Albert S. Ruddy, Moritz Bleibtreu, Bettina Oberli, Justus von Dohnányi, Dieter Meier and Matthew Modine in the Jury of the 3rd Zurich Film Festival
We are extremely pleased to have secured six renowned personalities from the international film scene for this year’s jury.The jury will be presided over by Albert S. Ruddy, one of the world’s best-known producers (1972, Oscar for The Godfather; 2004 second Oscar for Million Dollar Baby). His cult classic The Longest Yard acheived the highest box-office results at the time of its release.Further jury members are Moritz Bleibtreu (Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Lola rennt, Vom Suchen und Finden der Liebe, Agnes und seine Brüder); Bettina Oberli (Im Nordwind, Die Herbstzeitlosen); Justus von Dohnányi (Das Experiment, Der Untergang); Dieter Meier (Yello, Soundtracks for various films); Matthew Modine (Birdy, Full Metal Jacket, Any Given Sunday and Shortcuts).
The jury members will award the “Golden Eye” in three competition categories (Debut Feature Film, New Fiction Film and New Documentary Film).
Jury President Albert S. Ruddy received his first Oscar in 1972 for his contribution to the film The Godfather. His cult classic The Longest Yard acheived the highest box-office results at the time of its release. In 2004 he won his second Oscar for Million Dollar Baby. In addition to the two Oscars, Ruddy’s engagements have also netted him two Golden Globes, three festival awards for his life’s work and the National Association of Theater Owners’ Producer of the Year award.
Moritz Bleibtreu is one of the most important actors of German cinema. He made his cinema breakthrough in Rainer Kaufmann’s romantic comedy Stadtgespräch. Bleibtreu’s role as a naive, homosexual carpenter became as much a cult figure as the thick-witted gangster in Thomas Jahn’s roadmovie Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Both roles earned Bleibtreu the Ernst Lubitsch Prize for his comedic achievements in German film. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door also earned him the Filmband in Gold. In following years he made his most famous film appearances in Tom Tykwer’s Lola rennt, Fatih Akin’s Im Juli, Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Das Experiment, Helmut Dietl’s Vom Suchen und Finden der Liebe and Oskar Roehler’s Agnes und seine Brüder.
Bettina Oberli has worked as an author and director since graduating from film school. Following her multi award-winning film Im Nordwind (2004), her latest feature film Die Herbstzeitlosen has been screened successfully since October 2006 in Swiss cinemas and has already attracted more than half a million viewers.
In 2001 Justus von Dohnányi was awarded the Deutscher Filmpreis for the best supporting role with his performance as a prison officer in Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Das Experiment. He renewed his working relationship with Hirschbiegel in Der Untergang. In addition to further film roles in Färberböck’s September, Dennis Gansel’s Napola – Elite für den Führer and Helmut Dietl’s Vom Suchen und Finden der Liebe, Justus von Dohnányi recently directed Bis zum Ellenbogen, which will celebrate its international premiere within the framework of the series Spotlight at the Zurich Film Festival.
Together with Boris Blank, Dieter Meier (Switzerland) co-founded the band Yello, which is regarded as the pioneer of electronic pop music and contributed to numerous film soundtracks. Dieter Meier is renowned for the internationally award-winning original visual style of his numerous music videos.
Matthew Modine is a veteran of over 50 films including Birdy, Full Metal Jacket, Pacific Heights, Any Given Sunday and Shortcuts. He has worked with many of the industry’s most highly regarded directors including Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Spike Lee and Oliver Stone.
Modine has won a Golden Globe Award and received the Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for best actor.
