Slovak Oscar Contender ‘Father’ Wins Zurich Film Festival

The Zurich Film Festival handed out its top prizes Saturday, with Slovak director Tereza Nvotová’s Father winning the Golden Eye for best feature film and Zurich-based filmmaker Moris Freiburghaus taking the documentary competition with I Love You, I Leave You.

Father, which is the Slovak entry for the 2026 Oscar race, premiered in Venice. Based on a true story, it stars Milan Ondrík as the titular father in the tale, a decent man who, as a result of a temporary memory lapse and resultant tragedy, leads to his life spiraling out of control. Intramovies is selling the film internationally.

Special mentions in the section went to Alice Douard’s Des preuves d’amour (Love Letters) and Shih-Ching Tsou’s Left-Handed Girl. The latter, co-written and produced by Anora director Sean Baker, is Taiwan’s official Oscar contender. Netflix has the film for most of the world.

I Love You, I Leave You is the first Swiss film to win the festival’s top documentary award. Freiburghaus’ film follows his best friend through a year-long struggle with manic episodes. Special mentions were awarded to Yrsa Roca Fannberg’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet and Namir Abdel Messeeh’s Life After Siham.

The ZFF Critics’ Jury, made up of film writers from Switzerland, Germany and the U.K., honored Damien Hauser’s Memory of Princess Mumbi as the best Swiss film in the program, with a special mention going again to Freiburghaus’ I Love You, I Leave You.

Benjamin Heisenberg’s Der Prank won both the ZFF for Kids Jury Award and the ZFF for Kids Audience Award. Freiburghaus’ documentary also picked up the overall Audience Award, while Abdel Messeeh’s Life After Siham received the Film Prize of the Churches of Zurich.

Additional honors included the Best International Film Music Award for Mikal Grigorowitsch.

The winners of the 21st Zurich festival were announced at the closing gala on Saturday night.

Full list of 2025 Zurich Film Festival Winners

Golden Eye for Best Feature Film

Tereza Nvotová – Father
Special Mention (Feature Film Competition)

Alice Douard – Des preuves d’amour (Love Letters)
Special Mention (Feature Film Competition)

Shih-Ching Tsou – Left-Handed Girl

Golden Eye for Best Documentary

Moris Freiburghaus – I Love You, I Leave You
Special Mention (Documentary Competition)

Yrsa Roca Fannberg – The Ground Beneath Our Feet
Special Mention (Documentary Competition)

Namir Abdel Messeeh – Life After Siham

ZFF Critics’ Jury Award

Damien Hauser – Memory of Princess Mumbi
Special Mention (ZFF Critics’ Jury)

Moris Freiburghaus – I Love You, I Leave You

ZFF for Kids Jury Award

Benjamin Heisenberg – Der Prank
ZFF for Kids Audience Award

Benjamin Heisenberg – Der Prank

Audience Award

Moris Freiburghaus – I Love You, I Leave You
Film Prize of the Churches of Zurich

Namir Abdel Messeeh – Life After Siham
Best International Film Music Award

Mikal Grigorowitsch

Golden Eye Award

Dakota Johnson
Golden Eye Award

Benedict Cumberbatch
Golden Eye Award

Claire Foy
Golden Eye Award

Wagner Moura
Golden Icon Award

Colin Farrell
Lifetime Achievement Award

Russell Crowe
A Tribute To … Award

Noah Baumbach
Career Achievement Award

Anne Walser
Career Achievement Award

Hildur Guðnadóttir
Game Changer Award

Tom Quinn