Zurich [Switzerland], October 5 : Slovak director Tereza Nvotova's 'Father' has won the 21st Zurich Film Festival's Golden Eye for Best Film , reported Variety.
Showcased in the Feature Film Competition - dedicated to first, second and third feature films by emerging directors - the Slovak-Czech-Polish drama impressed jurors Reinaldo Marcus Green, Leonie Benesch, Carlo Cresto-Dina, Ali Asgari and Nicole Reinhard.
The jury also awarded special mentions to French director Alice Douard's Love Letters and Taiwanese-American filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou's Left-Handed Girl, which is Taiwan's 2026 Oscar entry.
"We were deeply moved by the craft and the humanity of this film," they stated, discussing the story of "an ordinary family facing extraordinary circumstances."
"Its central character is neither a villain nor a hero, but a flawed human being caught in a single, devastating mistake. The film shows how that mistake can shatter what we love most, and yet it is, at its heart, about compassion, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit," added the jury members, as quoted by Variety.
Zurich's director, Christian Jungen, called 'Father' a "captivating thriller which takes us on a roller-coaster." "Film is the medium of empathy and this film shapes our understanding of a man who did a terrible mistake, but is not evil," he said.
In 'Father', which world premiered in Venice and was recently selected as the Slovak Oscar entry.
Another Golden Eye went to Zurich-based Moris Freiburghaus' "I Love You, I Leave You," shown in the Documentary Film Competition, making it the first-ever winner of the section.
"We had never seen anything like it before. In capturing his best friend's battle with manic episodes over the course of a year, Moris Freiburghaus' bold directorial debut gives us an unflinching look at mental illness and the unshakeable bonds of friendship and family," said jurors Matthew Heineman, Odessa Rae, David Osit, Katharina Bhend and Helle Faber.
"I Love You, I Leave You" also picked up the ZFF Critics' special mention and Audience Award, according to Variety.
Complete list of awards:
Feature Film Competition
"Father," dir. Tereza Nvotova
Special Mentions
"Love Letters," dir. Alice Douard
"Left-Handed Girl," dir. Shih-Ching Tsou
Documentary Film Competition
"I Love You, I Leave You," dir. Moris Freiburghaus
Special Mentions
"The Ground Beneath Our Feet," Yrsa Roca Fannberg
"Life After Siham," dir. Namir Abdel Messeeh
ZFF Critics' Jury Award
"Memory of Princess Mumbi," dir. Damien Hauser
Special Mention
"I Love You, I Leave You," dir. Moris Freiburghaus
ZFF for Kids Jury Award
"Der Prank," dir. Benjamin Heisenberg
ZFF for Kids Audience Award
"Der Prank," dir. Benjamin Heisenberg
Audience Award
"I Love You, I Leave You," dir. Moris Freiburghaus
Film Prize of the Churches of Zurich
"Life After Siham," dir. Namir Abdel Messeeh
Best International Film Music
Mikal Grigorowitsch
Golden Eye Awards
Dakota Johnson
Benedict Cumberbatch
Claire Foy
Wagner Moura
Lifetime Achievement Award
Russell Crowe
Golden Icon Award
Colin Farrell
A Tribute To ... Award
Noah Baumbach
Career Achievement Awards
Anne Walser
Hildur Gudnadottir
Game Changer Award
Tom Quinn