The Zurich Film Festival is undergoing a management buyout led by the event’s director Christian Jungen with plans to take the increasingly prominent Swiss event to the next level.
Jungen is being joined in the buyout by the fest’s deputy director Reta Guetg (they are pictured above), by Swiss entrepreneur and TV host Max Loong, by long-time ZFF president Felix E. Müller, and Los Angeles-based finance expert Marek Skreta.
“The group plans to establish the ZFF as one of Europe’s leading film festivals through strategic partnerships with international players,” they said in a statement. The buyout ends the partnership between the festival and the Swiss media group NZZ that had acquired the Zurich Film Festival ten years ago. However NZZ will remain a partner for the next three years, the event’s new owners noted.
“I am excited to lead the ZFF into a new era together with our current team and new owners who love cinema and know the festival inside out,” Jungen in a statement. “We are a Zurich-based solution that has the trust of our partners and the filmmaking community. We are thinking big and we are thinking internationally,” he added.
“Our goal is to position the ZFF as one of Europe’s premier film events, where audiences can see the films and stars that will go on to win Oscars later in the season,” Jungen continued. “We want to bring joy and a celebratory atmosphere to the city and host a festival that Zurich can be proud of. To achieve this, we will secure new private partners and expand support from foundations, donors, and public institutions,” Jungen went on to point out.
The Zurich Film Festival’s 20th edition last year featured an impressive roster of international stars, including Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Richard Gere and Pamela Anderson. The event also offers a deep dive into some of the most pressing issues facing the industry at its annual Zurich Summit Conference.
This year, Tom Quinnn, who is CEO and founder of Neon, will be feted with the Game Changer Award during the Zurich Summit that will run Sept. 26-28.
The upcoming 21st edition of the ZFF, which drew 140,000 visitors last year, will run Sept. 25-Oct. 5.