Zurich Film Festival kicks off with ‘Splitsville’ gala and tribute to Dakota Johnson

US actress and producer Dakota Johson was honoured last night (September 25) during the opening of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), which kicked off with a gala screening of her latest film, Splitsville.

Johnson was awarded the festival’s Golden Eye Award for her role in Splitsville and her career, which includes Fifty Shades Of Grey, Suspiria, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Celine Song’s Materialists. Johnson was joined on stage in Zurich by Splitsville director, actor and producer Michael Angelo Covino.

The relationship comedy, about an open marriage that ends up wreaking havoc on two couples, went down well among the well-heeled Swiss crowd attending the premiere at Zurich’s Kongresshaus, eliciting plenty of laughter throughout.

Zurich festival director Christian Jungen paid tribute to the film and to Johnson. “I’m not someone who easily laughs when I’m at the movies, but here I laughed so loud,” he said. “And the first ten minutes is the best beginning I’ve seen in a film in a long, long time. The film also shows us Dakota Johnson at the top of her game.”

Jungen called Johnson “the very definition of a modern woman, both on screen and off. In her films she isn’t afraid to explore the complexities of modern relationships, as in Splitsville.” 

Accepting the Golden Eye Award, Johnson – who also produced Splitsville through her company TeaTime Pictures – praised ZFF.

“It’s festivals like these that support indie films and filmmakers, where people coming to introduce [their films] feel genuinely excited to be there. That is what keeps my heart beating for this industry, especially as it is in a pretty tricky place at the moment. There is nothing I love more than being surrounded by filmmakers and people who just love movies.”

Splitsville, which world premiered at Cannes this year in its Special Screenings section, co-stars Covino alongside Adria Ajana and Kyle Marvin. Neon and Topic Studios co-financed Splitsville, and Neon handles international sales.

Johnson said the reason she got involved with Splitsville was because of Covino’s 2019 comedy The Climb, which he also wrote, produced and starred in alongside Kyle Marvin. “I love the way they work together. I love their tone, their humour and I just wanted to support them on their next journey.”

For his part, Covino also paid tribute to Johnon for boarding Splitsville. “When you are an actor and you have work behind you, people have an expectation – and everyone is looking for you to fail or to have a movie that falls apart. So it is a lot for Dakota to make a choice, to make a movie is a big deal, and I’m eternally grateful that you chose to entrust me with this film.”

The opening ceremony was hosted by entrepreneur and TV host Max Loong, who, along with festival director Jungen and vice festival director Reta Guetg, is one of the new owners of the Zurich Film Festival, having taken part in the management buyout of the event earlier this year.

Other speakers during the evening included Swiss federal councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Zurich’s mayor Corine Mauch.

ZFF continues until October 5. 

• Why Christian Jungen and Reta Guetg bought the Zurich Film Festival