Year after year, the Hashtag section highlights a trending social issue on social media that is shaping public discourse. This year, the 22nd Zurich Film Festival, which runs from September 24 to October 4, 2026, will focus on the pervasive topic of #artificialIntelligence. Highlights of the program include the highly anticipated documentary MUSK by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, as well as the powerful feature film SHEEP IN THE BOX by SHOPLIFTERS director Hirokazu Kore-eda. The Hashtag section is presented by NZZ.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere: It's in our smartphones, it's a part of our decision-making processes, and increasingly gains relevance shaping the structures of the economy, society, and politics. Although billions are being invested and headlines are being published at breakneck speed, the power of AI remains highly concentrated and often opaque. Is AI a tool that enhances human capabilities or a competitor that threatens the role and relevance of humans? Who controls its development, and who is responsible? What are the limits? The films of the Hashtag #artificialIntelligence section seek to answer these questions.
MUSK by Alex Gibney
Elon Musk has amassed so much power that he seems like a character straight out of a Marvel comic. With his companies Tesla and SpaceX and the social media platform X, Musk is considered one of the most influential people in the world. He has fundamentally changed the U.S. government with DOGE. After around four years of work, Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney presents a relentless analysis of one of the most powerful men of our time, featuring the perspectives of people close to Musk, both professionally and personally. The result is the definitive documentary about the tech mogul, offering an impressive collection of Musk's ideas and their impact on technology, the economy, and politics.
SHEEP IN THE BOX by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Otone and Kensuke, a Japanese couple, have been coping with the loss of their son Kakeru for two years. But then they are offered the chance to bring him back in the form of a humanoid robot, based on photos and memories of Kakeru. While both parents react differently to their new son, he, too, begins to gain his own experiences and build complex relationships with the world around him. With poetic power, director Hirokazu Kore-eda (BROCKER) blends a family story with elements of science fiction, telling a tale of grief, identity, and the technological approach to death.
AI: PROBABLY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT by Nick Holt
The history of artificial intelligence is a story about human nature in its most brilliant and ruthless form. Told through the stories of AI pioneers like Geoffrey Hinton and Demis Hassabis, who laid the foundations of artificial intelligence, director Nick Holt traces the story of its origins and the early dangers that were initially ignored. With tense debates, ambition, and the driving energy of a thriller, the documentary poses the central question of which direction AI will take in the future: Will artificial intelligence save or destroy humanity?
THE END OF IT by Maria Martinez Bayona
In a world where aging can be treated and death is an option, Claire (Rebecca Hall), a former artist, is about to celebrate her 250th birthday. However, she has grown weary of life and makes a decision: she wants to die. Those around her, especially her husband (Gael García Bernal), her daughter, and her AI assistant, are shocked by her decision. As Claire grapples with the meaning of life and death, her role as an artist comes to the forefront. A visually striking directorial debut by María Martínez Bayona.
TECHPLOMACY by Susanne Kovács
At just 33 years old, Anne Marie Engtoft Larsen is taking on some of the world’s most powerful technology companies. As the first tech ambassador, Larsen is advocating for regulation and rights in Silicon Valley to ensure a liberal and democratic digital society and limit the power of U.S. tech giants, who view capital and data flows as equally important to a democratic future. However, with the U.S. government under Donald Trump, there is a risk that all progress will be undone. Will we fall back into a state of lawlessness – a digital Wild West?
FINDING CONNECTION by Florian Karner
What do you expect from a relationship? What exactly is a relationship? If you have grown accustomed to using ChatGPT for help at work or even as a therapist, you’re not alone. For some, however, the connection to artificial intelligence runs deeper. FINDING CONNECTION follows people searching for emotional connection who find solace in algorithms. With refreshing perspectives and intimate conversations between people and machines, director Florian Karner offers bold insights into this unconventional type of relationship and the challenges it presents.
GHOST IN THE MACHINE by Valerie Veatch
Where does the power of artificial intelligence lie? Through interviews with historians, sociologists, and journalists from around the world, GHOST IN THE MACHINE explores the history of artificial intelligence. The documentary examines the ideologies and worldviews that have shaped AI, as well as the resulting power structures that persist to this day. Director Valerie Veatch delves into the origins and modern evolution of AI, asking how people can maintain a sense of self-determination in a technology-driven world.
The complete program for the 22nd ZFF will be published on the website on Wednesday, September 9, starting at 12:00 PM. Ticket sales will begin on Monday, September 14, 2026.
