The Zurich Film Festival will host European premieres of The Smashing Machine, Hedda and The Lost Bus as part of its 2025 “Gala Premieres” lineup, alongside several high-profile world debuts from Germany.
The 21st edition of the festival, running Sept. 25 to Oct. 5, will open its main gala section to a mix of Hollywood awards contenders and German-language productions with broad audience appeal. Festival director Christian Jungen noted that the section has a track record of screening films that later earn Oscar nominations.
Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr, marks a dramatic shift for the actor, with the film exploring Kerr’s rise and struggles outside the octagon. Emily Blunt co-stars as Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples.
Nia DaCosta’s Hedda, a modern interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, stars Tessa Thompson alongside Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots and Tom Bateman.
Paul Greengrass’s The Lost Bus, inspired by real events, casts Matthew McConaughey as a school bus driver caught in one of America’s deadliest wildfires, with America Ferrera as a teacher aiding in the rescue of 22 children.
Other titles in the gala lineup include Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life with Jodie Foster, Erik Schmitt’s The Life of Wishes starring Matthias Schweighöfer, Swiss literary adaptation I’m Not Stiller from director Stefan Haupt, Neele Leana Vollmar’s Time We Lost with Anke Engelke and Ulrich Tukur, Unidentified from Haifaa Al Mansour, Christian Ditter’s children’s film Momo, and the documentary The Balloonists from director John Dower.
The festival’s full program will be announced on Sept. 11.
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