Renowned leading lady Nambitha Ben-Mazwi has been invited as a special guest and speaker alongside Hollywood greats at the prestigious 21st Zurich Film Festival. Scheduled to take place from 25 September to 5 October 2025, the film festival is the largest fall audience festival in the German-speaking market. With more than 140’000 cinema visits, it was listed among the Guardian’s top 10 coolest European film festivals.
Last year, around 120 AMPAS Members and talent like Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Edward Berger, Howard Shore, Pamela Anderson, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Gere, Sebastian Stan, and Alicia Vikander attended the festival. This year, the festival is honouring Colin Farrell and Wagner Moura. The festival is committed to young talent and provides a stage for the most promising new filmmakers from around the world, and promotes exchange between up-and-coming directors, established filmmakers, the film industry, and the general public.
“It’s an extremely exciting time in my career right now, having recently embarked on my new chapter as an executive producer, and crossing into a non-English speaking European market with a new project, I am continuously in awe of how God keeps challenging me and showing up in amplifying my voice across multiple borders and shores”, said Nambitha Ben-Mazwi. “Last year, I had the honour of hosting and representing South Africa at the Essence Film Festival. Now, to be a speaker as a leading female voice at the inaugural Zurich Film Festival is a platform I hadn’t envisioned, but one that I aim to leave a lasting mark and that will facilitate continued conversations and collaborations across global markets.”
Ben-Mazwi will speak at the Leading FeMales NextGen event to take place on 3 October 2025. The event shines a spotlight on inspiring women, as they share their career journeys and highlight the various challenges within the film industry. The Zurich Film Festival invites guests to an exclusive lunch event to explore the current film landscape from the diverse perspectives of female voices.
This is an exciting time for Ben-Mazwi, following the successful trending season 2 finale of her starring action role on Showmax’s hit show, EMPINI; her impact as host at the 30th Essence Festival 2024; as well as a new international project she is currently shooting. Her dynamic talent and impactful voice continue to position her as a prominent name and ambassador for South African talent on the global stage.