The Zurich Film Festival presents the official poster of its 22nd edition: The design was created by ZHdK students Mimi Peneva and Nico Frei and selected as the winner through a public vote from three shortlisted projects. In total, more than 3,500 people cast their vote.
A poster that reflects the diversity of the festival
The new poster of the Zurich Film Festival translates the diversity of the festival into a distinctive visual language. Building on the existing logo, Mimi Peneva and Nico Frei developed a modular design system that generates ever-changing abstract faces – representing the people who shape the ZFF: from international stars and emerging talents to the audience.
The design is particularly effective in the digital space: in animated form, the faces become dynamic and evolve playfully, bringing the festival’s visual identity to life in a contemporary way.
Different perspectives, one vision
Mimi Peneva and Nico Frei both study at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), albeit in different disciplines. Peneva (27) studies Art Education, while Frei (23) studies Visual Communication. They developed their design as part of the Minor Student Design Agency. They first met through the street art scene, where they had already collaborated creatively.
Despite their different backgrounds, they quickly found a shared visual language, with the aim of creating a design that resonates with as many people as possible and reflects the openness of the festival.
«We are very pleased that our design will soon be visible everywhere. It is always special when work that is mainly created on the computer suddenly becomes real and you can show what you do,» says Nico Frei. «With our design we wanted to reach as many people as possible and give the ZFF a face that a wide audience can identify with. A face is something that can express emotions across all ages and represents the diversity of the festival,» adds Mimi Peneva.
The audience has decided
The winning design by Mimi Peneva and Nico Frei emerged from a public vote held for the first time. Three designs by ZHdK students were shortlisted before 3,500 people cast their vote and selected the winner.
The project highlights the close collaboration between the ZFF and the ZHdK and demonstrates how the festival actively supports emerging talent.
«From the beginning the ZFF has been committed to supporting emerging talent. We also live this commitment by having the official poster designed each year by ZHdK students. This year, there were many strong proposals to choose from – our audience selected this design. It is a real eye-catcher and reflects the diversity of our programme,» says Christian Jungen, CEO of the ZFF.
«It is always a special moment when students contribute directly to real-world projects. Mimi and Nico have left a visible mark with a real commission – an experience that no academic programme can replace,» say Corina Zuberbühler and Rebecca Morganti-Pfaffhauser, Co-Heads of the Student Design Agency at ZHdK.
You can find the official media release here.
