'Father' Courtesy of the Zurich Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment 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. Related Stories TV Eric Dane Explains Why He Was Absent at Emmys Despite Planned 'Grey's Anatomy's' Tribute Movies Noah Baumbach on 'Jay Kelly,' Heartbreak, Joy and Rediscovering His Love for Making Movies: Zurich 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 - FatherSpecial 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 YouSpecial Mention (Documentary Competition) Yrsa Roca Fannberg - The Ground Beneath Our FeetSpecial Mention (Documentary Competition) Namir Abdel Messeeh - Life After Siham ZFF Critics' Jury Award Damien Hauser - Memory of Princess MumbiSpecial Mention (ZFF Critics' Jury) Moris Freiburghaus - I Love You, I Leave You ZFF for Kids Jury Award Benjamin Heisenberg - Der PrankZFF for Kids Audience Award Benjamin Heisenberg - Der Prank Audience Award Moris Freiburghaus - I Love You, I Leave YouFilm Prize of the Churches of Zurich Namir Abdel Messeeh - Life After SihamBest International Film Music Award Mikal Grigorowitsch Golden Eye Award Dakota JohnsonGolden Eye Award Benedict CumberbatchGolden Eye Award Claire FoyGolden Eye Award Wagner MouraGolden Icon Award Colin FarrellLifetime Achievement Award Russell CroweA Tribute To ... Award Noah BaumbachCareer Achievement Award Anne WalserCareer Achievement Award Hildur GuðnadóttirGame Changer Award Tom Quinn THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Box Office: Taylor Swift's 'Showgirl' Rocks at No. 1 as Dwayne Johnson's 'Smashing Machine' Bombs Obituaries Remo Girone, Italian Actor in 'La Piovra' and 'Ford v Ferrari,' Dies at 76 Taylor Swift 'Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl' Review: A Big-Screen Event That's Strictly for the Diehards Paul Thomas Anderson How Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' Brought Leonardo DiCaprio to TikTok UFC 'Smashing Machine' Subject Mark Kerr on "Gut-Wrenching" Ending and Cussing About Dwayne Johnson's Prosthetics Heat Vision 'Resident Evil': 'Severance' Breakout Zach Cherry, 'True Detective' Star Kali Reis Join Zach Cregger's Reboot (Exclusive) Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Box Office: Taylor Swift's 'Showgirl' Rocks at No. 1 as Dwayne Johnson's 'Smashing Machine' Bombs Obituaries Remo Girone, Italian Actor in 'La Piovra' and 'Ford v Ferrari,' Dies at 76 Taylor Swift 'Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl' Review: A Big-Screen Event That's Strictly for the Diehards Paul Thomas Anderson How Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' Brought Leonardo DiCaprio to TikTok UFC 'Smashing Machine' Subject Mark Kerr on "Gut-Wrenching" Ending and Cussing About Dway