Closing Figures
Resounding Success with 90’500 Visitors
Fabulous Relaxed Festival Atmosphere Throughout

Zurich, October 2, 2016The figures of the Zurich Film Festival’s 12th edition show once again that it was a resounding success across the board. The number of viewers rose by around 6.5% to approximately 90’500 (previous year: 85’000). 172 films  (previous year: 161), including 43 debut works (previous year: 36), and 17 world premiere screenings (previous year: 14), as well as 607 invited guests from around the globe (previous year: 503), proves that the Zurich Film Festival remains on the road to success.

Said the delighted Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri: “The extensive and ever-increasing viewer interest, as well as the compliments we have received from our international guests, confirm that we are on the right track with our festival strategy. They continued: “Remaining until the very last festival day, the superb late-summer weather with its beautiful sunshine contributed greatly to the fabulous relaxed festival atmosphere we felt in the presence of our many visitors and international guests.”

Schildknecht and Spoerri continued further: „Our blend of emerging cinema in the competition categories and the screening of the year’s biggest film titles as Gala premieres is well received by cinemagoers and industry guests alike. This fact confirms that we are also making the right choices with regard to our programme strategy.” They went on to say: “Despite the addition of a new festival cinema and a more comprehensive programme, we were still able to log a large number of sell-out screenings. On top of this comes the several thousand visitors who visited the ‘Pavillon of Reflections’ platform on the Lake of Zurich.”

„Die Golden Eyes for such extraordinarily formal and socially engaged films as THE HAPPIEST DAY IN THE LIFE OF OLLI MÄKI from Juho Kuosmanen, MADAME B, HISTOIRE D’UNE NORD-CORÉENNE from Jero Yun and STILLE RESERVEN from Valentin Hitz, as well as the critics’ awards for the more demanding productions EUROPE, SHE LOVES by Jan Gassmann and LADY MACBETH by William Oldroyd, confirm to us that the public is open for a cinema that is not always so easily accessible”, said the Co-Directors.

The highlight of the Award Night on Saturday evening at the Opera House in Zurich was the presenting of the A Tribute to… Award to French director Olivier Assayas, whose most recent film PERSONAL SHOPPER officially brings the festival to an end this Sunday evening. Further honorary awards went to the British actor Hugh Grant (Golden Icon Award), Swiss producer Marcel Hoehn (Lifetime Achievement Award) and the U.S. producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Career Achievement Award).

The 13the Zurich Film Festival takes place from Thursday, September 28 until Sunday October 8, 2017. We look forward to seeing you there!