News

The ZFF MASTER CLASS will be held from October 2nd to the 6th, 2013 at Hotel Widder. Applications for ZFF MASTER CLASS 2013 will be gladly accepted now.

ZFF MASTER CLASS is a platform that facilitates networking between talented young ...

This year, Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) and Telepool launch a Treatment Competition in collaboration with Zurich Film Festival. In doing so, ZFF and its partners highlight the important role screenwriting plays in Swiss film production. Authors can enter the ...

Introduced in 2012, the International Film Music Competition will now become an integral part of the Zurich Film Festival’s supporting programme. The competition venue will alternate between one of the festival cinemas and the Tonhalle Zürich. Composers from ...

Daniel Young’s film PAUL BOWLES: THE CAGE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN will be released in Swiss cinemas on Thursday April 4, 2013. The film celebrated it’s world premiere as part of the Zurich Film Festival’s German-Language Documentary ...

ZFF showcases Brazilian cinema in its "New World View" section

Each year, ZFF takes a look at the current film landscape of a flourishing film region in its „New World View“ section. Countries previously spotlighted were Russia, Israel, Argentina, Australia ...

Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) screens films and invites honorary guests that generate impressive headlines throughout the awards season. ARGO and AMOUR triumphed at the Golden Globe Awards, the British BAFTA awards and at the Oscars. Other films presented in Zurich ...

 Save the Date: Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Film Finance Forum at The Dolder Grand Hotel has rapidly developed into a premier meeting place for producers and investors in the German-speaking world. In addition to panel discussions and round-table talks ...

It is now even more attractive for filmmakers to present their films at the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF). Swiss films participating in the ZFF’s International Competition will receive credits as part of the Federal Office of Culture’s (FOC ...

Call for Entries (February 15 - June 30, 2013)

The submission process for the four competition categories and the ZFF Filmboutique begins on February 15, 2013 and runs until June 30, 2013.

For more information and to see the conditions of ...

The festival ends today with another brim-full film programme. Before the ZFF screen curtain draws shut for the final time this year with the Closing Film DANS LA MAISON by Francois Ozon (corso 1, 21:00), there are still a ...

The four juries of the 8th Zurich Film Festival competition categories have presented their awards to Great Britain (International Feature Film), the USA (International Documentary Film), Germany (German-Language Feature Film) and Austria (German-Language Documentary Film).

The awards go to BROKEN ...

The awards go to their respective owners this evening, and the Award Night’s Green Carpet is rolled out before the Zurich Opera House – don’t miss it! 
We welcome Jury President Frank Darabont today at 15:00 in the ...

Only three days left of the ZFF – all the more reason for a jam-packed programme! Discover great films in all four competition categories starting at 13:00. Click here for an overview.

Don’t miss German star director Tom Tykwer ...

Today there is not just one but four Gala Premieres on the ZFF programme: The US indie production CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER (18:30, corso 1), the amusing US documentary THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES (20:30, Arena 5), the sci-fi ...

Today’s honorary guest is Jerry Weintraub: The legendary producer picks up the ZFF’s Career Achievement Award today, his 75^th birthday. The documentary HIS WAY offers a wonderful insight into Jerry’s work. Presentation of the award and ...

Til Schweiger is expected on the Green Carpet for the premiere of his latest work SCHUTZENGEL. Autographs and photos in front of the cinema corso from 20.15 onwards.

The International Competition section sees the premiere screenings of the Rumanian ...

Monday sees the screening of three huge premieres: Ben Affleck's ARGO, Helen Hunt's new film THE SESSIONS and last but not least THE WORDS. Lovers of glamorous premieres as well as friends of outstanding indie cinema will find ...

Sunday is about Richard Gere, who receives the Golden Eye today prior to the screening of his latest work ARBITRAGE. The laudation will be held by his friend and colleague Susan Sarandon. Autographs and photos at the Green Carpet from ...

This year sees Northern European cinema highlighted for the first time when Sweden steps up to the mark as the ZFF’s New World View guest country. The section opens tonight with the unconventional melodrama KYSS MIG, a concert by ...

Today is packed full of film festival delights! Three world premieres top the bill: AVANTI, by Lausanne-based artist Emmanuelle Antille, sees Hanna Schygulla deliver an impressive performance (19:45, Le Paris). LEUCHTTURM, LEICHEN & PASTETEN (19:00, corso 2), screened in ...

Helen Hunt is the focus of attention on day two of the festival: The US actress will be honoured with the Golden Eye for her outstanding acting career. Her latest film THE SESSIONS can be seen at 21:00, corso ...

A year of intensive preparation is over and the big day has finally arrived! This year’s festival opens with SAVAGES in the presence of John Travolta, Oliver Stone and producer Moritz Borman. Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann is also expected ...

The ZFF celebrates the most important films by this year’s honorary guests in five retrospectives – re-live the big screen classics.

In addition to other films, Golden Eye winner Helen Hunt is represented in the retrospective section by AS GOOD ...

The Zurich Film Festival management has included a further nine films in the programme: A Gala Premiere, four Special Screenings and four titles in a Helen Hunt retrospective. The ZFF will now show a total of 120 films at 315 ...

The Special Screenings section offers offbeat insights into the most varied of topics and genres. Academy Award winner and this year’s jury member Jessica Yu tackles the global water crisis in LAST CALL OF THE OASIS – controversial and bang ...

In PROZESS, we experience a Kafkaesque trial against 13 animal rights activists that leads to trust in the judicial system and democracy being put to a very tough test – more exciting and authentic than any thriller. SOULS OF ZEN connects ...

In APPASSIONATA, Swiss filmmaker Christian Labhart accompanies the concert pianist Alena Cherny on a journey into her Ukrainian past. Grief, love, enthusiasm and passion – a fascinating portrait of a strong woman. PAUL BOWELS: THE CAGE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN takes ...

In the tragicomedy DAS LEBEN IST NICHTS FÜR FEIGLINGE, 15-year-old Kim is confronted with a tragic loss, and the young woman must recognise that walking away from life doesn’t work. Walking away is also not an option for ...

Do you remember your very first visit to the cinema? The dreams, aspirations and wonder that a film on the big screen triggered in you? The fantasy and the characters that took your breath away? For the first time in ...

Niko packed in his studies some time ago and now lives from day to day in Berlin with no future plans for his life. Jan-Ole Gerster’s charming debut OH BOY captures in beautiful black and white images the attitude ...

Three films offer a fascinating insight into the world of Asia. In the premiere THE MOUSO SISTERS, we follow the contrary lives of two sisters caught between traditions and modernity in current-day China. CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT is the portrait of two ...

In the American premiere 16 ACRES, Richard Hankin offers a unique view behind the scenes of the Ground Zero development. The power games employed by the authorities and architects responsible for the site develop into a thriller centred on the ...

US indie film is represented four times in this year’s competition section. In one of the year’s most anticipated films, Hushpuppy, the protagonist in Benh Zeitlin’s BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, must fight together with her father ...

A fascinating mother-daughter relationship awaits you when Hanna Schygulla gives another stellar performance in Lausanne-based filmmaker Emmanuelle Antille’s Swiss entry and debut feature AVANTI. Films like the highly dramatic BROKEN by English director Rufus Norris, the moving masterpiece SONG ...

Male characters also feature in the films of the International Feature Film Competition: BIUTIFUL author Armando Bo’s first feature EL ULTIMO ELVIS whisks the viewer off into the world of an Argentine Elvis impersonator. In the Danish entry KAPRINGEN ...

Academy Award® winner Helen Hunt is the first female recipient of the Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Eye Award for her outstanding acting career. Hunt will be honored in Zurich on Friday, September 21, prior to the European Premiere of ...

This year’s A Tribute to... award goes to author, director and producer Tom Tykwer. This is the first time that a German filmmaker has ever received one of the Zurich Film Festival’s honorary awards. Tykwer will collect his ...

Each year, the ZFF selects a new guest country for its New World View programme thus highlighting the current body of films from an emerging film producing region. This year’s New World View focuses on innovative film productions from ...

This year’s Golden Icon Award goes to Hollywood star Richard Gere. The award will be presented to the actor on Sunday evening (23.09.) at the cinema corso. Gere plays the lead in the financial thriller ARBITRAGE, which is ...

Director and screenwriter Frank Darabont is president of the Jury in the International Feature Film Competition, while German singer Herbert Grönemeyer takes the lead in the German Language Feature Film Competition. Find all the jury members of the 8th ...

Adding more excitement to the opening night of the 8^th Zurich Film Festival, two time Academy Award® nominee John Travolta will be honoured with the ‘Golden Eye for Lifetime Achievement’ award for his achievements in cinema before the gala ...

The Zurich Film Festival will open th 8th edition with Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES on the evening of Thursday, September 20th. A Universal Pictures release, SAVAGES is a ferocious thriller featuring an all-star ensemble cast that includes Taylor Kitsch, Blake ...

German singer and actor Herbert Grönemeyer heads the Jury of the German-Language Feature Film Competition at the 8^th Zurich Film Festival. The ZFF is honoured with the presence of Herbert Grönemeyer, not only one of Europe’s ...

MARY & JOHNNY (Julian M. Grünthal and Samuel Schwarz, CH 2011) hits cinemas today, Thursday, July 5. This Zurich indie production with Nadine Vinzens, Philippe Graber, Nils Althaus and Marcus Signer in the lead roles celebrated it world premiere in ...

After TAKE SHELTER, ATMEN and DARWIN, two further winning films screened at the 7^th Zurich Film Festival have found their way into cinemas. The US documentary film BUCK and the Swiss competition entry UNTER WASSER ATMEN will be released ...

This year, the Zurich Film Festival launches the ZFF FILMBOUTIQUE – an industry platform for German-language feature and documentary film. As the name suggests, ZFF FILMBOUTIQUE presents an exclusive up-to-date selection of productions created in Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the ...

For the last five years, the „New World View“ line-up has offered an insight into the current cinematic oeuvre of a film-producing country whose highly appealing films tackle a variety of different topics. Northern European cinema is scrutinized for the ...

DARWIN, much acclaimed Golden Eye winner of the German Language Documentary Film Competition 2011, will be screened at Filmpodium Zurich from April 26 to May 13. Director Nick Brandestini personally will present the film on April 26, 2012 at 18 ...

Film entries are now being accepted until June 30, 2012 in four competition sections of the 8th Zurich Film Festival. More information here.

In addition, the film for which an original score of the first International Film Music Competition is ...

The first International Film Music Competition will take place within the framework of the 8^th Zurich Film Festival. Participants are invited to compose a piece for orchestra to accompany a 6-minute short film. Composers from around the world aged ...