2010 will see the fifth edition of the Zurich Film Festival's talent workshop, which offers young filmmakers from the fields of directing, screenplay writing and producing the opportunity to exchange ideas with representatives from the film industry. The workshop talks not only impart knowledge and create new impulses, they also provide the ideal environment for the development of networks essential in all branches of the film industry. In association with the Zurich Film Festival, which has witnessed incredible development in a very short period of time, the Zurich Master Class offers the perfect platform for an intensive exchange of experiences. Since its inception, the focus of the Zurich Film Festival has been the promotion of young international directing talent.  The first Zurich Master Class took place during the second Zurich Film Festival in 2006 and gradually expanded in the years that followed. It is one area of the festival that caters for the promotion of regional upcoming talent – a large number of promising young film workers have already reaped the benefits of previous years’ workshops. Young film workers whose first large-scale works have attracted the attention of the international film scene are invited alongside renowned veterans of the international film world to speak at the workshops. Previous speakers have included notable personalities such as Quirin Berg, Moritz Bleibtreu, Larry Charles, Costa-Gavras, Andreas Dresen, Stephen Frears, Morgan Freeman, Christian Frei, Peter Fonda, Terry Gilliam, Michael Keaton, Randal Kleiser, Dale Launer, Ken Loach, Stanislaw Mucha, Bettina Oberli, Niki Reiser, Al Ruddy, Sylvester Stallone, Jim Stark, Oliver Stone, Erwin Wagenhofer and many more.

The Zurich Master Class is a series of workshops spread over several days. The following courses are on offer:

*Extensive “invitation only” workshop talks given by speakers or competition directors selected solely for the Zurich Master Class (20 – 25 participants)
*Meetings with Zurich Film Festival VIPs for current and previous Zurich Master Class participants and invited guests (Exclusive Zurich Master Class)
*A public event with a Zurich Film Festival guest of honour (Public Master Class)