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Zurich is quietly becoming the place where the film industry and finance world meet on equal footing. The Zurich Summit, held alongside the Zurich Film Festival, has grown from a casual industry event into one of the most strategic networking platforms in global cinema, blending high-level discussions with the unique resources of a top banking capital.
Zurich, where cinema meets finance
The strength of the Zurich Summit lies in its location. With the city’s deep-rooted reputation in banking and discretion, the event now attracts not just producers and distributors, but also investors and private bankers. Christian Jungen, artistic director of the Zurich Film Festival, doesn’t mince words: for him, the Summit is “the Davos of the film industry.” It’s a strong image, and one that makes sense. Just as political and economic leaders meet annually in the Swiss Alps to shape global trends, Zurich now hosts the key conversations that could reshape how films are financed and sold worldwide.
The 2025 edition is pushing that ambition even further, thanks to a new initiative: a pre-Summit Film Finance Forum. This closed-door meeting will gather 20 to 30 key players — bankers, investors, and producers — to explore alternative financing strategies. It’s not just theory: it’s about building bridges between capital and creativity.
What makes Zurich special, according to Reta Guetg (vice director of the festival), is the city’s unmatched density of family offices and discreet financial institutions. In other words, the money is already there — now it’s about creating the right setting for that money to find its way into independent film production. And with more and more shoots moving to Europe, the timing feels just right. To read Gwen Stefani headlines magical 2025 Disney Christmas Parade
Tom Quinn, a “Game Changer” in indie cinema
Every summit has its figurehead, and this year it’s Tom Quinn, the founder of Neon. Anyone who follows cinema closely knows just how much impact this man has had. Six Palme d’Or winners in six years — even listing them impresses. Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall… each a major cinematic moment, and each distributed under Neon’s banner.
Christian Jungen draws a bold but well-deserved comparison: “Tom Quinn defines recent indie cinema,” he says, likening his importance today to what Miramax represented in the 1990s. Personally, I find that completely accurate. When you see Neon’s logo, you instinctively expect a film that dares, that challenges. It’s rare that a distributor manages to create that kind of identity and trust.
Tom Quinn will receive the Summit’s Game Changer Award, a recognition that feels both obvious and totally earned. I’ve often found that his catalog represents the most exciting side of contemporary cinema: quirky, political, emotional. Recognizing him in Zurich isn’t just symbolic. It anchors the Summit in what’s truly happening on the ground in film today.
What’s on the agenda this year?
Beyond traditional panels on production and financing, the Summit is digging into immediate questions that every producer and studio is now facing. That includes:
- The influence of artificial intelligence on development and production, with perspectives from start-ups already experimenting with these tools
- The rise of YouTube’s ecosystem, now seen less as a competitor and more as a potential partner for traditional studios
- The ever-shifting landscape of distribution in a post-pandemic world where streaming, theatrical releases, and hybrid models continue to clash
It’s this mix of hard business and forward-thinking topics that keeps the Zurich Summit relevant. And it’s precisely what the industry needs right now: time to stop, reflect, and recalibrate. To read Toho expands into Europe with bold anime distribution moves
A focus on Saudi Arabia’s cinematic ambitions
One of the most intriguing aspects this year comes with the spotlight on Saudi Arabia. Abdul Jalil Al-Nasser, representing the Saudi Film Commission, will be in Zurich to talk about the region’s rapidly accelerating investments in the film sector. The world premiere of Desert Warrior — a $100 million production — is already a bold statement.
For Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), who’ll be attending as well, it’s a rare and valuable opportunity to sit down with new, ambitious players. The audiovisual scene is evolving fast in the Gulf, and Zurich may be where future international collaborations quietly begin. It may feel far from Hollywood geographically, but not creatively or financially.
Where ideas take shape, and deals take root
What struck me in reading about this year’s edition is how naturally Zurich is positioning itself as a place where conversations don’t just happen — they lead to something. Whether you’re fixing a financing gap, exploring co-productions, or simply looking for the next trend to ride, this is where those dots start connecting.
And maybe that’s the real strength of the Zurich Summit. It doesn’t pretend to be a festival where films get standing ovations. It’s the place where those ovations begin, quietly, on paper, between two people in a room.
