ZFF CEO Christian Jungen: «We’re less in the movie theater business than in live entertainment.»

Christian Jungen started out at the box office in Winterthur in 1991. He went on to become a film critic, culture editor of the *NZZ am Sonntag*, editor-in-chief of the film magazine *Frame*, and author of the biography of festival organizer Moritz de Hadeln. He has been directing the Zurich Film Festival since 2020. When the NZZ decided to sell the ZFF after ten years of ownership, he faced the most important decision of his professional life. «A lot of people approached me and said, »This is your chance now.« At some point, I told myself, »If everyone believes I can do this, then I should believe in myself, too.«»

Skin in the Game

Jungen is 53. He made his money in journalism, «where, as everyone knows, you don’t become a millionaire.» Nevertheless, he invested what he had saved. «I don’t have a sugar daddy in the background who’s fronted a few million. So this has to work.» He sees the pressure as an advantage: «You think much more carefully: Do I really need this right now, or is it just nice to have?» He was influenced by Nassim Taleb’s book *Skin in the Game*, a tribute to people who put their own money on the line and therefore make better decisions.

At the Zurich venue, the move has paid off. The Golden Eye Circle patron association has grown significantly since becoming independent. «People appreciate those who take the plunge. They’re also more willing to help them.» Samih Sawiris has become a member; Georges Kern and Carolina Müller-Möhl are also part of it. Membership costs 5,500 francs for Bronze, 10,000 for Silver, and 33,000 for Gold. In return, members receive advance ticket sales, a concierge service, and events throughout the year, such as a group Oscar night. ’A real club culture has developed there,’ says Jungen. «Beyond the financial aspect, it’s also a source of moral encouragement.»

The connection with Sawiris began during a vacation in El Gouna, where his film festival was just getting underway. Jungen attended the opening, offered feedback, and those conversations led to a partnership. «They’re the newer festival and want more Hollywood stars. We have the connections. Sawiris has incredibly good connections in the business world. And when there are two of us, we might be able to get a better deal.» Films that have their world premiere in Zurich can screen in El Gouna two weeks later.

Champions League

There are about 40,000 film festivals worldwide. The *Guardian* ranked the ZFF tenth in Europe. ’If we were talking about soccer, we’d be talking about the Champions League,« says Jungen. »We’re among the best—not at the very top, where Cannes, Venice, and Berlin are, but not in the middle of nowhere either.« For him, this has to do with the city, the airport, the five-star hotels, and the timing at the start of Oscar season, when studios need to boost their films» prestige. «Toronto takes place in a multiplex with escalators. We’re in the heart of the city, with the illuminated opera house in the background.»

That wasn’t always the case. In 2005, Mayor Elmar Ledergerber’s cultural affairs office asked the founders to remove «Zurich» from the name. A «pretentious, flashy event» could damage the city’s image. «We’ve had a positive relationship with Hollywood from the very beginning,» says Jungen. “Today, every festival wants stars—even Locarno.”

The Kunsthaus draws just over half a million visitors a year, the Opera House 230,000, and the ZFF between 135,000 and 140,000. ’We get our visitor numbers in eleven days; the others operate year-round.’ The NZZ’s economic impact study put the figure at 37 million francs, based on approximately 100,000 visitors. A new calculation is underway. Every year, 600 volunteers help out—different people each year. ’Apart from the zoo, there’s nothing in Zurich that’s as deeply rooted in the local community as the ZFF.« The internal motto: From Zurich, for Zurich, and the world.

An office in Hollywood

Jungen spends three months a year abroad, often in Los Angeles. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Golden Globes, where he is responsible for membership. He uses the week of the awards ceremony for meetings: «Everyone is there before the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Meetings at the office during the day, receptions in the evening.» His takeaway from the biography of Moritz de Hadeln: «The festival business is a people business. You have to travel; you have to talk to people—not just on Zoom.» Often, the discussions are about films that haven’t even been shot yet.

In the medium term, the ZFF plans to open a branch office in Los Angeles. Business partner Max Lung, a native of Zurich, already lives in the Hollywood neighborhood. President Martin Moszkowicz, who served for many years as CEO of Constantin Film, commutes between Munich and Los Angeles. «It’s important to have a presence over there so that people think of Zurich when they have a new film.» The network is paying off: Casey Affleck reached out through a mutual friend and will personally present his film this year.

Strategy 2030

By 2030, the ZFF is set to become Switzerland’s most important cultural and social event. Jungen asked ChatGPT about the competitive landscape and received a ranking: Art Basel, Montreux Jazz, ZFF, Lucerne Festival, Locarno. Sawiris asked the same question and received Lucerne in second place and the ZFF in fourth. When asked, ChatGPT explained that classical music is important to Sawiris. «Anyway, we’re not in first place. That’s where we want to be.»

The path to that goal goes through the stars. «We’re actually less in the movie business than in live entertainment. The reason the tickets sell out so fast isn’t the movie. It’s Julianne Moore or John Turturro or Casey Affleck.» The first sold-out movie on the program was «Diamond,» written by and starring Andy Garcia.

The festival is set to have a year-round presence. Premieres for third parties are a business segment; ZFF was part of the «Socceritos» premiere featuring Granit Xhaka. In addition, there are activities for partners at the Golden Globes or in Cannes. When it comes to customer focus, Jungen doesn’t mess around: «We have to focus on the customer without any room for humor. You have to keep asking yourself: Where are the people? If I’m sitting on the tram and everyone is looking at their cell phones, then maybe I shouldn’t be running print ads anymore.» This statement comes from someone who worked for newspapers for 25 years and now reads them on his iPad.

Death threats after two hours

At the Zurich Summit, the industry conference held at the Dolder Grand with 150 decision-makers, Eline Van der Velden introduced the AI actress Tilly Norwood last year. Two hours later, she was receiving death threats. The industry portal «Deadline» recorded its four most-read articles of all time in the first 36 hours that followed. This year, Van der Velden is returning, and Tilly Norwood is making her first major public appearance.

Jungen understands the actors« fears, but doesn’t believe in demonizing the technology. »Television didn’t replace radio, nor has streaming replaced the movie theater. There will be AI-made films, just as there are animated films.« For him, AI is »a bigger game-changer than the invention of the Internet was.« It’s part of everyday operations. Managing Director Mehmet Inan uses it at every level. »In the past, a graphic designer would spend days laying out sponsor dossiers. Today, you just type what you need into Claude or another program, and something pretty usable comes out.« His response to the critics: »Of course, not everything is perfect, but AI is getting better every day.« He isn’t entirely without reservations, though. He sent the questionnaire for the podcast back to the host with feedback: too structured, thrown together by AI—please put more effort into it. »I can always tell when it’s structured like that that it comes from AI.”

The Snowman in the Sun

The ZFF is 90 percent privately funded. So far, it has received half a million francs from the City of Zurich. Jungen doesn’t need subsidies like the Opera House’s 80 to 90 million, but he does need a stronger foundation. «Sponsorship is like a snowman in the sun. It’s still standing, but it’s getting a little smaller every day. And every loss could become a matter of survival.» That, he says, is what drives him to stay on his toes. For planning security and to fulfill its cultural mission, he would like to see a larger contribution from the city. Discussions are underway; the city council must give its approval.

The festival runs from September 24 to October 4, featuring 133 films, 46 world and European premieres, and 21 Swiss films—more than ever before. The first theme in 22 years is «Dream Big.» The festival will open with «Tenzing,» a film about the first ascent of Mount Everest starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe. The ZFF has never sold more tickets for any film. «The Swiss and the mountains—it’s just a great match,» says Jungen. Sylvester Stallone canceled his appearance for «I Play Rocky» because he’s filming a TV series, but promised in an email that he’d come next year. The email ended with two words that Jungen wants to print out and frame: «Keep punching.»

The podcast episode on Spotify

The full interview with Christian Jungen is available in «Soltis" Studiocast», the podcast by Christoph Soltmannowski, produced by Castalavista in Zurich-Glattpark.