Noah Baumbach Set For Zurich Film Festival Honor At ‘Jay Kelly’ Gala Screening

The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will honor U.S. director and screenwriter Noah Baumbach with its A Tribute to … Award at its upcoming edition which kicks off later this month.

The honorary award will be presented to the four-time Academy Award–nominated writer and director ahead of the gala premiere for his new film Jay Kelly.

The award celebrates Baumbach’s career which includes his six-time Oscar-nominated drama Marriage Story, for which Laura Dern won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2020.

Zurich also cited career highlights such as White Noise, The Meyerowitz Stories, While We’re Young, Mistress America, Frances Ha; Greenberg, Margot at the Wedding; The Squid and the Whale, Kicking and Screaming, and the documentary De Palma.

He also co-wrote Barbie with Greta Gerwig, as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox and The life Aquatic with Steve Zissou with Wes Anderson.

Billed as a satire on the Hollywood star circus, Jay Kelly, world premiered in Venice.

George Clooney plays the titular protagonist, a famous movie actor who embarks on a journey of self-discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler).

“With Noah Baumbach, we are honoring an auteur who has shaped U.S. cinema for decades with his subtle insight into human relationships and his precise powers of observation”, said ZFF director Christian Jungen.

“Jay Kelly is, in my opinion, one of the outstanding films of the year and one of those works that, looking back, will be regarded as a masterpiece.”

Previous recipients of the A Tribute to … Award include Edward Berger, Paolo Sorrentino, Wim Wenders, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Oliver Stone, Maïwenn, and Luca Guadagnino.

The Zurich Film Festival runs from September 25 to October 5.