Zurich Film Festival reveals lineup for its 20th edition

24/09/2024 – As part of the festival’s anniversary celebrations, 107 films will be screened, 35 of which will have their world or European premiere

The programme of the Zurich Film Festival (3–13 October), which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, includes 107 films, 35 of which will have their world or European premieres.

Viewers will be able to watch no less than twelve Swiss films whose world premieres will take place this year: Michal KrummenacherSpy movie Traitor, AND Maria Brendlhistorical drama Frieda’s Fallwhich will be displayed in the Gala Premieres section, as well as Lisa BruhlmannThe second full-length work, When we were sisterswhich was selected for the Feature Film Competition. Numerous high-level stars from Hollywood, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland will also present their films to the audience during this anniversary edition of the event.

Fourteen titles have been selected for the aforementioned Feature Film Competition, which aims to introduce audiences to new talents struggling with their first, second or third works. As highlighted in the press release, many of these films tell stories revolving around women, such as Mariana WainsteinArgentine-Spanish co-production Linda (+see also:
movie review
trailer
movie profile)AND Mother Mara (+see also:
movie review
movie profile) by a Serbian director and actress Mirjana Karanovic. We will also see many films made by female directors (8 out of 14 titles), such as the German About Louis Italian director living in Berlin Lucia Chiarlawhich tells the story of a family struggling with the persecution their son is subjected to, and a Swiss film Bold (+see also:
movie review
trailer
movie profile) By Jasmine Gordonexploring uncertainty in wealthy Switzerland. The programme also includes a number of European (co)productions, in addition to those mentioned above, in particular Under the volcano (+see also:
movie review
interview: Damian Kocur
movie profile) through Poland Damian Kocurwhich is a family drama exploring the terrible, behind-the-scenes consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, French films Royal (+see also:
movie review
interview: Julien Colonna
movie profile) by a Corsican director Julian Colonna AND Lawrence Valinsuper energetic thriller Little Jaffna (+see also:
movie review
interview: Lawrence Valin
movie profile), Bogdan MuresanuDrama focusing on the dictatorship of Ceausescu The New Year That Never Came (+see also:
movie review
movie profile), Karen KandhariAn absurd comedy about an arranged marriage. Sister North (+see also:
movie review
trailer
interview: Karan Kandhari
movie profile)Welsh director of Zambian origin Rungano NyoniMovie “s” About becoming a guinea fowl (+see also:
movie review
interview: Rungano Nyoni, Susan Chardy
movie profile)AND Jianjie Linpsychological thriller A Brief History of the Family (+see also:
movie review
trailer
movie profile).

As part of the Documentary Film Competition, this year’s ZFF will invite us to look at the world from a critical and militant perspective, and the artistic director will be Christian youth enthusiastically: “This year’s Documentary Competition is more political than ever.” There are also many European (co)productions in this section. These include Dad (+see also:
movie review
interview: Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc
movie profile) By Lina Vdovîi AND Radu Ciorniciucwhich shows how emotional coercion and domestic violence are passed down from generation to generation; Battle of Laikipia By Daphne Matziarakia sort of thriller turned political essay about the tragic struggle for land and resources that takes place on the Laikipia plateau; Theft of giants By Karl Ammann AND Laurin Merzwho takes a critical look at the illegal elephant trade; Russians at War By Anastasia Trofimovafocusing on Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine; a moving work An extraordinary life from Ibelin (+see also:
movie review
interview: Benjamin Ree
movie profile) through Norway Benjamin Ree; an extremely moving ethnographic film Wolves always come at night (+see also:
movie review
movie profile) by an Australian Gabrielle Brady; March in the Dark By Kinshuk Surjanexploring the precarious and exhausting lives of farmers in India; a Swiss film Home is an ocean By Livia Vonaeschin which the director observes the everyday life of a family that has been living on a sailboat for twenty years; Happiness Agent (+see also:
movie review
movie profile) By Arun Bhattarai AND Dorottya Zurbó; Black Box Diaries (+see also:
movie review
movie profile) by a Japanese director and journalist Shiori Itōwhich focuses on the widely publicized rape case that the director herself experienced, and Hiding Saddam Hussein (+see also:
movie review
movie profile) By Halkawt Mustafa.

Meanwhile, the festival’s industry highlight will be the Zurich Summit, a leading platform for creative industries that will bring together a range of producers, business executives and film, television and entertainment creators, as well as entrepreneurs and financiers from the technology sector. ZFF Masters, which organizes privileged meetings between the audience and directors, screenwriters, producers and actors, will further enhance the event, as will the Special Screening Award, a closed screening event where Oscar voters will be able to see the Swiss representative Thunder (+see also:
movie review
trailer
interview: Carmen Jaquier
movie profile); Film Music Competition, an international competition dedicated to soundtracks; Industry Spotlights, which aims to present important topics from the film industry; Leading FeMales, which puts the spotlight on exceptional women working in the film industry; SoundTrack_zurich, a professional three-day event dedicated to film and media music; SRF Writer’s Day, which will be dedicated to the topic of artificial intelligence in the future of Swiss television programming; Zurich Filmnacht, dedicated to the relationship between the city of Zurich and Swiss film production; and How to Kinderfilm, specially designed for families and children.

(Translated from Italian)