Zurich, September 7, 2026 — Swiss actress Luna Wedler will receive the Golden Eye Award from the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), with the honor to be presented by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider during the festival’s Opening Night on September 24.
Wedler will also appear at this year’s Zurich Film Festival in two productions. She stars in Frauke Finsterwalder’s EUROTRASH and lends her voice to a character in the animated film DE RÄGEBOGEFISCH.
The award marks another milestone in Wedler’s long association with the festival. Eleven years after making her film debut at the age of 15 in AMATEUR TEENS, she has established herself as one of the leading actresses of her generation in the German-speaking world, while also building an international career.
Her work has earned her major recognition, including a Swiss Film Award and the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival.
With EUROTRASH and DE RÄGEBOGEFISCH, Wedler’s connection with the Zurich Film Festival continues. Eight films featuring the actress have now premiered at the festival.
“Luna Wedler is the first Swiss actress to receive our Golden Eye Award – an honor that in recent years has gone to Charlotte Gainsbourg, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, and Dakota Johnson,” said Christian Jungen, CEO of the ZFF.
“Luna is a Zurich native who has built an international career from our beautiful city, and she stands out for her remarkable versatility. She brings energy and charisma to every character she portrays and continues to captivate us time and again. Although she is still quite young and has a long career ahead of her, we want to tell her with our award on the big stage of Opening Night: Luna, we’re proud of you, and we look forward to many more years where we get to see you on screen.”
Reta Guetg, Festival Director of ZFF, also highlighted Wedler’s long-standing relationship with the festival.
“Luna Wedler’s connection to the Zurich Film Festival has accompanied me since my own beginnings at ZFF. BLUE MY MIND was one of the first films I got to program with the team, and Luna’s intensity blew me away even then,” Guetg said.
“I’m especially delighted that this year, she is joining us with not one but two films. In a remarkably short time, she has become one of the most versatile actresses of her generation. She portrays her characters with body and soul unlike anyone else. With this Golden Eye Award, we’re honoring an artist who finds herself only at the beginning of a great career.”
Wedler said the recognition holds particular significance because of her relationship with the festival since the beginning of her career.
“Being honored by the Zurich Film Festival, which has supported and accompanied me since the very start of my career, means so much to me. I can’t put into words how deeply this award moves me. This recognition is an incredible honor and gives me even more confidence to keep following my path.”
From Zurich Film Festival Debut to International Recognition
Born in Zurich in 1999, Wedler attended a casting for Niklaus Hilber’s AMATEUR TEENS at the age of 14, initially out of curiosity. She was cast as Milena, with the film subsequently receiving its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival in 2015, where it won the Audience Award.
Her breakthrough came with her first leading role in Lisa Brühlmann’s BLUE MY MIND in 2017. Her performance as Mia attracted international attention and earned her the 2018 Swiss Film Award for Best Actress. The film also premiered at the Zurich Film Festival, where it won the Golden Eye in the Focus Competition section.
That same year, Wedler was selected as a European Shooting Star at the Berlinale.
Since then, she has worked across arthouse cinema, international television and genre productions. Her leading roles have included JE SUIS KARL and 22 BAHNEN, while she portrayed German resistance fighter Sophie Scholl in the web series ICH BIN SOPHIE SCHOLL.
Her international profile grew further with the Netflix series BIOHACKERS, in which she played the lead role. She most recently appeared in the series ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE.
In 2025, Wedler starred in Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND, which premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival. Her performance earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress.
At the 2026 Zurich Film Festival, Wedler appears in two productions. In Frauke Finsterwalder’s EUROTRASH, she plays the driver of a writer who travels through Switzerland with his gravely ill mother. She also provides the voice for a character in the animated film DE RÄGEBOGEFISCH.
The two films bring Wedler back to the festival where her film career began in 2015.
What Is the Golden Eye Award?
The Golden Eye Award recognizes actors and actresses who have made a significant contribution to the current cinematic year while also being regarded as important performers of their generation based on their overall body of work.
Previous recipients of the award include Jude Law, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Johnson, among others.
Wedler will receive the Golden Eye Award during the Opening Night of the 2026 Zurich Film Festival on September 24.