I had the opportunity to interview Karl Spoerri Artistic Director of Zurich Film Festival a few days before the festival was over.
Polanski's arrest suddenly put the festival in the spotlight. It clearly was wrong unwanted publicity...but still publicity.
This being said, my first question to Karl
BC: What are you most proud of in the 2009 edition of Zurich festival?
RS: A brilliant competition (30 films in 3 competitions) so beautiful, and the reaction in the audience wonde...
I had the opportunity to interview Karl Spoerri Artistic Director of Zurich Film Festival a few days before the festival was over.Polanski’s arrest suddenly put the festival in the spotlight. It clearly was wrong unwanted publicity…but still publicity.This being said, my first question to KarlBC: What are you most proud of in the 2009 edition of Zurich festival?RS: A brilliant competition (30 films in 3 competitions) so beautiful, and the reaction in the audience wonderful, all directors in...
Best International Feature Film
Presided over by actress Debra Winger, the jury of the International Feature Film Competition awarded its Golden Eye to the Russian drama Wolfy by Vasilij Sigarev. In this competition category curated by Nikolaj Nikitin, the jury chose the film for "its haunting and single-minded vision, extraordinary lead performance and imaginative use of cinematic language".
Best International Dokumentary Film
The International Documenta...
5th Zurich Film Festival: September 24 – October 4, 2009Sunday, October 4, 2009The three prize winners of the Zurich Film Festival’s “International Feature Film”, “German-Language Feature Film” and “International Documentary Film” competition categories have been announced: The Russian contribution Wolfy by Vasilij Sigarev won the International Feature Film Competition, the best German-Language Feature Film award went to 66/67 – Fairplay is over by Carsten Ludwig and Jan-Christ...
The 5th Zurich Film Festival will take place at the cinemas corso and Arthouse Le Paris from September 24 until October 4, 2009. A public festival for those who have already seen it all. The Zurich Film Festival will screen more than 60 Swiss and international film premieres in the International Feature Film Competition, the International Documentary Film Competition, the German Language Film Competition, the Out of Competition and New World View Argentina series. Entering just its fifth year,...
Roman Polanski is weighing his legal options after his arrest Saturday at the Zurich Airport.
If he agrees to allow extradition, he could be sent to the U.S. within a few days. If he fights the order, it could take several months for the case to get through Swiss courts.
Ever since being charged in 1977 for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, Polanski has lived in Paris and has avoi...
The following solidarity note was issued yesterday and read out at the Zurich Film Festival's special event held in honour of Roman Polanski:As members of the European Film Academy and the European film community we protest at the arbitrary treatment of one of the world's most outstanding film directors. We declare our deep respect for our colleague and friend Roman Polanski and we demand his immediate release.
Wim Wenders
Volker Schloendorff
Victoria Abril
Peter Susc...
The Zurich Film Festival received an unexpected international focus in the media when the news of Polanski's arrest became public.
Polanski Le Locataire The tenant
Roman Polanski was arrested september 27th by Swiss police in connection with a 32-year-old sex case at the request of U.S. authorities as the director arrived in the country to...
The Zurich Film Festival received an unexpected international focus in the media when the news of Polanski arrest became public.Roman Polanski was arrested september 26th by Swiss police on his arrival at the Zurich airport in connection with a 32-year-old sex case at the request of U.S. authorities as the director arrived in the country to receive his award at the Zurich Film Festival. French minister of culture Frederic Mitterand, declared "There is a face of USA that we love, but today Americ...
The Zurich Film Festival is off to a wonderful start! Attracting prominent national and international guests from the fields of politics, business and the entertainment industry, the dazzling opening night will be followed by ten jam-packed days of cinematic highlights. Fifty films will be screened, most of them in the presence of their directors, who will then be available to answer questions from the audience immediately after the premieres. Evening side events at the Seefeld-Razzia, Valzer Ba...
5th Zurich Film Festival: September 24 – October 4, 2009Thursday, September 10, 2009Thirty Films in Three Competitions, Ten World Premieres and Celebrated GuestsThe 5th Zurich Film Festival has announced further film highlights, introduced the three competition juries and presented the entire festival program.Festival directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri and curators of the Competition Program Christine von Fragstein and Nikolaj Nikitin, announced the Competition and the Out of Compet...
The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced today that revered screen icon and Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman will receive the coveted Golden Icon Award at this year’s Festival, taking place September 24 – October 4. The announcement was made by ZFF Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.The Zurich Film Festival will present the Golden Icon Award to Mr. Freeman during its Closing Night on Saturday, October 3, 2009. The Icon Award stands as the Festival’s most prestigious symbol ...
The 5th Zurich Film Festival will celebrate its opening with the world premiere of the German language comedy Lila Lila, which will screen at the Cinema Corso on Thursday night, September 24th. The announcement was made today by ZFF Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.On hand for the world premiere screening will be the film’s lead actors Daniel Brühl (Good Bye Lenin!, The Edukators) and Hannah Herzsprung (4 Minutes, The Reader), Director Alain Gsponer (Kiki and Tiger, Rose) and the...
It was announced today that the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will present Oscar® winner Roman Polanski with the Festival’s prestigious Golden Eye Award for his life’s work as a film director. The announcement was made today by ZFF Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.Roman Polanski is regarded as one of the most unconventional filmmakers of our time and will receive the Golden Eye Award on Sunday, September 27th, as part of ZFF’s ongoing “A Tribute To...” series during the 5th ...
It was announced today that the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has chosen Argentina as the country of focus for its popular New World View series at this year’s Festival. The announcement was made today by ZFF Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.Highlighting different countries every year, ZFF’s New World View series presents films from a country whose current filmmaking stands out in global comparison, opens new perspectives and broadens the cinematic horizon. From September 26 to Oct...
Critics' Choice Award: First-time Awarding of The Swiss Association of Film Journalists Critics' Prize in the International Feature Film Competition Series Award giving ceremony on Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Rüsterei in ZurichCo-director Karl Spoerri has managed to convince the Swiss Association of Film Journalists (SVFJ) to confer the Critics’ Choice Award within the International Feature Film Competition series at the 5th edition of the Zurich Film Festival. „We view the collaboratio...
Filmfestivals.com and Film Festival Locarno in partnership with CFC Media Lab, Telefilm Canada are proud to present Future of Cinema Salon Series at the Film Festival Locarno which took place August 9 with The Premiere Panel on digital distribution in association with XDC and Cineuropa.org featuring Elisabetta Brunella (Mediasalles Secretary Gene...
Peter Fonda is Jury President at the 4th Zurich Film FestivalFestival Programme announcement: 2 World Premieres in the International CompetitionThe festival administration announced the programme and the members of this year’s jury at their press conference on September 11, 2008. The 4th Zurich Film Festival will present selected films by young filmmakers from around the world in the cinemas corso and Le Paris. In order to encourage the creation of new films, The Zurich Film Festival will pres...
It was announced today that the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will present Oscar® winner Constantin Costa-Gavras with the Festival’s prestigious Golden Eye Award for his life work as a director, scriptwriter and producer. The announcement was made today by ZFF Director Karl Spoerri.Costa-Gavras will be the guest of honour for the Festival’s tribute (presented as Zurich Film Festival’s “A Tribute to”) and award ceremony on the evening of Friday, October 4. The Festival has also programmed...
It was announced today that the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has chosen Israel as the country of focus for its popular New World View series at this year’s Festival. The announcement was made today by ZFF Director Karl Spoerri.Highlighting different countries every year, ZFF’s New World View series presents films from a country whose current filmmaking stands out in global comparison, opens new perspectives and broadens the cinematic horizon. From September 25 to October 5, 2008, the festival ...
The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced today that legendary screen icon Sylvester Stallone will receive the inaugural Golden Icon Award at this year’s Festival, taking place September 25 – October 5. The announcement was made by ZFF Founder and Managing Director Karl Spoerri. Serving as the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, honoring the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress, the Golden Icon Award will be inaugurated with Stallone’s acceptance on the public openi...
The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) today unveiled details of its 3rd Zurich Master Class, to take place during the 2008 Festival (September 25 – October 5). The first group of lecturers for the highly regarded Zurich Master Class include such industry notables as acclaimed British director and writer Ken Loach (“Cathy Come Home,” “Just a Kiss”), winner of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or for “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”; Chinese composer and Oscar and Grammy winner T...
The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced today that it has hired Rogers & Cowan, the world’s leading entertainment public relations and marketing agency, to develop and execute a comprehensive international publicity and marketing campaign to support this year’s Festival (September 25 – October 5). The announcement was made today by ZFF Founder and Managing Director Karl Spoerri and Rogers & Cowan CEO, Tom Tardio.Rogers & Cowan is tasked with implementing an extensive, multi-tiered campaig...
