Zurich Film Festival 2026: The Premieres, Stars and Nights to Add on Your Calendar

Zurich Film Festival 2026 is set to present its 22nd edition this September 24 through October 4, with 133 films, 46 world and European premieres, and a record 21 Swiss productions. Yet the strongest reason to follow ZFF this year is its guest list.

Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Martin McDonagh and Richard Linklater are among the actors and filmmakers heading to Zurich, giving the Green Carpet one of its strongest lineups in recent years.

ZFF's compact format is part of its charm. Major premieres, filmmaker appearances and award ceremonies unfold across Zurich, making it possible to experience several sides of ZFF without allowing the festival to consume your entire stay. In 2026, the caliber of the talent makes that proposition particularly attractive.

Tenzing Headlines the Opening Night

ZFF begins September 24 with the European premiere of Jennifer Peedom’s Tenzing, starring Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary, Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing Norgay and Willem Dafoe as expedition leader John Hunt.

Hiddleston, Dafoe and Peedom are expected in Zurich for Opening Night, placing the film at the center of one of ZFF’s principal evenings.

Tenzing revisits the historic 1953 ascent of Mount Everest through a story that places Norgay more firmly at its center, examining the ambitions, personal relationships and cultural tensions behind the expedition.

The film also reflects this year’s festival theme, Dream Big, through one of the 20th century’s most extraordinary achievements.

A Star-Studded Edition

This year’s guest list places Zurich firmly in the spotlight. Julianne Moore receives the festival’s Golden Icon Award and presents The Debut with director Jesse Eisenberg. Moore plays Mona Friedman, a reserved housewife whose minor role in a community theater production develops into an increasingly consuming devotion to acting.

Naomi Watts receives a Golden Eye Award alongside the European premiere of The Housewife, set in 1960s New York and centered on a journalist investigating a man suspected of concealing a Nazi past. Watts plays his enigmatic wife and will also participate in a ZFF Masters conversation.

Among the Gala Premieres, Wicker pairs Olivia Colman with Alexander Skarsgård in one of the program’s most unusual stories. Colman plays an ostracized fisherwoman who commissions a basketmaker to create a husband for her, with Skarsgård taking on the role of the wicker husband. Elizabeth Debicki, Peter Dinklage and Richard E. Grant also feature in the cast, while Colman and Skarsgård are expected in Zurich for the European premiere.

Behind the camera, Martin McDonagh receives ZFF’s A Tribute To... Award and presents Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi. Set shortly before Chile’s 1973 coup, the film follows CIA agents stationed in the country as a trip to Easter Island takes a darker course. McDonagh will also join the ZFF Masters program.

Anton Corbijn’s A Talent for Murder adds Helen Mirren to the festival’s strongest names, with the actress portraying author Patricia Highsmith in 1995. Living privately at her home in Ticino, Highsmith is approached by a young New York publishing executive hoping to persuade her to write one final Tom Ripley novel. She agrees on one condition: he must help her devise the perfect murder. Alden Ehrenreich stars opposite Mirren, with Olivia Cooke also in the cast, while Corbijn will present the film in Zurich.

Awards Night at the Zurich Opera House

On October 3, Zurich Opera House hosts Awards Night and the presentation of the Golden Eyes.

Andy García joins the evening as a special guest and presents Diamond, a film noir drama in which he serves as director, writer, producer, composer, and lead actor. The cast also includes Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, Brendan Fraser and Vicky Krieps.

Awards Night brings together filmmakers, honorees, and invited guests for one of ZFF’s most formal celebrations, making it one of the better dates to choose if you want to experience the festival beyond a traditional screening.