The ZFF Masters are moderated discussions featuring celebrated personalities from the international film industry. They provide the public with fascinating insights into the creative processes and filmmaking philosophies of directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors. These renowned experts also take questions from the interested audience.
Last year's master minds
Ethan Hawke
than Hawke has gained worldwide acclaim as an actor, showcasing his talent across a diverse range of genres. He first attracted significant attention in Peter Weir's coming-of-age drama DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989). He demonstrated his sense of romance and humour in BEFORE SUNRISE (1995), and displayed his action-hero prowess in TRAINING DAY. In addition to acting, Hawke pursues many other artistic activities, including as a producer, director and author. He discussed his multifaceted work as part of the ZFF Masters.
Sa, 30.09.23, 16:00, Arena 4, Language: English
Margarethe von Trotta
Margarethe von Trotta, the grande dame of German cinema, forged a name for herself as a director, screenwriter and actress. She attracted attention as an actress after appearing in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Volker Schlöndorff. She first stood behind the camera at the end of the 70's, and went on to become one of the world's most renowned female directors. Her list of best-known titles includes DIE BLEIERNE ZEIT (1981), ROSA LUXEMBURG (1986) and HANNAH ARENDT (2012). She offered insights into her life's work as part of the ZFF Masters.
Su, 01.10.23, 17:30, Frame 2, Language: German
Diane Kruger
One of cinema's most versatile character actresses, German-born Diane Kruger is regarded as a star both in France and Hollywood. Her international breakthrough came when she played Helen in Wolfgang Peterson's historical drama TROY (2004). She garnered numerous awards for her role as Bridget von Hammersmark in Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) and won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her performance in Fatih Akin's AUS DEM NICHTS (2017).
Mo, 02.10.23, 16:00, Arena 4, Language: English
Michael Steiner
The highly successful director Michael Steiner is one of the most eminent and dazzling figures of the Swiss filmmaking scene. His adventure movie MEIN NAME IST EUGEN garnered the 2006 Swiss Film Award for Best Fiction Film, his comedy WOLKENBRUCH was Switzerland's official entry for the 2019 Oscars and, most recently, his hostage drama UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT (2021) caused a sensation. He presented his latest production EARLY BIRDS as a world premiere at the ZFF and offered insights into his filmmaking as part of the ZFF Masters.
Tu, 03.10.23, 14:00, Frame 2, Language: German
Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen has established himself as an irresistible character actor. On the one hand, through his appearance in Danish auteur films such as PUSHER by Nicolas Winding Refn, ADAM'S APPLES by Anders Thomas Jensen or THE HUNT by Thomas Vinterberg. But he has also been able to establish himself in Hollywood and has thrilled a wide audience - among others in STAR WARS ROGUE ONE, INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY or also in the 007 adventure CASINO ROYALE. During the ZFF Masters Mikkelsen presented his film THE PROMISED LAND and talked about his long career.
Fr, 06.10.23, 13:45 Uhr, Arena 4, Language: Englisch
Previous ZFF Masters
The multitalented British actor and Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne shines on the world's cinema screens and theater stages. He gained fame with his role in LES MISERABLES (2012) and went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014); his role in THE DANISH GIRL (2015) earned him a further Oscar nomination. He presented his latest film THE GOOD NURSE at the ZFF.
She is one of the most versatile actresses in European cinema: Two-time César winner Charlotte Gainsbourg also proved her talent in international productions like JANE EYRE (1996) and I'M NOT THERE (2007). She enjoys a long-standing collaborative relationship with Lars von Trier: She received the Award for Best Actress at Cannes for ANTICHRIST (2009), followed by leading roles in MELANCHOLIA (2011) and NYMPHOMANIAC (2013). At the ZFF, she talked about her multifaceted career.
British actor Sir Ben Kingsley has conquered the big screen with his unique expressiveness. In 1982, he achieved worldwide fame with his Oscar-winning lead role in the epic movie GANDHI. He subsequently worked with such directors as Steven Spielberg (SCHINDLER'S LIST, 1993), Roman Polanski (DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, 1994) and Martin Scorsese (SHUTTER ISLAND, 2010). As part of the ZFF Masters, the Golden Icon Award winner talked about his impressive artistic oeuvre. The conversation was held online.
Multi-talented Til Schwieger is the biggest German film star of the present day: He won the hearts of audiences as an actor with comedies like DER BEWEGTE MANN (1994) and DAS SUPERWEIB (1996), but has also enjoyed great success as a producer and director, for example with KEINOHRHASEN (2007) and HONIG IM KOPF (2014). For the second time at ZFF, Til Schweiger talked in the ZFF Masters about his experiences in the German and international film businesses. He also presented his latest movie LIEBER KURT.
The Italian master director Luca Guadagnino serves a range of different genres with his artistic virtuosity. He gained worldwide fame with IO SONO L'AMORE (2009) and A BIGGER SPLASH (2015). The collaboration with actor Timothée Chalamet began with the four-time Oscar-nominated drama CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), and continues in his most recent production BONES AND ALL (2022). As part of the ZFF Masters, Guadagnino provided insights into his multifaceted work.
Sharon Stone has conquered the big screen with her irresistible charm, great human depth and acting versatility. She delivered an iconic performance as the femme fatale in the 1992 movie BASIC INSTINCT, but refused to be typecast as a man-eating vamp and established herself as a highly versatile character actress. She won an Oscar Nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Leading Actress for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s CASINO. The Golden Icon recipient chatted about her career and her commitment to equal rights for women in Hollywood during her ZFF Masters session.
Todd Haynes is one of the most exciting cineastes of American independent cinema. Born in Los Angeles in 1961, the screenwriter and director is considered a vanguard of the 1990s New Queer Cinema movement. Todd Haynes’ uncompromising and often sublimely erotic movies expertly subvert traditional narrative structures. His multi award-winning body of work includes the Bob Dylan biopic I’M NOT THERE and the romantic drama CAROL. He discusses his successful career and talked about his documentary film debut THE VELVET UNDERGROUND at the ZFF.
Paolo Sorrentino’s work ignites a firework of aesthetic imagery that captures the spirit of Italy with an anthropological eye. Over the approximately 20 years of his career, the Naples-born director has created movies that delight both audiences and critics alike, and give testimony to his great artistic range. The critically acclaimed LA GRANDE BELLEZZA won him an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Sorrentino offered an insight into his cinematic work and discussed his new, autobiographic film È STATA LA MANO DI DIO during his ZFF Masters session.
Widely regarded as an icon of New Hollywood, the American director and screenwriter Paul Schrader wrote himself into cinema history, when he penned the screenplays for Scorsese’s TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL. His own directorial works, such as AMERICAN GIGOLO, have also garnered him much attention. His other works include such movies as the horror movie CAT PEOPLE and the drama FIRST REFORMED, which won an Oscar Nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award used his ZFF Masters Session to talk about his impressive body of work.
Rolf Lyssy’s impressive oeuvre of feature and documentary films makes him one of Switzerland’s most outstanding filmmakers. His masterpiece DIE SCHWEIZERMACHER still remains the most successful Swiss movie to date. In addition to such hit dialect comedies as TEDDY BÄR and LEO SONNYBOY, his work also addresses more serious social issues, as seen in DIE LETZTE POINTE. Lyssy discussed the ups and downs of his career and his feature film EDEN FÜR JEDEN.
The guitarist, composer and music producer’s breakthrough came when he penned the catchy title song for the 1984 hit movie Ghostbusters. On the occasion of the world premiere screening of the documentary film WHO YOU GONNA CALL?, the Emmy Award-winner talked about the road he took from the streets of Detroit – and the racism he experienced there – to the Walk of Fame, and offered insight into his work in (film)music. The event was part of the SoundTrack_Zurich congress.
The icon of French cinema has stood in front of the camera for directorial greats such as Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle and Olivier Assayas. Juliette Binoche received an Oscar for her in role in THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1997), and a further Oscar Nomination in 2000 for her performance in CHOCOLAT. The Golden Icon Award recipient will discuss her success in the film business.
Whether as an actress, screenwriter, or director, this multitalented Frenchwoman boasts an impressive list of credits. Her directorial debut, POLISSE (2011), won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2012, and her follow-up film, MON ROI, received a Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes in 2015. She discussed her autobiographical new film, DNA, and her journey to the pinnacle of the film industry.
He was back! After his visit in 2018, the US acting star and rock musician Johnny Depp was back in 2020 at the Zurich Film Festival. He was presenting his documentary CROCK OF GOLD: A FEW ROUNDS WITH SHANE MCGOWAN, which he helped produce. Johnny Depp was present at the ZFF Masters for a moderated talk.
Til Schweiger captured the public’s heart with comedies such as DER BEWEGTE MANN and DAS SUPERWEIB. He worked as the producer and director of big hit movies like KEINOHRHASEN and HONIG IM KOPF. He talked about his experiences in the German and international film businesses.
The American acting legend honoured us with a second visit – this time with his film THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY, in which he stars alongside Mick Jagger. Sutherland’s Masters session tied in with that of 2018 and gave us a very personal insight into his own work – he did, after all, appear in front of the camera for such director greats as Robert Altman, Federico Fellini, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford, and performed alongside such legends as Dustin Hofmann, Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda. We looked forward with great excitement to his solo performance in Zurich.
Roland Emmerich is a master of the staged catastrophe: German- born Emmerich has made his mark on Hollywood’s sci-fi world with such movies as INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996), GODZILLA (1998) and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004). He has been a screen- writer and director of blockbuster movies for more than 40 years now – and he’s not finished yet at all. In Emmerich’s Masters session, we discovered how he went from the HFF Munich – where he shot his debut DAS ARCHE NOAH PRINZIP (1984) – to Los Angeles, and heard first-hand about the challenges of his career.
Director Bertrand Tavernier once said she’s like a crystal, carrying within her both purity and strength in equal measure. This French woman can look back on a truly multifaceted career. After being discovered at the age of 14 by Jean-Luc Godard, she went on to appear in front of the camera for such renowned filmmakers as Agnieszka Holland, Jim Jarmusch and Richard Linklater. She is also known as the director of 2 DAYS IN PARIS (2007). The director, author and actress visited us with her latest film MY ZOE, the idea for which she had 20 years ago during a conversation with Krzysztof Kieślowski. We were excited to hear what she had to say about the film’s long development.
Winning an Oscar with one of the weirdest haircuts in moviemaking history gets you noticed in Hollywood – this is exactly what Javier Bardem achieved in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2008). The 50- year-old is one of the most sought-after character actors in the business. Bardem sends his audience on a rollercoaster of moods and emotions, be it as a seducer in JAMÓN, JAMÓN (1992), a wheelchair bound ex police officer in CARNE TRÉMULA (1997) or a homosexual writer in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (2000). Bardem opened the treasure chest of experience that is his sensational career, and reported on his project SANCTUARY and his commitment to the environment.
Oliver Stone last appeared at ZFF in 2016 to present his film SNOWDEN. This eccentric filmmaker returned to the ZFF in 2019 with two films. He presented his restored version of THE DOORS, which captures the 60s with a new visual and aural vibrancy and, in his ZFF Masters session, Stone talked about his four-part documentary film series THE PUTIN INTERVIEWS (2017), which saw him get surprisingly close to the Russian President at the Kremlin. His humorous and laid-back narrative style left us time and again antagonised.
