Director Richard Linklater received the Career Achievement Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival and will receive the GoldenEye Award in recognition of his life’s work.
The American filmmaker will receive the award in person at the Filmpodium in Zurich on September 28th.
The festival praised Linklater as “one of the most influential auteurs in American independent film, a director whose films like the Before trilogy and Boyhood redefined cinema and shaped an entire generation.”
The festival presents a major retrospective of Linklater’s work in collaboration with the Zurich Film Museum and the Swiss Cinematheque. Linklater will also provide insight into his work at a public masterclass.
“Richard Linklater is one of the most visionary and formative directors in American independent film,” said ZFF CEO Christian Jungen. “Through naturalistic dialogue and scenes that feel plucked straight from life, he holds up a mirror to our times and regularly brings out the best in actors. He is also the director of my absolute favorite film, Before Sunrise, which is how I met my wife, so I’m especially pleased to welcome him to Zurich and share with audiences a film that has moved me for years.”
Linklater’s films include Slacker (1991), Dazed and Confused (1993), the Silver Bear-winning Before Sunrise (1995), and its sequels Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).
His blockbuster “Boyhood” (2014), filmed over 12 years with the same cast, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. His further notable works include School of Rock (2003) with Jack Black, Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and most recently Hitman (2023) and Nouvelle Vague (2025).
Director Linklater said, “I am truly 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 always wanted to attend one day, but now was the time. I am thrilled that this award is the opportunity to take me there. I am very much looking forward to celebrating with the European audience that has meant so much to me throughout my career.”
