Year after year, the ZFF brings world stars to Zurich. Around the festival, there are plenty of opportunities to get close to Hollywood celebrities for once or to get profound insights into their artistic work.
Golden Icon Award,
Jessica Chastain
The American actress and Oscar winner Jessica Chastain is one of Hollywood's absolute exceptional talents.
She is one of the outstanding character actresses of her generation, stands out for her clever choice of roles and knows how to give her characters emotional depth. Jessica Chastain achieved her big breakthrough as an internationally respected actress in 2011, when she appeared in six films, including the psychological thriller TAKE SHELTER by Jeff Nichols and the two dramas THE TREE OF LIFE by Terrence Malick and THE HELP by Tate Taylor. She received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for her role in the latter. This was followed by appearances in successful films such as the action thriller ZERO DARK THIRTY by Kathryn Bigelow, the sci-fi drama INTERSTELLAR by Christopher Nolan and the crime drama MOLLY'S GAME by Aaron Sorkin. She won the 2021 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in the biopic THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Most recently, she was seen in the true-crime thriller THE GOOD NURSE by Tobias Lindholm, which was presented as a gala premiere at ZFF. For her outstanding career, which includes over 50 film and television titles, ZFF is dedicating this year's Golden Icon Award to the actress. She will be presented with the award on October 1 at the screening of her new film MEMORY, which she will present together with director Michel Franco and co-star Peter Sarsgaard.
Golden Eye Award
Mads Mikkelsen
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is one of the most popular and versatile character actors in contemporary cinema.
Both in the auteur films of his home country and in Hollywood, he shines with his acting skills. An extremely charismatic actor, he is able to captivate the audience with his looks and body language. Mikkelsen masters the ability to radiate strength and at the same time show vulnerability in his authentic acting. These skills enabled him to play a wide variety of roles, often those of complex characters, anti-heroes or villains. The embodiment of the Bond villain in the agent thriller CASINO ROYALE (2006) by Martin Campbell brought him worldwide fame. Other roles followed in blockbuster films such as STAR WARS ROGUE ONE (2016), FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE (2022) and INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023). He always remained faithful to Danish auteur cinema despite his success in Hollywood. His breakthrough as an actor came in 1996 in Nicolas Winding Refn's thriller PUSHER. In 2012, Mikkelsen won the Best Leading Actor award at Cannes for his performance in Thomas Vinterberg's drama THE HUNT. His performance in ANOTHER ROUND (2020), also by Vinterberg, was honored with a BAFTA nomination and the European Film Award. ZFF honors Mads Mikkelsen for his successful career and versatile acting with the Golden Eye Award. He will receive the award on October 6 and present his new film THE PROMISED LAND.
Golden Eye Award
Diane Kruger
German actress Diane Kruger is one of cinema's most versatile character actresses.
In addition to possessing the rare ability to captivate audiences with her irresistible aura, her charismatic presence also enables her to imbue her characters with great depth and authenticity. From Lower Saxony to Hollywood: Diane Kruger began her career as a model before turning her hand to acting. Her breakthrough as an internationally respected actress came when she played Helena alongside Brad Pitt in Wolfgang Peterson's historical epic TROY (2004). She also garnered critical acclaim for her embodiment of German actress and spy Bridget von Hammersmark in Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) – a performance that won her numerous awards. Other successful films she has appeared in include NATIONAL TREASURE (2004) by Jon Turteltaub, UNKNOWN IDENTITY (2011) by Jaume Collet-Serra, LES ADIEUX À LA REINE (2012) by Benoît Jacquot and AUS DEM NICHTS (2017) by Fatih Akin. She earned the Best Actress award at Cannes for the latter. She recently appeared in Neil Jordan's neo-noir thriller MARLOWE (2022), which she presented together with fellow actor Liam Neeson at last year's ZFF. ZFF honours Diane Kruger for her outstanding acting with the Golden Eye Award. The award will be presented to her on October 2 during her presentation of her new film VISIONS.
A Tribute to ... Award
Todd Haynes
The American master director Todd Haynes is renowned for his elegant mise-en-scène and his ability to get the best from his actors and actresses in his often-melodramatic works.
Todd Haynes instantly scooped the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival for his feature film debut POISON (1991). He worked together with Julianne Moore for the first time on SAFE (1995) and conjured up David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust phase in VELVET GOLDMINE (1998), which starred Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale. This was followed by a further collaboration with Julianne Moore in FAR AWAY FROM HEAVEN (2002) – a homage to Douglas Sirk. In 2006, Haynes cast Cate Blanchett and five other actors as Bob Dylan in I’M NOT THERE. He scored his biggest success to date in 2015 with the romantic drama CAROL starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, which received no less than six Academy Award Nominations. WONDERSTRUCK (2017) with Julianne Moore and DARK WATERS (2019) with Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway are further standout masterpieces of recent years. These were followed by the documentary film VELVET UNDERGROUND (2021), a portrait of the avant-garde rock band of the same name. His new drama MAY DECEMBER (2023) stars Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in the lead roles. The ZFF honours Todd Haynes' extraordinary filmmaking achievements with the A Tribute to … Award. Haynes will accept the award during the presentation of MAY DECEMBER at Zurich Convention Center on October 3, 2023.
Career Achievement Award
Volker Bertelmann
As a virtuoso pianist, the German film composer and Academy Award-winner Volker Bertelmann has created some of the most influential and iconic music. His outstanding, multi-layered and authentic compositions invariably serve to underscore each film's narrative.
As a young adult, he composed pieces for piano under the pseudonym "Hauschka", a name borrowed from the Bohemian composer Vinzent Hauschka. His 2004 debut album was followed by a further 16. Bertelmann's first commission as a film composer was for Doris Dörrie's drama GLÜCK (2012). His score for the 2017 movie LION, which had its European premiere at the Zurich Film Festival, garnered him and Dustin O’Halloran both an Academy Award Nomination and a Golden Globe Award Nomination. He penned the music for the 2019 drama THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, which screened at the ZFF as a Gala Premiere. Volker Bertelmann wrote his most successful composition for Edward Berger's IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES (2022), which had its European premiere at ZFF last year. The anti-war movie scooped four Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Original Score. Bertelmann will accept the Career Achievement Award during the "Cinema in Concert" gala event at the Tonhalle Zurich. Music from his body of work will also be performed at the award ceremony of the 11th International Film Music Competition, where the German composer presides over this year's jury.
You can get up-close and personal with the ZFF Guests in Zurich at the following events:
At Sechseläutenplatz, the hub of the ZFF, the Green Carpet is rolled out to cue the start of the festival. This is where our guests appear to the delight of their fans and the general public_local, pose for photos and give interviews as they make their way to the movie theatre. Whether you plan to visit the Green Carpet or just happen to be strolling past Sechseläutenplatz, the chances are you'll cross paths here with a world-class star.
As part of the ZFF Masters, our audience finds itself in a cinema theatre to listen to talks with actors, directors, screenwriters or other film workers. In addition to offering insights into their creative work, guests often recite amusing anecdotes from their personal careers and are also available to answer audience questions.
Each year, the Gala section of the ZFF presents top-class auteur films with mass audience appeal and invites film workers to present their productions in person. This framework allows us to welcome numerous guests who answer questions before or after presenting their films to the public_local. This direct contact with film workers sets the ZFF cinema experience apart from the everyday cinema visit.
With film as its focus, the ZFF Talks series offers experts from various sectors the opportunity to explore controversial issues currently affecting the fields of culture, science and politics. The ZFF Talks are free of charge, open to the public_local and are announced together with the festival programme.
