Critics' Choice Award: First-time Awarding of The Swiss Association of Film Journalists Critics' Prize in the International Feature Film Competition Series Award giving ceremony on Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Rüsterei in Zurich

Co-director Karl Spoerri has managed to convince the Swiss Association of Film Journalists (SVFJ) to confer the Critics’ Choice Award within the International Feature Film Competition series at the 5th edition of the Zurich Film Festival. „We view the collaboration with the SVFJ as an appreciation of our work and as a seal of quality for our young festival“ said the artistic director Karl Spoerri, together with his co-director Nadja Schildknecht.

After following the Zurich Film Festival with a view to film criticism, the Swiss Association of Film Journalists is now pleased to participate actively with a jury of its own. „In addition to our long-term commitment with the Semaine de la critique at the Locarno Film Festival, we now have our second fixed collaboration with a Swiss film festival“, said Beat Glur, president of the SVFJ.

Chosen by the SVFJ from its more than 100 members, a three-(wo)man jury will bestow the best film in the International Feature Film Competition with the Critics’ Choice Award and present it, within the framework of the Zurich Film Festival Dinner, at the Rüsterei on the evening of October 2, 2009. The Variety New Talent Award will be presented on the same evening.

The SVFJ sees itself as an interest group, which aims for the promotion of competent film and media criticism and the cultivation of a lively film culture. The SVFJ engages in politico-cultural debates within the film industry and endeavours to promote and ensure the artistic and media-political interests of the seventh art within the media sector. The SVFJ is a member of the International Association of Film Journalists FIPESCI.
Sincerely yours,
Nina Grewenkamp
Zurich Film Festival Press Office