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
Judi Dench
From the Queen of England to James Bond’s boss: there is no character that Judi Dench cannot play.
Born in York in 1934, the exceptional actress attracted a great deal of attention during her early theatre career with the Royal Shakespeare Company. During her life on stage she received a record-breaking eight Olivier Awards. Dench, who first appeared on screen in the drama THE THIRD SECRET, went on to accumulate six Academy Award nominations, before finally winning an Oscar for her short but extraordinary portrayal of Elisabeth I in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998). Her most memorable roles include playing a teacher in NOTES ON A SCANDAL (2006) and the title role in Stephen Frears’ PHILOMENA (2013). Dench played the legendary „M“ in the James Bond franchise, from GOLDENEYE in 1995 to SPECTRE in 2015. The versatile character actress also delighted critics and audiences alike in the TV series A FINE ROMANCE (1981–1984) and AS TIME GOES BY (1992– 2004). The British Dame will travel to Zurich to present her most recent film RED JOAN, which screens after she receives the accolade at Corso cinema on October 3rd.
A Tribute to… Award
Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders has been one of the most important exponents of European cinema since his beginnings in the 1970s as a pioneer of New German Cinema.
Born in 1945, Wenders first studied medicine, philosophy and painting before giving his cinema debut in 1972 with DIE ANGST DES TORMANNS BEIM ELFMETER. This was followed by his multi award-winning ‘road movie’ trilogy about up rootedness in post-war Germany, which comprised ALICE IN DEN STÄDTEN (1974), FALSCHE BEWEGUNG (1975) and IM LAUF DER ZEIT (1976). His international breakthrough came with the crime drama DER AMERIKANISCHE FREUND (1977). He has since worked in Europe, the USA, Latin America and Asia. Wenders’ films have garnered some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including the Golden Lion for DER STAND DER DINGE (1982) and the Golden Palm for PARIS, TEXAS (1984). His documentary films BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999), PINA (2011) and THE SALT OF THE EARTH (2014) have all received Academy Award nominations. In addition to his craft as a filmmaker, Wenders is also a highly acclaimed photographer whose images honour the walls of museums around the world. Wim Wenders will receive the Golden Eye Award in person during the Award Night ceremony on October 6th. ZFF is hosting a Nretrospective of 12 of his most important films.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Donald Sutherland
With an impressive 200 cinema and TV productions under his belt, Donald Sutherland is one of the most respected and versatile actors in America.
This year saw him receive the Academy’s Honorary Award for his life’s work. Having trained at the Academy of Dra- matic Art in London, Sutherland already enjoyed on-stage success before making his international on-screen breakthrough in Robert Altman’s satirical comedy M*A*S*H. Leading roles in such classics as DON’T LOOK NOW (1973), INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1977) and Clint Eastwood’s SPACE COWBOYS (2000) followed soon after. Suther- land won an Emmy Award for his role in the 1995 series CITIZEN X. He played major supporting roles in such films as A TIME TO KILL (1996), INSTINCT (1999) and, since 2012, in the screen adaptation of THE HUNGER GAMES. The actor will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, September 30th. ZFF is hosting a retrospective of his most important works to honour the occasion.
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.
