It is announced today that the 2013 Zurich Film Festival will open on Thursday, September 26 with Ron Howard’s brilliant Formula 1 drama RUSH – the film’s premiere in the German-speaking world.
The racing drama RUSH re-creates the legendary rivalry between the two Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth). The well-disciplined, hard-working Austrian dueled for years with the charismatic English playboy. The film focuses on the 1976 season, when Lauda suffered his infamous accident at the Nürburgring. To the amazement of his fans and fellow competitors, and driven by a burning ambition to beat his arch-rival at the world championships, Lauda was back in the race to the top of the podium just six weeks after the life-threatening incident.
Thrilling to the very end, RUSH is an exciting, action-packed drama, furnished with authentic images, an uncompromising narrative style, a brilliant cast and a great sense of the 70s – the golden age of Formula 1.
Versatile German actor Daniel Brühl plays the part of Niki Lauda. Now in his mid-thirties, Brühl gained international recognition through the 2003 film GOOD BYE, LENIN! and has since put together an impressive trophy collection. He is best remembered for his role as a German war hero in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. The ZFF public also met him in 2009 in the Martin Suter adaptation LILA, LILA.
The role of James Hunt is played by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, who has previously appeared in such large-scale Hollywood productions as THOR and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN HUNTSMEN.
Having demonstrated her flexibility as an actress in more than 50 screen productions and countless TV roles, Alexandra Maria Lara is also in need of little introduction. Her most memorable appearances were in the cinema films NACKT, DER UNTERGANG and DER VORLESER. Lara also appeared in the 2008 ZFF programme opener DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX.
RUSH is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ron Howard, who made a name for himself with films such as SPLASH, WILLOW, BACKDRAFT and the two-time Oscar winning A BEAUTIFUL MIND. His most recent international successes include THE MISSING, THE DA VINCI CODE, FROST/NIXON and ILLUMINATI.
About the Zurich Film Festival / September 26 – October 6, 2013
Entering its ninth year, the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has established itself as one of the world’s top Films Festivals, discovering and promoting independent voices and talent from around the world, showcasing a diverse array of international films and serving as the setting for many World and European premieres.
The aim of the Zurich Film Festival is to offer audiences an insight into the work of young, upcoming filmmakers from around the globe and to promote the exchange of ideas between established film workers, young talent and the public.
ZFF is organized by Spoundation Motion Picture GmbH, based in Zurich, in cooperation with local institutions and sponsors. The Zurich Film Festival cooperates with numerous distributors and producers from Switzerland and abroad. The idea to found a festival in Zurich came from Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht, who serve as Directors of the Festival.
The Zurich Film Festival is generously supported by its main sponsors: Credit Suisse, upc cablecom, Die Schweizerische Post and Audi.
For more information please visit www.zff.com