Dakota Johnson opens the 21st Zurich Film Festival and receives the Golden Eye
The ZFF is pleased to announce that American actress and producer Dakota Johnson will open this year’s festival. She will present her new romantic comedy «Splitsville» and will be honored with the Golden Eye Award for her exceptional career.
The Zurich Film Festival (September 25 to October 5) is delighted to announce that US actress and producer Dakota Johnson will open this year's ZFF. Johnson will join director, actor and producer Michael Angelo Covino at the Opening Night to present her relationship comedy SPLITSVILLE - a film in which she not only plays the lead role, but which she also produced herself. During the opening night, she will be honored with the Golden Eye Award for her role in the film and her outstanding career. She will also provide insights into her work during a ZFF Masters.
"Dakota Johnson is one of the most fascinating actresses in modern cinema. She lends her characters great credibility through her honesty, and you can always sense how much you care about them. She impresses with her subtle expressiveness, her uncompromising choice of roles and her ability to embody both audience favorites and sophisticated character studies," says Festival Director Christian Jungen.
Dakota Johnson was born on October 4, 1989 in Austin, Texas, into a renowned Hollywood family. After her film debut in "Crazy in Alabama" (1999), she made her international breakthrough with "Fifty Shades of Grey". Since then, she has appeared in a wide range of roles, from independent films such as THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON to arthouse productions such as A BIGGER SPLASH and SUSPIRIA, directed by Luca Guadagnino.
With her production company TeaTime Pictures, which she co-founded in 2019, she has produced successful projects such as AM I OK?, DADDIO with Sean Penn and the documentary THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE. Her latest film SPLITSVILLE, which received a six-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, tells the story of Julie, who, together with her partner Paul, wants to reveal the secret of a happy relationship to a newly separated boyfriend - with unexpected consequences.
The Opening Night of the 21st Zurich Film Festival takes place on September 25 and is presented by Breuninger. Guests of honor include Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Zurich Mayor Corine Mauch.
