At the 21st Zurich Film Festival, Slovak filmmaker Tereza Nvotová’s Father clinched the Golden Eye Award for Best Film in the festival’s primary competition, which showcases directors’ first to third feature films.
The film portrays the life of an overworked father who, during an intense heatwave, accidentally leaves his young two-year-old daughter in his car throughout the day.
Having made its global debut at the Venice Orizzonti, Father has been chosen to represent Slovakia in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.
The panel of judges was led by American filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green and included personalities such as German actress Leonie Benesch, Italian producer Carlo Cresto-Dina, Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari, and cinema operator Nicole Reinhard.
The jury expressed that the movie “depicts the life of a typical family thrust into an unusual situation. The main character is portrayed not as a hero or villain, but as a human with imperfections, who is overwhelmed by a single grievous error.”
They added, “This narrative explores how one lapse can destroy what we cherish most, yet it ultimately centers on forgiveness, optimism, and human resilience. We were profoundly touched by both the craftsmanship and the empathetic depth of this film.”
The jury also recognized French director Alice Douard’s Love Letters and Taiwanese-American director Shih-Ching Tsou’s Left-Handed Girl, the latter being Taiwan’s choice for the 2026 Oscars, with special mentions.
Among other notable awards, Zurich-based director Moris Freiburghaus won Best Documentary for I Love You, I Leave You, marking a historic win for a Swiss documentary at the festival.
In this documentary, Freiburghaus captures the emotional and mental struggles of his musician friend Dino Brandão, who confronts issues of identity after a visit to his father’s homeland, Angola.
The documentary jury, led by filmmaker Matthew Heineman, praised, “Moris Freiburghaus’ daring first film offers a candid portrayal of mental health challenges and the enduring strength of friendships and familial ties, observed over a year of poignant moments.”
Special mentions in the documentary category went to Yrsa Roca Fannberg’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet for its gentle depiction of life easing into death in an Icelandic nursing home, and Namir Abdel Messeeh’s Life After Siham, a personal narrative about the filmmaker’s mourning of his mother.
The ZFF Critics’ Jury Award was bestowed upon Damien Hauser’s Kenyan sci-fi romance Memory of Princess, which also premiered at Venice’s Orizzonti sidebar, with an additional special mention for I Love You, I Leave You.
Furthermore, the Audience Award was also awarded to Freiburghaus’s documentary.
The closing ceremony of the festival celebrated not only the award winners but also honored several international stars. Dakota Johnson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, and Wagner Moura were each presented with Golden Eye Awards; Russell Crowe received a Lifetime Achievement Award; Colin Farrell was honored with a Golden Icon Award; and Noah Baumbach received A Tribute To… Award.
Swiss producer Anne Walser and Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, an Oscar winner, were recognized with Career Achievement Awards. Additionally, Neon’s founding CEO Tom Quinn was celebrated with the industry-centric Game Changer Award.
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