Father by Tereza Nvotová was awarded the Golden Eye in the Feature Film Competition at the 21st Zurich Film Festival.
In a statement, the Jury commented, “This film tells the story of an ordinary family facing extraordinary circumstances. Its central character is neither a villain nor a hero, but a flawed human being caught in a single, devastating mistake. The film shows how that mistake can shatter what we love most, and yet it is, at its heart, about compassion, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. We were deeply moved by the craft and the humanity of this film. It is our honor to present the Golden Eye Award to Tereza Nvotová for Father.”
Special Mentions went to Love Letters (Des Preuves D’amour) by Alice Douard and Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou.
In the Documentary Film Competition, I Love You, I Leave You by Moris Freiburghaus won the Golden Eye, marking the first time the prize has been awarded to a Swiss film. The film also won the Audience Award.
Special Mentions went to The Ground Beneath Our Feet by Yrsa Roca Fannberg and to Namir Abdel Messeeh’s Life After Siham.
Jury commented, “We loved all three films, but when it came to our winning film, we all agreed that we had never seen anything like it before. In capturing his best friend’s battle with manic episodes over the course of a year, Moris Freiburghaus’ bold directorial debut gives us an unflinching look at mental illness and the unshakeable bonds of friendship and family. For its beautifully rendered and cinematically inventive style, it’s a massive honor for us to present the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary—for the first time in the festival’s history—to a Swiss film … I Love You, I Leave You.”
Also awarded at the 21st Zurich Film Festival: ZFF Critics’ Jury Award – Memory of Princess Mumbi by Damien Hauser received the ZFF Critics’ Jury Award, chosen by the ZFF Critics’ Jury as the best Swiss film in the program (excluding gala premieres). A Special Mention went to the documentary film I Love You, I Leave You. by Moris Freiburghaus
The Jury commented, “As an Afro-futuristic reinterpretation of the story of a princess, Memory of Princess Mumbi transforms a familiar archetype into a visionary narrative. The film is both intimate in its focus on characters and monumental in the breadth of its imagined landscapes. It plays with different genres while serving as a homage to the history of cinema – from the ghostly echoes of silent film to the contemporary engagement with AI in filmmaking. Memory of Princess Mumbi is whimsical, humorous, and profoundly original, laying the foundation for a new cinematic language. It is our great pleasure to honor this work with the ZFF Critics’ Jury Award.”
Other Awards
ZFF for Kids Jury Award – The Prank (Der Prank) by Benjamin Heisenberg
ZFF for Kids Audience Award – The Prank (Der Prank) by Benjamin Heisenberg
Audience Award – I Love You, I Leave You by Moris Freiburghaus
Film Prize of the Churches of Zurich – Life After Siham by Namir Abdel Messeeh
Best International Film Music – Mikal Grigorowitsch
These honorary awards were presented at the 21st ZFF:
Golden Eye Award – Dakota Johnson (Splitsville)
Golden Eye Award – Benedict Cumberbatch (The Thing With Feathers)
Golden Eye Award – Claire Foy (H is for Hawk)
Lifetime Achievement Award – Russell Crowe (Nuremberg)
Golden Icon Award – Colin Farrell (Ballad of a Small Player)
Golden Eye Award – Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
A Tribute To … Award – Noah Baumbach (Jay Kelly)
Career Achievement Award – Anne Walser (Stiller)
Career Achievement Award – Hildur Guðnadóttir
Game Changer Award – Tom Quinn
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