Ciril Tscheligi was born in Zurich in 1980. After a turbulent school career involving seven school changes and uncertainty about his future, Tscheligi discovered his passion for filmmaking through JOB TV, a program for unemployed people in Zurich. There, he quickly learned the fundamentals of cinematography and editing. His first experiments in the audiovisual world — especially in documentary filmmaking — soon followed. An eight-part documentary series for the youth editorial department of Swiss Television came next, along with the realization that the combination of fiction and documentary offered him the freedom to capture and give meaning to a world that does not always obey the laws of reality.

In 2002, Ciril Tscheligi moved to Berlin to study directing at the “Konrad Wolf” Academy of Film and Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg, today known as the Film University Babelsberg.

During his studies, he directed several short films. His first documentary exercise in 2003 was the portrait of his Hungarian painter grandfather, Beginning of a Memory. DemRusto (2004) emerged from the “Erotic Tales” workshop led by Rosa von Praunheim, who was also Tscheligi’s professor. In 2005, he directed the dance film Tchardon. The ARTE co-production Mr. and Mrs. Murali followed in 2006. In 2007, he completed the studio-lighting exercise Puppenheim, and in 2008 the thriller Halle M.

For the documentary Ellen Ellen (2006) — a portrait of two dominatrices produced independently — he received the “valuable” distinction from the German Film Rating Board in Wiesbaden. The jury praised the film, stating: “This courageous and unembellished documentary lies far beyond the fashionable, polished television reports about the trade. It makes clear that both women serve a market.” They especially highlighted that the film genuinely “looks behind the scenes” without catering to voyeuristic desires, emphasizing instead its unconventional visual language, the professionally detached technical explanations of the dominatrices, and the deeply moving revelation of emotional abysses.

In the summer of 2008, Ciril Tscheligi successfully completed his studies. It came as no surprise that his written thesis focused on “The Unconscious in Film.” His graduation film In the Tropic of the Bear premiered at the Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival in Saarbrücken in 2008 and received a “Special Mention” at the Locarno Film Festival the same year.

Three years later, Ciril Tscheligi presented his feature film debut My Prince. My King. The film, about a convicted pedophile who meets his victim again years later, premiered at the Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in 2011 and won the award for Best Music and Sound Design. Invitations to the World Film Festival Montréal (“An intriguing first feature ...”, Variety) and the São Paulo International Film Festival followed later that year. The film is available on various platforms such as Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, and DVD.

Since then, Tscheligi has directed several documentaries and commercials, including the long-term portrait BESKO for the documentary series of Swiss Television (SRF). Besko became infamous in Switzerland as the country’s first “prison rapper,” fighting against his deportation. Currently imprisoned once again, he struggles with himself and the future he has ruined. Tscheligi worked on the project from 2011 to 2022.

A year later came the docufiction DRAUFF! — a loving portrait of an original character from the Engadin region. The film screened at several festivals and won the main prize at the Korea International Short Film Festival.

Ciril Tscheligi also works as a cinematographer. His latest film, Miss Holocaust Survivor, received the Special Prize of the Ernst Lubitsch Award in 2023. In 2025, his music video REDEMPTION was honored with the prestigious Crystal Pine Award.