The Zurich Film Festival unveiled its gala premiere program on Thursday, with highlights including many of the fan favorites of the 2023 festival season.

The program includes the melodrama by Todd Haynes May Decemberstarring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, the psychological thriller by Anne Hathaway/Thomasin McKenzie Eileen from the French gourmet romance film by director William Oldroyd and Tran Anh Hung The Pot Au Feu. Eileen was a hit from Sundance while both May December And The Pot Au Feu were lively titles in Cannes.

All are strong contenders for award season, as well as for the gala title in Zurich nyad, which will celebrate its world premiere in Toronto. The true story of Diana Nyad, a long-distance swimmer who, at age 60, becomes obsessed with swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida. It stars Annette Bening as Nyad and Jodie Foster as her friend and trainer Bonnie Stoll. Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.

Zurich also has three world premieres in the gala programme: those by Kilian Riedhof Star. one lifeHans Steinbichlers A whole life and Michael Noers birthday boy.

In star, undine And transit Star Paula Beer plays Stella Goldschlag, a Jewish girl in Nazi Berlin who, after narrowly escaping deportation with her parents, is forced to work for the Gestapo. Steinbichler’s drama A whole life is a story of the 20th century, told through the experiences of the orphan Andreas Egger over 80 years of hardship, conflict, violence and romance. Stefan Gorski, August Zirner and Julia Franz Richter play the leading roles. In birthday boythe Danish star Trine Dyrholm (queen of hearts, To a better world) stars as Nanna, a mother whose plans to celebrate her daughter’s 18th birthday with a dream vacation turn into a nightmare.

Zurich will announce its full program on September 18th. The Zurich Film Festival 2023 takes place from September 28th to October 8th.