The Hollywood star, who is known from films such as “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, “The Holiday” and “Sherlock Holmes”, thanked him relatively simply for his Golden Eye Award. The 51-year-old said he feels honored and is looking forward to presenting his latest film in Zurich. “I love making films and talking about them.” His job is also his passion.
Jude Law was honored at the Zurich Film Festival for his acting achievements in the opening film as well as those in previous years.
Before Law’s acceptance speech, the speeches by Zurich City President Corine Mauch and Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider caused numerous laughs. The former told, in the style of a humorous short story, how she would abuse her office for private purposes if the British actress Tilda Swinton were to be in the hall instead of Jude Law.
Baume-Schneider also contrasted Jude Law’s distinguished visit with an explicit tribute to female filmmakers. “Without her, the cinema wouldn’t be where it is today,” she said. “Without the women – and Jude Law.”
The singer Baschi, musical talent Nemo, model Manuela Frey and the Zurich “Tatort” commissioners Carol Schuler and Anna Pieri Zuercher, among others, dressed up to walk across the green carpet on Thursday evening.
Several Hollywood greats expected
107 films are on this year’s festival program, including 16 from Switzerland. In addition to Jude Law, the ZFF line-up also promises several Hollywood greats: Kate Winslet, Richard Gere and Pamela Anderson are expected in the next few days.
This high density of celebrities, said festival director Christian Jungs in his celebratory speech, was “a thank you to everyone who helped make the Zurich Film Festival great.”
Swiss humor is honored with Emil Steinberger. Steinberger, who will appear in the documentary film “Typisch Emil”, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
A possible controversy ended the Zurich Film Festival in advance: the controversial film “Russians at war” by the Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova will not be shown for security reasons. There were recent protests at the Toronto Film Festival over the film and allegations that it was Russian war propaganda.
Trofimova, who previously worked as a journalist for the Kremlin-affiliated media group “Russia Today,” had already rejected the allegations. She worked independently and did not obtain permission from the Russian Ministry of Defense for the film.
