Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen’s tennis drama Borg/McEnroe starring Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason will open the 13th Zurich Film Festival on September 28, 2017. Director Janus Metz Pedersen and Björn Borg-actor Sverrir Gudnason will attend as the Zurich Film Festival’s honorary guests.
Wimbledon, July 5, 1980: tennis pros Björn Borg and John McEnroe square up at the Wimbledon final for one of sporting history’s most legendary duels. The 24-year-old Swede and world’s number one ranked tennis player (Sverrir Gudnason) is feeling exhausted and burned out. The 20-year-old New Yorker (Shia LaBeouf) is determined to beat him. The two opponents go on to deliver a nerve-racking and grinding battle in one of the most suspense-packed matches in tennis history.
Said ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri: „We are extremely proud to be opening the ZFF for the first time with a Swedish production. Borg/McEnroe is one of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies and is sure to delight cinemagoers around the globe.” They continued: “Borg/McEnroe is most definitely not a film just for tennis fans, but a thrilling cinema experience for everybody.”
Legends of the tennis world
The Swede Björn Borg and US American John McEnroe are two of the tennis world’s greatest legends – and their on-court rivalry is just as legendary. Borg/McEnroe depicts the two tennis icons as they prepare for the Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Borg is desperate to leave his mark as the winner of five titles in a row. His opponent is the ambitious young McEnroe, who is only driven by the thought of finally knocking Borg off his throne.
While Borg prepares for the duel aided by his trainer Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgård), McEnroe continues to hit newspaper headlines. But despite the difference in their personalities, the two men come to realise that they have more in common than they could possibly have imagined.
Björn Borg and John McEnroe played each other a total of 14 times between 1978 and 1981. Their on-court rivalry was famous the world over and compounded by the competitors’ conflicting personalities: while Borg remained cool and placid, McEnroe was famous for his fits of temper.
Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf undertook two months of intensive tennis training in order to lend their characters more authenticity. The movie was shot in Borg’s hometown of Södertälje near Stockholm in Sweden, and further in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Prague, London and Monaco.
Borg/McEnroe hits cinemas in Switzerland on October 12, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqEZurich Film Festival
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BORG/McENROE Starring Shia LaBeouf, Sverrir Gudnason to Open Zurich Film Festival
Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen’s tennis drama Borg/McEnroe starring Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason will open the 13th Zurich Film Festival on September 28, 2017. Director Janus Metz Pedersen and Björn Borg-actor Sverrir Gudnason will attend as the Zurich Film Festival’s honorary guests.
Wimbledon, July 5, 1980: tennis pros Björn Borg and John McEnroe square up at the Wimbledon final for one of sporting history’s most legendary duels. The 24-year-old Swede and world’s number one ranked tennis player (Sverrir Gudnason) is feeling exhausted and burned out. The 20-year-old New Yorker (Shia LaBeouf) is determined to beat him. The two opponents go on to deliver a nerve-racking and grinding battle in one of the most suspense-packed matches in tennis history.
Said ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri: „We are extremely proud to be opening the ZFF for the first time with a Swedish production. Borg/McEnroe is one of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies and is sure to delight cinemagoers around the globe.” They continued: “Borg/McEnroe is most definitely not a film just for tennis fans, but a thrilling cinema experience for everybody.”
Legends of the tennis world
The Swede Björn Borg and US American John McEnroe are two of the tennis world’s greatest legends – and their on-court rivalry is just as legendary. Borg/McEnroe depicts the two tennis icons as they prepare for the Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Borg is desperate to leave his mark as the winner of five titles in a row. His opponent is the ambitious young McEnroe, who is only driven by the thought of finally knocking Borg off his throne.
While Borg prepares for the duel aided by his trainer Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgård), McEnroe continues to hit newspaper headlines. But despite the difference in their personalities, the two men come to realise that they have more in common than they could possibly have imagined.
Björn Borg and John McEnroe played each other a total of 14 times between 1978 and 1981. Their on-court rivalry was famous the world over and compounded by the competitors’ conflicting personalities: while Borg remained cool and placid, McEnroe was famous for his fits of temper.
Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf undertook two months of intensive tennis training in order to lend their characters more authenticity. The movie was shot in Borg’s hometown of Södertälje near Stockholm in Sweden, and further in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Prague, London and Monaco.
Borg/McEnroe hits cinemas in Switzerland on October 12, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE
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Lisa Langseth’s EUPHORIA Starring Alicia Vikander to Premiere at Zurich Film Festival
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Euphoria[/caption]
Euphoria directed by Lisa Langseth and starring Alicia Vikander will receive its European premiere as a Gala Premiere at the 2017 Zurich Film Festival on September 29. The film also stars Eva Green, Charlotte Rampling, Charles Dance, Mark Stanley, Adrian Lester.
In the film, two sisters Ines (Alicia Vikander) and Emilie (Eva Green), who have become estranged, after years apart, meet up again and undertake a profound journey together.
In addition to previous Gala Premieres, the festival also announced new films from Tonie Marshall, Destin Daniel Cretton, Amanda Sthers and Silvio Soldini.
NUMÉRO UNE
Directed by: Tonie Marshall
Cast: Emmanuelle Devos, Suzanne Clement, Richard Berry, Benjamin Biolay, Sami Frey
THE GLASS CASTLE
Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, Max Greenfield
MADAME
Directed by: Amanda Sthers
Cast: Toni Collette, Harvey Keitel, Rossy de Palma, Michael Smiley
IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE
Directed by: Silvio Soldini
Cast: Adriano Giannini, Laura Adriani, Valeria Golino, Arianna Scommegna, Anna Ferzetti, Andrea Pennacchi
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Zurich Film Festival to Honor Andrew Garfield with Award, BREATHE to Screen as Gala Premiere
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Breathe[/caption]
Andrew Garfield will receive the prestigious Golden Eye Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival, and his latest film Breathe will have its Gala Premiere at the festival on Friday, October 6th.
Garfield will be in Zurich alongside actor Andy Serkis, who is making his directorial debut, and producer Jonathan Cavendish, whose parents’ story the film is based on.
“Following on from his masterful performances in Hacksaw Ridge and Silence, Andrew Garfield’s powerful and enthralling turn in Breathe reinforces him as one of the true stars of his generation” stated ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri. “We are delighted to welcome him to Zurich and present him with our Golden Eye award at this year’s Festival.”
Andrew Garfield
In 2016, Garfield appeared on the big screen in Mel Gibson’s Academy Award®-nominated World War II epic, Hacksaw Ridge. Garfield’s critically acclaimed performance earned him lead actor nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and BAFTA Awards. That year Garfield also starred in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of the literary classic Silence alongside Liam Neeson and Adam Driver. Garfield’s additional film credits include: Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which combined grossed over 1.5 billion at the box-office; Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes opposite Michael Shannon and Laura Dern; David Fincher’s The Social Network, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor; Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan; Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Spike Jonze’s robot love story I’m Here; Robert Redford’s Lions for Lambs; Julian Jarrold’s Red Riding Trilogy – 1974; and John Crowley’s Boy A, for which he earned BAFTA’s Best Actor Award in 2008. Garfield will soon be seen in A24’s modern noir crime thriller Under the Silver Lake, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. Garfield could last be seen on stage in the UK in the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’ directed by Tony Award®-winning Marianne Elliott. Garfield made his Broadway debut in 2012 in the revival of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘Death of a Salesman’, opposite Phillip Seymour-Hoffman and directed by Mike Nichols. His portrayal of Biff Loman earned him a Tony® nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.Breathe
Based on the true story of Robin Cavendish, Breathe is a heart-warming and highly emotional celebration of bravery and human possibility, a love story about living every breath as though it’s your last. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Cavendish and Claire Foy as his wife Diana. From a script by twice Academy Award-nominated screenwriter William Nicholson , Andy Serkis (globally known for his performances including, War for the Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) delivers a hugely impressive directorial debut with this inspirational true story of love without limits. Adventurous and charismatic, Robin Cavendish has his whole life ahead of him when he is paralysed by polio whilst in Africa and given just months to live. Against all advice, Robin’s wife Diana brings him home from hospital where her devotion and witty determination inspire him to lead a long and fulfilled life. Together they refuse to be limited by expectations, dazzling others with their humour, courage and lust for life. The film’s supporting cast members include Hugh Bonneville (Paddington) and Tom Hollander (The Night Manager) as Robin’s devoted, long-time friends. Stephen Mangan (Rush) and acting legend Dame Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones, the original The Avengers) complete the cast, with a soundtrack by the acclaimed composer Nitin Sawhney.
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Zurich Film Festival 2017 Gala Premieres – BATTLE OF THE SEXES, THE FLORIDA PROJECT and More
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THE FLORIDA PROJECT[/caption]
With the 13th Zurich Film Festival, taking place September 28 to October 8, 2017, about a month away, the festival is giving a first look at the 2017 Gala Premieres films. Films from Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, Mike White, Claire Denis, Sean Baker, Ruben Östlund, Michael Haneke, Yorgos Lanthimos and Luca Guadagnino will be presented as Gala Premieres.
The festival previously announced the inclusion of AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER with Al Gore and THE WIFE with Golden Icon Award recipient Glenn Close.
2017 Zurich Film Festival Gala Premieres
BATTLE OF THE SEXES Directed by: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough BRAD’S STATUS Directed by: Mike White Cast: Ben Stiller, Michael Sheen, Jenna Fischer, Luke Wilson, Austin Abrams UN BEAU SOLEIL INTERIEUR Directed by: Claire Denis Cast: Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine, Josiane Balasko, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Gérard Depardieu THE FLORIDA PROJECT Directed by: Sean Baker Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, Bria Vinaite, Macon Blair, Sandy Kane, Caleb Landry Jones, Karren Karagulian THE SQUARE Directed by: Ruben Östlund Cast: Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary, Christopher Laessø, Marina Schiptjenko, Elijandro Edouard, Daniel Hallberg, Martin Sööder HAPPY END Directed by: Michael Haneke Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Sunny Suljic, Raffey Cassidy, Alicia Silverstone CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Directed by: Luca Guadagnino Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois, Vanda Capriolo, Antonio Rimoldi, Elena Bucci, Marco Sgrosso, André Aciman, Peter Spears
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Glenn Close to Receive Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Icon Award and Present Latest Film THE WIFE
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Glenn Close (with Jonathan Pryce) in The Wife[/caption]
Actress Glenn Close will receive the Golden Icon Award at this year’s Zurich Festival, and present her latest film, The Wife with her co-stars Jonathan Pryce and Annie Starke and director Björn Runge.
The Golden Icon Award is the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, in appreciation of the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress. Glenn Close will be honored with the award on Sunday October 1.
ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri state “We’re honored to present Glenn Close with our Golden Icon Award at this year’s Festival. From her commanding portrayal of Patty Hewes in Damages to the glorious Marquise de Merteuil in Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liasions via Alex Forrest and Cruella De Vil, Glenn Close has brought her extraordinary presence to countless memorable roles over a truly formidable career. We are delighted to welcome her to Zurich and screen her latest film The Wife.”
THE WIFE
Behind any great man, there’s always a greater woman … and you’re about to meet her. It is crucial you get to know this woman – many of us already do and don’t even realise it. Joan Castleman (Glenn Close): a highly intelligent and still-striking beauty – the perfect alpha wife. Forty years spent sacrificing her own talent, dreams and ambitions to fan the flames of her charismatic husband Joe (Jonathan Pryce) and his skyrocketing literary career. Ignoring his infidelities and excuses because of his “art” with grace and humor. Their fateful pact has built a marriage upon uneven compromises. And Joan’s reached her breaking point. On the eve of Joe’s Nobel Prize for Literature, the crown jewel in a spectacular body of work, Joan’s coup de grace is to confront the biggest sacrifice of her life and secret of his career. The Wife is a poignant, funny and emotional journey; a celebration of womanhood, self-discovery and liberation.
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Former Vice President Al Gore to Present AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER at Zurich Film Festival
Former Vice President Gore will attend the 2017 Zurich Film Festival to present An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, the long awaited follow-up to An Inconvenient Truth, on Sunday October 8th at the Corso Cinema.
A decade afterAn Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy.
Cameras follow him behind the scenes – in moments both private and public, funny and poignant – as he pursues the inspirational idea that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion.
ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri comment “We are proud to welcome Al Gore, one of the most globally influential politicians, environmental activists and Nobel Prize winners of recent years.An Inconvenient Truth was a truly powerful and impactful movie and we respect his continued efforts to inform and inspire audiences around the world. We are delighted to be able to screen An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huX1bmfdkyA
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2015 Zurich Film Festival Awards, RAMS Wins Top ‘Golden Eye’ Award
RAMS (HRÚTAR) by Grimur Hakonarson from Iceland continues its winning streak, grabbing the top award, the Golden Eye for International Feature Film at the 11th Zurich Film Festival. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Award at 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Rams “details the hardships of daily farm work in remote Iceland with humanism and humor,” where two brothers who haven’t spoken in forty years will have to come together in order to save what’s dearest to them : their rams.
The other top 2015 Zurich Film Festival Awards – Golden Eye awards went KINGS OF NOWHERE (LOS REYES DEL PUEBLO QUE NO EXISTE) by Betzabé García from Mexico for International Documentary Film and THANK YOU FOR BOMBING by Barbara Eder from Austria for Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria.
The Emerging Swiss Talent Award given to a Swiss film went to THE MIRACLE OF TEKIR by Ruxandra Zenide (Switzerland). The Critics’ Choice Award goes to PIKADERO by Ben Sharrock (Spain), The Audience Award goes to AMATEUR TEENS by Niklaus Hilber (Switzerland) and the Audience Award in the ZFF for Kids section goes to SUPILINNA SALASELTS by Margus Paju (Estonia).
2015 Zurich Film Festival Awards
Golden Eye for Best International Feature Film:
HRÚTAR by Grimur Hakonarson (Iceland, Denmark)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=IybJjb3VHhM
A Special Mention goes to:
Koudous Seihon (actor) in MEDITERRANEA by Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, USA, Germany, Qatar)
Marielle Heller (director) for THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (USA)
Golden Eye for Best International Documentary Film:
KINGS OF NOWHERE (LOS REYES DEL PUEBLO QUE NO EXISTE) by Betzabé García (Mexico)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49kLABSplPM
A Special Mention goes to:
KILLING TIME – ENTRE DEUX FRONTS by Lydie Wisshaupt-Claudel (Belgium, France)
Golden Eye for Best Film in the Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria:
THANK YOU FOR BOMBING by Barbara Eder (Austria)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpE4RSMuLTs
A Special Mention goes to:
GRUBER GEHT by Marie Kreutzer (Austria)
The Emerging Swiss Talent Award for Best Swiss Film:
THE MIRACLE OF TEKIR by Ruxandra Zenide (Switzerland/Rumania)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd8fGetLsWw
Critic’s Choice Award
The Swiss Association of Film Journalists (SVFJ) award their prize for Best Debut Feature Film in the Competition Section to:
PIKADERO by Ben Sharrock (Spain, UK)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r5Cv5_YugY
Audience Award
AMATEUR TEENS by Niklaus Hilber (Switzerland)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=o5tjEnAJc5E
Audience Award for Children’s Film
SUPILINNA SALASELTS by Margus Paju (Estonia)
Treatment Competition Award
Stefanie Klemm for RENATAS ERWACHEN (Switzerland)
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Swiss directors Michael Steiner and Jan Gassmann Win 1st Filmmaker Award at 11th Zurich Film Festival
Oscar winner Christoph Waltz presented the first-ever ‘Filmmaker Award’ on Saturday Evening to the two Swiss directors Michael Steiner and Jan Gassmann. Michael Steiner’s project “Und morgen seid ihr tot” (“Tomorrow You’ll Be Dead”) received CHF 75’000 and Jan Gassmann’s project “Europe, She Loves” received CHF 25’000. The two winners were chosen from a total of four nominated projects.
The presentation took place at the IWC gala dinner‚ For the Love of Cinema held as part of the 11th Zurich Film Festival.
Said the delighted film actor Christoph Waltz: “I am proud to be here in person to present this award, which is very important for the Swiss film industry”. He continued: “Providing sponsorship for filmmakers is a necessary and relevant task, one which makes a significant contribution to the diversity of Swiss film.” Christoph Waltz shot to fame with roles in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and DJANGO UNCHAINED by the American cult director Quentin Tarantino.
The project UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT from producers Bernhard Burgener and Norbert Preuss tells the true story of two Swiss citizens, Daniela Widmer and David Och, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in Pakistan in July 2011 and succeeded in making a spectacular escape after eight months spent in captivity. Shooting is planned to start in February 2016. The film will be directed by Michael Steiner, known for his works MEIN NAME IST EUGEN and GROUNDING.
Now in post-production, the project EUROPE, SHE LOVES from producer Lisa Blatter portrays five couples forced to draw deep on their reserves of wit and love as they struggle for everyday survival in a Europe shaken by the economic crisis. “The scripts of both these films stood out for their compelling storytelling and the exceptional sensitivity with which these two very different stories were told. Hopefully we’ll be able to see both of them on the big screen soon,” said IWC CEO Georges Kern during the award ceremony.
For director Marc Forster, who was also a member of the jury, the Filmmaker Award represents a real milestone for the domestic film industry: “By specifically backing projects in the pre- or post-production stages, we are plugging a gap in the existing funding available for films,” he explained.
image credit: IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN FOR THE LOVE OF CINEMA GALA DINNER
26 SEPTEMBER, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND Bernhard Burgener, Norbert Preuss and Michael Steiner (Und morgen seid ihr tot) and Lisa Blatter and Jan Gassmann (Europe, She Loves) receive the Filmmaker Award. The award was set up by the Association for the Promotion of Film in Switzerland (Verein zur Filmfoerderung in der Schweiz), a non-profit organization founded by Marc Forster, IWC CEO Georges Kern, the co-directors of the Zurich Film Festival Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, and the CEO of Ringier, Marc Walder. (Photo by Lennart Preiss/Getty Images for IWC)
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Steve Golin Producer of SPOTLIGHT, to Receive Zurich Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award
US producer Steve Golin will be the recipient of the 2015 Zurich Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award. He will bring along his latest feature film SPOTLIGHT, which will screen at the festival as a Gala Premiere. Golin will also attend the festival together with showrunner Sam Esmail and the actors Christian Slater and Rami Malek from the TV series MR. ROBOT. The award and celebration will include a retrospective featuring some of his most popular hit films.
Steve Golin is the founder and CEO of the multimedia development, production and talent management company Anonymous Content. He made his name with such films as BABEL, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. Starring Rachel McAdams in the lead and such greats as Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, John Slattery and Billy Crudup in further roles, his latest production SPOTLIGHT screens as a Gala Premiere on Monday September 28.
Written and directed by Tom McCarthy, SPOTLIGHT tells the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. Golin produced the film with Michael Sugar, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXymzwz0V2g
Steve Golin has produced a number of feature films throughout his career, including David Fincher’s THE GAME, Spike Jonze’s BEING JOHN MALKOVIC, Michel Gondry’s ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BABEL and Gavin Hood’s RENDITION. BABEL received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 2006.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger to be Honored at Zurich Film Festival, Fest to Screen Latest Film “MAGGIE” | TRAILER
Arnold Schwarzenegger will receive the coveted Golden Icon Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), taking place September 24 to October 4, 2015.
The award is considered the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, awarded in appreciation of the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress.
In addition to receiving ZFF’s Golden Icon Award, Schwarzenegger will present his latest film, MAGGIE, and discuss his body of work in A Conversation With… Arnold Schwarzenegger’.
“We are extraordinarily proud to welcome Arnold Schwarzenegger one of Hollywood’s most iconic legends, to Zurich and are delighted that he will share his films and stories with our public,” said Zurich Film Festival Artistic Director Karl Spoerri. “Arnold has had a transformative career that no one in Hollywood can match and established himself as a global brand, even beyond the box office. We are honored to present him with our Golden Icon award at this year’s Festival.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cthHQnwk9zY
Image: Arnold Schwarzenegger with Abigail Breslin in ‘Maggie.’ Tracy Bennett/Roadside Attractions
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Kiefer Sutherland to Receive Zurich Film Festival’s ‘Golden Eye’ Award; Latest Film FORSAKEN to Gala Premiere at Fest
Golden Globe®, Emmy®, and Screen Actors Guild® winner, Kiefer Sutherland will be the recipient of the Zurich Film Festival’s prestigious ‘Golden Eye’ award. Kiefer Sutherland’s latest western-inspired film, FORSAKEN, in which he stars alongside his father Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Donald Sutherland (“Citizen X,” “The Hunger Games”), Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominee Demi Moore (“If These Walls Could Talk,” “Ghost”) and Golden Globe® nominee and Emmy® winner Brian Cox (“Nuremberg,” “L.I.E”), has been selected for a gala premiere at the festival. The film is helmed by Emmy® winner Jon Cassar and adapted from a script by Brad Mirman.
FORSAKEN brings together two generations of a legendary acting dynasty in a riveting, bloody, and moving western that stars Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland as a long-estranged father and son attempting to make amends whilst their community is besieged by ruthless land-grabbers.
After years of wandering and making a name for himself as a formidable quick-draw gunfighter, Civil War veteran John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland) quietly returns to his hometown. Weary of his years of violence, John Henry is determined to lay down his guns for good. John Henry’s father, the Reverend William Clayton (Donald Sutherland), resolutely condemns his son’s past and is skeptical of his pledge to reform.
“I don’t know if a man can get away from who he is,” says the reverend. As father and son bear witness to a murderous gang’s appropriation of local properties — including that of John Henry’s long-lost love, Mary Alice (Demi Moore) — John Henry is faced with an onerous existential dilemma. Is it better to turn the other cheek or to use his deadly talents to dispose of the villains — led by powerful landlord and saloon keeper McCurdy (Brian Cox) — who are corrupting the town?
FORSAKEN poses complex moral questions as it escalates in suspense and mayhem, comparable to classics of the genre such as Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winning film, “Unforgiven.” John Henry alternately displays tenderness and cold-blooded skill, while Reverend Clayton comes to realize that his stern moral code does not necessarily offer salvation.
FORSAKEN offers thrilling action and gorgeous pastoral vistas, but at its core it’s a universal tale of arduous familial reconciliation — brought to life by a real-life father and son who just happen to be two of the screen’s finest living talents. Producers of FORSAKEN are Kevin DeWalt, Gary Howsam, Bill Marks, Josh Miller and Isabella Marchese Ragona.
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4 Finalist for 2015 Zurich Film Festival Filmmaker Award, Christoph Waltz to Preside Over Jury
German-Austrian actor Christoph Waltz (pictured above in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) will preside over the jury for Filmmaker Award at the 2015 Zurich Film Festival. Waltz will also hold a keynote conversation at the Zurich Summit, and strut the Green Carpet for press and public before presenting the screening of Quentin Tarantino’s INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS at the corso cinema. The four finalists competing for the Filmmaker Award are: EUROPE, SHE LOVES; GOLIATH; UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT; and WAFFENLÄUFER.
The Four Nominees and Their Projects
EUROPE, SHE LOVES
Producer: Lisa Blatter (2:1 Film GmbH), Andreas Hörl (lüthje schneider hörl | FILM) Director: Jan Gassmann
Director Jan Gassmann and his small team travelled 20,000 kilometres in a bus to film portraits of couples in Seville, Dublin, Tallinn, Zagreb and Thessaloniki. The result is a semi-fictional political documentary about Europe during the economic crisis, and portrays the daily struggle for survival of five couples who use their reserves of wit and love. The storyline of the film, which is now in post-production, moves cleverly between fiction and documentary. The intimate camerawork and the bleak atmosphere are striking.
GOLIATH
Producers: Dario Schoch, Rajko Jazbec (Cognito Films)
Director: Dominik Locher
Goliath tells the tale of the young David, who is mugged while on the way home with his pregnant girlfriend. This leaves him feeling like a weakling. Rendered insecure in his role as a man and father-to-be, he pumps himself full of anabolic steroids – only to turn into a threat to his family, who he had actually wanted to impress and protect. Goliath began shooting in July 2015, and is directed by Dominik Locher, who trained at Zurich University of the Arts and the American Film Institute and is considered to be one of Switzerland’s most promising directors.
UND MORGEN SEID IHR TOT (TOMORROW YOU’LL BE DEAD)
Producer: Bernhard Burgener, Norbert Preuss (Kontraproduktion AG)
Director: Michael Steiner
This film tells the true story of Daniela Widmer and David Och, two Swiss citizens kidnapped by the Taliban in July 2011 while on a trip along Pakistan’s historic Silk Road. After eight months in captivity they managed to make their escape. According to the gripping script, the film will tackle the difficult time after their return to Switzerland and examine the events that took place in Pakistan. Shooting is planned to start in India in February 2016. The film will be directed by well-known Swiss director Michael Steiner (Grounding, Mein Name ist Eugen).
WAFFENLÄUFER (THE GUN RUNNER)
Producers: Stefan Eichenberger, Ivan Madeo (CONTRAST FILM)
Director: Hannes Baumgartner
Zurich-based director and winner of the Zurich Film Award Hannes Baumgartner chose a controversial topic for his first movie: his story of Jonas Fischer is based on the real-life tragedy of a famous Swiss long-distance runner. At the peak of his sporting career, it is revealed that he has been living an ill-fated double life and is in fact wanted across Switzerland for over two-dozen attacks on women, who he robbed, injured or murdered. The Waffenläufer project is currently in the financing stage.