Richard Linklater at the ZFF: Golden Eye Award for Lifetime Achievement

On September 28, 2026, Richard Linklater will accept the Golden Eye at the Filmpodium in Zurich—the director of *Boyhood* and the *Before* trilogy will receive the Career Achievement Award at the Richard Linklater ZFF for his life’s work. The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is honoring him as one of the most influential auteur filmmakers in American independent cinema.

A filmmaker who has shaped generations

Richard Linklater is one of the most influential figures in contemporary American cinema. His feature film debut, *Slacker*, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991, marking the beginning of his long-standing connection to the most important festival for independent American film. This was followed in 1993 by the coming-of-age comedy *Dazed and Confused*, which featured Matthew McConaughey in his breakthrough role. With *Before Sunrise* (1995), which won the Silver Bear, and its sequels *Before Sunset* (2004) and *Before Midnight* (2013), Linklater created works that have become classics of their genre—filmed, among others, with his longtime collaborators Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

His epic *Boyhood* (2014), filmed over a period of twelve years with the same cast, is considered a unique phenomenon in film history: It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won the BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Picture. His other outstanding works include SCHOOL OF ROCK (2003) starring Jack Black, WAKING LIFE (2001), A SCANNER DARKLY (2006), EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (2016), and APOLLO 10½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD (2022). Linklater has directed a total of 26 feature films and has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, as well as winning two Golden Globes and two BAFTA Awards.

His most recent works include HIT MAN (2024), the documentary HOMETOWN PRISON (2024) from the HBO series GOD SAVE TEXAS, as well as the two films nominated for Best Picture at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards: NOUVELLE VAGUE (2025) and BLUE MOON (2025). In addition to its Golden Globe nomination, *NOUVELLE VAGUE* received ten César nominations and won four awards, including the César for Best Director. Linklater is thus the first American to receive this honor.

ZFF CEO Christian Jungen and Richard Linklater on the Award

«Richard Linklater is one of the most visionary and influential directors in American independent cinema,» explains Christian Jungen, CEO of the ZFF. «He knows how to capture the nuances of human experience through realistic dialogue and scenes that feel as if they were taken straight from life, and he often brings out the very best in his actors.»

Richard Linklater himself says: «I am deeply honored to receive the Career Achievement Award from the Zurich Film Festival. When Christian and I met at the Golden Globes, I told him that I had wanted to come to the ZFF for a long time—and now the perfect opportunity has arisen. I’m very happy that this award is bringing me to Zurich, and I’m looking forward to celebrating with the European audience that has accompanied and supported me throughout my entire career.»

Richard Linklater Retrospective at the ZFF: A Collaboration Among Three Institutions

Filmpodium Zurich and the Cinémathèque suisse are dedicating a wide-ranging retrospective to Richard Linklater, presenting a selection of his work curated by these two renowned Swiss film institutions. The retrospective also marks the beginning of a new, long-term collaboration between the ZFF, Filmpodium Zurich, and the Cinémathèque suisse.

Nicole Reinhard, director of Filmpodium Zurich, says: «Hardly any contemporary director embodies a love of cinema as much as Richard Linklater. With his iconic body of work, he has had a lasting impact on American independent cinema.» As part of this collaboration, the program «Cinema Seen Through the Eyes of… Richard Linklater» will also offer a glimpse into his personal film canon—the works that have shaped and inspired him as a filmmaker.

Vinzenz Hediger, director of the Cinémathèque suisse, emphasizes: «Perhaps more than any other director since Chantal Akerman, Richard Linklater has invented new cinematic forms and expanded the possibilities of cinema with each new work.» The collaboration with the ZFF opens up new opportunities for the Cinémathèque suisse in fulfilling its mission as the national center of excellence for film heritage.

A chronicler of everyday life and a supporter of independent film

In addition to his work as a director, Linklater has been dedicated to film culture for decades: He is the artistic director of the Austin Film Society, which he founded in 1985 to bring films from around the world to Austin that otherwise would not have been shown there. Today, the organization is one of the largest film institutions in the United States. It operates an art-house theater, manages film studios and a publicly accessible television studio with more than 600 producers, and has awarded more than three million dollars in grants to filmmakers from Texas since 1996.

Linklater will accept the Career Achievement Award in person at the Filmpodium in Zurich on September 28 and will also be available for a ZFF Masters session. The 22nd edition of the Zurich Film Festival will take place from September 24 to October 4, 2026. Details about the program will be announced at a later date.

More information: https://zff.com