Zurich Film Festival – Walking to the cinema with the stars

The best to see the stars

There is no other film festival in the world with the special combination Switzerland can offer. Being so safe, small, punctual and with everything at a short distance, the Zurich Film Festival really is the best place to see Oscar winners and top industry makers walking with you to the cinema. No need to queue up or being pushy in the middle of other fans: in Zurich, everything is organised, you’ll find your space, and the actors will pass near you and (almost always, I can say after 7 years of attendance) give you enough time for a word, a selfie or an autograph. Not many people are interested in the movies only…we also want to see the stars!

Everybody wants to go

If you are invited to a private party – often brands or companies use the opportunity of the Zurich Film Festival to invite clients, guests and anybody good for their network – you will also have the chance to spend time in a restaurant or venue with the actors, listen to a short interview or presentation, and enjoy the movie with them. Events are many because guess what: everybody who gets an invitation is delighted to join. This is the best event of the year and the opportunity for glamour and fun is unparalleled. And then, of course, there are the movies.

 

My favourite movies this year

Let’s see if I have a good nose for movies! There are two that really gave me a long lasting impression and an incredible amount of emotions. My favourite one is Radical,

Uplifting and inspiring, is based on a real story. A frustrated teacher (Eugenio Derbez)  tries a radical new method to unleash the curiosity and potential of his students – and maybe even their genius. Paloma will be deemed “the next Steve Jobs” in real life.

Nyad is the second movie I loved, also heartwarming and with a happy end, but to be watched only if you have tissues with you. It’s also a real story, in this case of a marathon swimmer. Being myself a marathon runner, and a middle age woman like the main character, I identified many times and recognised the typical mindset of an endurance athlete. Basically she is crazy and talks too much about herself – how could I not recognise myself?

The Zurich Film Festival comes to its end

At the time I am writing we are close to the closing ceremony of the Zurich Film Festival. This edition has been blessed by idyllic weather, a perfect organisation and probably (we’ll see) a record number of guests. With more than 130,000 cinema visits, the Zurich Film Festival is now the second largest in the German-speaking world. It was listed among the Guardian top 10 coolest European Film Festivals.