A Tribute to ... Noah Baumbach

The 21st Zurich Film Festival will honor U.S. director and screenwriter Noah Baumbach with the prestigious A Tribute to … Award for his outstanding contribution to film history. The honorary award will be presented to him on September 26 during the gala premiere of his new film JAY KELLY at the Kongresshaus. In addition, Baumbach will hold a public ZFF Masters.

Noah Baumbach has been one of the most distinctive voices in American cinema for decades. With films such as THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (2005), FRANCES HA (2012) and MARRIAGE STORY (2019), he has made film history and become synonymous with finely tuned yet humorous relationship dramas. Baumbach’s MARRIAGE STORY received six Academy Award nominations, with actress Laura Dern winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2020. Time and again, Baumbach succeeds in blending intimate everyday stories with existential questions—brought to life by outstanding actors such as Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Nicole Kidman, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman and Greta Gerwig.

«With Noah Baumbach, we are honoring an auteur who has shaped U.S. cinema for decades with his subtle insight into human relationships and his precise powers of observation», says Christian Jungen, Festival Director of the ZFF. «JAY KELLY is, in my opinion, one of the outstanding films of the year and one of those works that, looking back, will be regarded as a masterpiece.»

His new film JAY KELLY also remains true to the «comédie humaine»:  Movie star Jay Kelly (George Clooney) travels to Tuscany to accept an honorary award at a film festival. However, the glamorous jaunt quickly turns into a turbulent road trip across Europe with his manager, Ron (Adam Sandler). Haunted by demons from his past, Jay must confront old decisions and his own legacy. Starring George Clooney, Adam Sandler, and Laura Dern, Noah Baumbach's JAY KELLY is one of the most entertaining comedies of the year, offering a tongue-in-cheek look at the film business.