Zurich Festival to Honor Conclave Director Edward Berger

The Zurich Film Festival will this year present director Edward Berger with its prestigious Golden Eye A Tribute To…Award, honoring his life’s work.

Berger, whose 2022 war epic All Quiet on the Western Front was nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4, is back in the award conversations this year with his latest feature, Conclave. The gripping Vatican-set drama stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow in a behind-the-scenes thriller about the selection of a new pope after the death of the previous pontiff.

“With Conclave, Edward Berger has successfully created a masterpiece,” said Zurich Film Festival artistic director Christian Jungen. “Edward is a master of the classic style who allows his character actors like Ralph Fiennes to give room to their talent and whose directions are entirely intended to serve the story. He is multifaceted, able to navigate a wide range of genres and always manages to find the appropriate style and tone.”

Berger will receive the Golden Eye honor in Zurich on October 6, at the gala premiere of Conclave.

Born in Germany to an Austrian father and Swiss mother, Berger made a splash with his 2014 feature Jack, but it was on the small screen that he first made his mark, with the breakout series Deutschland 83 and Patrick Melrose (2018) featuring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Off the success of All Quiet on the Western Front, Berger launched a production label, Nine Hours, with partners Luke Rivett (Corner Office, Berlin Station) and Jeanne Tremsal (So Long Daddy, See you in Hell) and signed a first-look deal with production giant Fremantle.

Zurich’s A Tribute to… Award honors directors “who have made a considerable impact on film history with their work.” Previous winners include Wim Wenders, Todd Haynes, Michael Haneke, Paolo Sorrentino, and Luca Guadagnino.

The 20th Zurich Film Festival runs Oct. 3-13.