 1905 (2025) – ARD Degeto
Euphorie (2025) – RTL+
Kleo – Season 2 (2024) – Netflix
Ich bin Dagobert (2023) – RTL
Kleo – Season 1 (2022) – Netflix
Das Weiße Haus am Rhein (2022) – ARD Degeto
Oktoberfest 1900 (2020) – ARD Degeto / Netflix
Dunkelstadt (2020) – ZDF
Einstein (2017–2019) – Sat.1
Der Fall Barschel (2016) – ARD / Degeto
Contergan (2007) – ARD / WDR
Das Wunder von Lengede (2003) – Sat.1

Selected Television Films & Documentaries

Eine Bessere Welt (2025) – ZDF
Ohne jede Spur – Der Fall Nathalie B. (2024) – ARD / ORF
Tod in Mombasa (2023) – ZDF
Goldjungs (2021) – ARD
Das Geheimnis der Freiheit (2019) – ARD / WDR / Degeto
Der König von Köln (2019) – ARD / WDR
Ein Schnupfen hätte auch gereicht (2017) – RTL
Duell der Brüder – Die Geschichte von Adidas und Puma (2016) – RTL
Landauer – Der Präsident (2013) – BR / ARD
Frau Böhm sagt Nein (2009) – WDR / ARD
Costa Concordia – Chronik einer Katastrophe (2022) – Sky
Nosferatu – Ein Film wie ein Vampir (2022) – ARTE

Contact

Company: Zeitsprung Pictures GmbH
Business Phone: +49 221 300 610 00
Business Email: info@zeitsprung.de
Business Address: Alter Militärring 8A
City: Cologne (Köln), Germany
Business Zip/Postal Code: 50933
Personal Phone: 
Personal Mail Address: michael.souvignier@zeitsprung.de

Company Overview

Founded in 1985 by producer Michael Souvignier, Zeitsprung Pictures is an award-winning independent production company headquartered in Cologne, with an additional office in Munich.

Over four decades, Zeitsprung has established itself within the German and international film and television landscape, producing theatrical features, television movies, series, documentaries, and non-fiction formats. Its work combines ambitious storytelling with a strong focus on historically and socially relevant subjects, literary adaptations, and distinctive contemporary fiction.

The company’s extensive portfolio includes internationally recognized productions such as Netflix’s Kleo, Lieber Thomas, Oktoberfest 1900, The Diary of Anne Frank, Contergan, Cranko, Führer und Verführer, and Mackie Messer – Brechts Dreigroschenfilm. Zeitsprung has worked with leading German broadcasters and international platforms including ARD, ZDF, ARTE, RTL, Sat.1, Sky, and Netflix.

Its productions have received numerous national and international honors, including the German Film Award, German Television Award, Grimme Award, Golden Camera, Romy, Bambi, and recognition at the International Emmy Awards.

Today, Zeitsprung continues to develop and produce ambitious film and television projects for German and international audiences, supported by an established network of creative and production partners in Germany and worldwide.