Neon’s Tom Quinn to Receive Game Changer Award at the Zurich Summit

Tom Quinn, founder and CEO of U.S. indie distribution and production house Neon, will be honored with the Game Changer Award at the Zurich Summit, which takes place on Sept. 27, running as part of the 21st Zurich Film Festival. Quinn’s slate includes Joachim Trier’s Cannes frontrunner “Sentimental Value.”

The award “pays tribute to excellence in the film business with a focus on leaders who cherish change and forward-thinking approaches in the business,” the festival said.

Neon, which Quinn set up in 2017, has – in just eight years – won 39 Academy Award nominations, 11 wins, including two best picture wins, and has grossed over $400 million at the box office.

Its films include Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which took home five Academy Awards including best picture, and was released in theaters to the highest per-screen average of 2024; as well as Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” which won four Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English-language film to claim best picture, and grossed over $54 million at the U.S. box office.

In Cannes this year, Neon premiered Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha,” as well as Raoul Peck’s “Orwell: 2+2=5” and Michael Angelo Covino’s “Splitsville,” starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona, which Neon also produced.

Christian Jungen, Zurich Film Festival director, said: “Since its inception, Neon has been a trailblazer in championing bold, innovative and visionary auteur cinema. Founder Tom Quinn is a passionate cinephile. Under his leadership, the company has established itself as a dynamic force in independent film.

“Tom’s exceptional instincts, refined taste, and strategic business acumen have elevated Neon into a globally recognized cult label that bridges the gap between U.S. and international audiences and filmmakers alike. With a deep appreciation for a wide range of genres, Tom has been instrumental in bringing auteur-driven films to theaters worldwide, ensuring their creative visions reach broad and diverse audiences.

“Through its carefully curated slate, Neon proves that even in today’s challenging environment, artistic quality can achieve major commercial success in cinema.”

Past recipients of the award include CAA’s co-head of the media finance department Roeg Sutherland, Patrick Wachsberger, Academy Award best picture winner with “Coda,” co-chair and CEO Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Pamela Abdy, and Sony Pictures Classics’ co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.

Quinn said: “To be honored with the Game Changer Award alongside my peers is incredibly humbling. Zurich as a festival and a Summit is something I relish every year. It’s that rare opportunity we as an industry come together, earnestly assess how we’re doing, and strategize how to continue pushing cinema forward. I’m grateful to be a part of this exceptional gang of global cinephiles and look forward to celebrating each other again at this year’s edition. Thank you Christian, Reta and the entire Zurich Film Festival team for your continued friendship and this special recognition.”