Still: MELK

The Swiss festival has announced their line-up for its 2023 edition which takes place from September 28 to October 8. Five Dutch films are among the selection. 

Stefanie Kolk's debut feature MELK** world premiered in Venice's independently organized festival section Giornate degli Autori and is now in the race for the Feature Film Competition in Zurich. The film follows a woman on a difficult quest to donate her milk after her baby is stillborn. MELK is produced by Lemming Film, sales handled by Bendita Film Sales.

Dojo, by Boris Paval Conen, is part of the ZFF for Kids section. The coming of age film has already screened at several children’s film festivals since its premiere at Cinekid, among others: Kristiansand International Children's Film Festival and Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth. Dojo is produced by Phanta Basta! and Incredible Film handles sales.

Three Dutch minority co-productions will also be screening in Zurich, including Lost in the Night** (NL Co-producer: Lemming Film) by Amat Escelante. The film premiered in Cannes and is now showing in Zurich's Special Screenings. It’s a thriller about a man from a small Mexican mining town searching for those behind the disappearance of his activist mother. Sales are handled by The Match Factory.

Documentary The Golden Thread* (NL. Co-produced by Zeppers Film, sales: Taskovski Films) is selected for the Border Lines section. Nishta Jain's film that explores the aspirations and survival of jute workers as factories close down or modernise, world premiered at IDFA and also screened at a.o. DOKfest Munich and DOXA Documentary Film Festival.

And finally They Shot The Piano Player** (NL Co-producer Submarine, sales: Film Constellation). Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal's film world premiered at Telluride Film Festival in the US and screened at Toronto earlier this month. Now it is selected for the Sounds section in Zurich. In the artsy, melodic animation film, a New York music journalist sets out to discover the truth behind the tragic disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr.