Zurich Summit 2026: When Hollywood Meets Zurich
As part of the Zurich Film Festival, the Zurich Summit brings together international film luminaries such as Edward Berger, Robbie Brenner, and Oliver Berben. The focus is on box-office comebacks, artificial intelligence, and the creator economy.
The Zurich Summit will take place from September 25 to 27, 2026, at The Dolder Grand as part of the 22nd edition of the Zurich Film Festival. According to the organizers, this boutique conference has established itself as the «Davos of the film industry,» where Hollywood meets Europe. Every year, international industry representatives gather to discuss the state of the business, while the event promotes networking and collaboration between the EMEA and U.S. markets.
Game Changer Award for Glen Basner
This year’s Zurich Summit will conclude with the Game Changer Award Conversation, featuring award winner Glen Basner, founder and CEO of FilmNation Entertainment, in conversation with director Edward Berger. Berger collaborated with Basner on the Academy Award®-nominated film «Conclave,» which was screened at the Zurich Film Festival in 2024 in the presence of Berger and Ralph Fiennes. The laudatory speech will be delivered by CAA Media Finance Co-Head Roeg Sutherland.
Edward Berger says: «It is a great honor to have been asked to moderate this year’s Game Changer Award discussion at the Zurich Summit—and with Glen Basner, the award has a more than deserving recipient. I had the great pleasure of meeting Glen during my very first job in the film industry—more than thirty years ago now. As a Swiss national, I always enjoy returning home, but especially to the ZFF.»
Roeg Sutherland adds: «The Summit is such a superbly curated gathering and plays a central role in the global film financing market. Glen possesses the rare ability to combine first-rate creative intuition with astute strategic thinking, all underpinned by a genuine love of cinema.»
Box Office Comeback After a Strong Summer
Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will deliver a keynote address on his vision for the Academy as a global film organization and the future of the Oscars®. He will then join a discussion with Kane Parsons, director of «Backrooms,» Robbie Brenner, President and Chief Content Officer of Mattel Studios and producer of «Barbie,» and Michael Barker, Co-President of Sony Pictures Classics, about the recovery of the box office following a summer that, according to the press release, saw a record-high gross of $4.76 billion. Other panelists include Nick Shumaker of Anonymous Content, Julie La’Bassiere of DDA, and John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media.
Streaming, Mergers, and Media Entrepreneurship
Mubi founder and CEO Efe Cakarel will deliver a keynote address titled «Beyond Streaming: Building a Global Home for Cinema,» in which he will discuss Mubi’s development and the strategy behind building a global streaming service. He will then participate in a panel discussion with Elisabeth D’Arvieu, CEO of Mediawan Pictures, and Kevin Mayer, co-founder and co-CEO of Candle Media. The discussion will focus on scale and agility in building resilient media companies, as well as the role of mergers and acquisitions.
Artificial Intelligence as a Key Focus Area
The Zurich Summit will open with an AI session featuring a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Markus Gross from the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich. This will be followed by a fireside chat between Eline van der Velden, founder and CEO of Particle 6, and her viral AI creation, Tilly Norwood. Nathalia Ramos An, co-founder of the Creators Coalition on AI, will moderate a panel on «How AI Transforms Creativity» featuring Vania Schlogel of Atwater Capital and Magnific, as well as Zack London—known as Gossip Goblin and director of «Gods Don’t Give Gifts»— a feature film generated entirely by AI that will be released in U.S. theaters on October 30 through the company’s own distribution. Also participating is filmmaker Nick Holt, who will be a guest at the Zurich Film Festival with his documentary «AI: Probably Nothing to Worry About.».
Global Storytelling and Strategic Investments
Romain Bessi, CEO of The Creatives, will open a session on European production alliances. Following that, Martin Moszkowicz, Janine Jackowski of Komplizen Film—producer of Joachim Trier’s Academy Award®-winning film «Sentimental Value»—and Rena Ronson of the UTA Independent Film Group will discuss global storytelling, from filmmaking to the market. In another session, CAA Executive David Taghioff will moderate a panel discussion on strategic investments with Andrea Scarso of IPR.VC, Sarah Schweitzman of CAA Media Finance, Alex Walton, and Raj Singh, co-founder and CEO of Media Capital Technologies.
YouTube and TikTok as Marketing Tools
Andreas Briese, Managing Director of YouTube Germany, will deliver a keynote speech on the importance of the creator economy in the media sector. Hasmik Matinyan, TikTok Publisher Manager for Entertainment in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH), will use the film *Backrooms* as an example in her keynote, «From Community to Box Office: How Fandom on TikTok Drives Impact,» using the film «Backrooms» as an example to demonstrate how communities and creators drive discovery and fandom around film brands—and how Constantin Film leverages this for its film marketing. Following the keynote, Oliver Berben and Linda Fiolka, Head of Marketing at Constantin Film, will speak with Matinyan in a discussion moderated by Don Macanlalay of The Film Zone.
The Zurich Film Festival will take place from September 24 to October 4, 2026. Confirmed festival guests include Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Tom Hiddleston, and Olivia Colman, as well as directors Richard Linklater, Martin McDonagh, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
For more information about the Zurich Summit and the Zurich Film Festival: https://zff.com
