Zurich opens 22nd edition with Tenzing premiere and new ownership
Zurich Film Festival opens its 22nd edition on 24 September with the European premiere of Tenzing at the Kongresshaus.
That first showing in Europe stars Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston will also be honoured with the Golden Eye Award for his career, according to the Zurich Film Festival.
The opening arrives with a change at the top. Chief executive Christian Jungen has bought out former owner, the Swiss newspaper NZZ, to lead the festival alongside an investment team that secured private funds, according to Variety. The 2026 motto is "Dream Big."
Three big titles will have their first European screenings in Zurich. They are Chris Rock's Misty Green, Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky and Lauren Miller Rogen's Babies, according to Variety.
I Play Rocky plays as a gala. A gala is a high-profile evening screening. The drama tells the story of the making of Rocky, the Sylvester Stallone boxing classic. Anthony Ippolito portrays Stallone.
Babies stars Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen. Kendrick is also expected in Zurich in person.
The guest list is wide. Martin McDonagh, Anna Kendrick, Jesse Eisenberg, Tom Hiddleston and Naomi Watts are set to attend, according to Variety. Julianne Moore, Olivia Colman and Andy Garcia will walk the Green Carpet. Zurich rolls out a green carpet rather than a red one.
Five more films will bow, which means have their first screening, in Zurich. They are Bunker, Ink, Club Kid, The Debut and Wild Horse Nine. Organisers have described the 2026 programme as a 'Gran Riserva' vintage, picked out for Tenzing, I Play Rocky and The Debut, according to the festival programme notes.
Ticket sales opened on 14 September. The public festival centre is on Sechseläutenplatz, the square by the lake in central Zurich.
For fans, this means stars on the carpet and first looks at films before they reach wider release. Zurich does not have the market weight of Cannes or Toronto. It pulls in Hollywood names, European premieres and a lakeside crowd.
