Biografia
Karl Spoerri co-founded the Zurich Film Festival in 2005. As its artistic director, he transformed it into the largest autumn festival in the German-speaking region, attracting over 130,000 visitors and showcasing 160 films annually. He also established the Zurich Summit, the festival's premier industry event. In 2014, Spoerri launched the film magazine "Frame" in partnership with NZZ am Sonntag. Later, Spoerri and his partners sold the festival and the marketing company Spoundation Motion Picture AG—current owner of Zurich's "Frame" cinema—to NZZ Mediengruppe AG. He stepped down as artistic director of the ZFF in 2019.
Continuing his career as a producer and executive producer, Spoerri contributed to David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, featuring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, and Michael Fassbender. Through Zurich Avenue, he served as executive producer on films including Julian Schnabel's At Eternity's Gate with Willem Dafoe; David Lowery's The Old Man & the Gun starring Robert Redford and Casey Affleck; Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum featuring Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, and Isla Fisher; and Roland Emmerich's Moonfall.
As a producer, Spoerri brought Bill Pohlad's Dreamin' Wild, starring Casey Affleck, Zooey Deschanel, and Beau Bridges, to theaters. The film premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and was released in the United States by Roadside Attractions in summer 2023. Zurich Avenue also co-developed the acclaimed Netflix film Nyad, starring Jodie Foster and Annette Bening, in collaboration with Black Bear Pictures. Nyad premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, screened at major fall festivals, and was subsequently launched on Netflix. Additionally, Spoerri produced the Sundance breakout hit Thelma, featuring June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, and Clark Gregg.
