The Zurich Film Festival, together with the San Sebastian Film Festival, organizes a film market for independent productions. The aim of the initiative is to revive the film business and bring together the most important players in the Swiss city.

The market will take place physically in Zurich from Friday, September 25 to Monday, September 28. The approximately 20 brand new and highly anticipated titles will be presented to interested buyers and festival programmers in market screenings. "Due to the ongoing global pandemic, many independent films with artistic merit were unable to hold market premieres and now threaten to remain without theatrical release", explains Christian Jungen, Artistic Director of the Zurich Film Festival. "We want to help them find a distributor and are therefore organizing the first Zurich Market together with our partner festival San Sebastian”.

"We want this initiative to serve as an opportunity for films unable to screen, to be shown to an audience of buyers and distributors and to do our bit in revitalizing the global film industry. We would also like to thank our friends at the Zurich Film Festival for the collaboration in this forward-looking initiative, starting this year", emphasizes José Luis Rebordinos, Director of the San Sebastian Film Festival, which provides strategic support the market, but will not host a physical edition.

Zurich Summit – Think Thank 2020

Alongside the market, the Zurich Summit once again brings together the industry's key players. The Boutique Conference features a top-class line-up of international and national producers, sales executives and creators in film, TV and entertainment as well as technology entrepreneurs and financiers. The need for exchange and inspiration on the future of the film industry regarding distribution, deal making and international cooperation is more urgent than ever.

Market participants can communicate online via the Zurich Film Festival’s "Who's Who" directory and arrange one-to-one meetings themselves. "The film world has not waited for a new film market, but extraordinary times require extraordinary measures," declares Reta Guetg, Head of Industry. "We are planning the market as a unique initiative, in a new world in which we have yet to find our way around." Christian Jungen adds: "The fact that the initiative is meeting with great interest in both the European and American film industry is of course highly encouraging."

Interested buyers, sales agents and festival programmers receive additional access to the market with their industry accreditation. Accreditations can be applied for online by 17 September at the latest.