AUSTRIAN FILMS - TEXT ARCHIVE

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We take a look back at a year...

... which gave us one of PETER KERN‘s most powerful films and shortly afterwards took from the Austrian film scene its most rebellious spirit
... when a range of young voices made themselves heard and demonstrated their talent in various ways, including two FIRST STEPS AWARDS and a Student Academy Award
... when two Austrian films made the SHORTLIST for Oscar nominations

US theatrical premiere of DREAMS REWIRED

The ingeniously assembled found footage essay by Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart and Thomas Tode starts out for its theatrical US tour including screenings in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle ... The North America release of DREAMS REWIRED comes along with enthusiastic reviews by US journalists. Read more

Publikation: Räume in der Zeit. Die Filme von Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Räume in der Zeit hat Alejandro Bachmann seine soeben im Sonderzahl-Verlag erschienene Publikation zum Oeuvre Nikolaus Geyrhalters genannt, denn, so der Herausgeber, „Kino bei Geyrhalter ist Raumerfahrung“.

WE COME AS FRIENDS among the 15 documentary Oscar finalists

Hubert Sauper’s We Come As Friends is one of the 15 finalists in the race for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Ten years after receiving an Academy Award nomination for Darwins Nightmare, Hubert Sauper joins again the most outstanding documentary filmmakers selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

«This film is about a brilliant mind.»

Friedrich Moser

Friedrich Moser’s captivating documentary A GOOD AMERICAN drags viewers into the core of US intelligence operations and portrays the fascinating Bill Binney, a former NSA data analyst, who had devised a program that could have detected the 9/11 terrorists. An interview with Bill Binney, Friedrich Moser and senior producer Michael Seeber.

Zwischen traurig, unsicher, wütend und lustig

Im Herbst stand Pia Hierzegger für Josef Haders Regiedebüt WILDE MAUS vor der Kamera. Der dritte Dreh in Serie, nachdem sie zuvor bereits in Marie Kreutzers Was hat uns bloß so ruiniert und Michael Ostrowskis und Helmut Köppings Hotel Rock’n’Roll eine der Hauptrollen verkörperte.»

Was bedeutet es für das Mensch-Sein, abgelehnt zu werden?

Gerald Igor Hauzenberger

Ein Gespräch mit Gerald Igor Hauzenberger über seinen neuen Dokumentarfilm LAST SHELTER

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY among the ten short film Oscar finalists

Patrick Vollrath’s EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY has made it on the shortlist of the ten live action short films running for an Academy Awards nomination in the Best Short Film category. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected the finalists among no less than 144 submissions. Nominations will follow on January 14, 2016. See the whole list:

Méliès d’or to GOODNIGHT MOMMY

Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

Fantastic News! The European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation has selected the most outstanding work among the five holders of the Méliès d’argent 2015:
The Méliès d’or 2015 goes to GOODNIGHT MOMMY by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.

Double win at Duisburg

Two Austrian doc filmmakers awarded at Duisburg Film Week: Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s OVER THE YEARS wins the 3Sat Dokumentarfilmpreis, the Duisburg audience voted for Jakob Brossmann’s LAMPEDUSA IN WINTER.

Tribute to young Austrian cinema at Thessaloniki

„Austrian cinema has a long tradition of constantly reinventing itself“, states the Thessaloniki Film Festival (November 6 to 15). The 56^thfestival edition sets one of its spotlights on NEW AUSTRIAN CINEMA , including Chucks, Gruber Is Leaving, Jack, One of Us, and Thank You for Bombing.

Over the Years wins Silver Eye at Jihlava

The Jilhava East Silver Market awards Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s OVER THE YEARS with the Silver Eye including € 1,500 prize money and promotional support by the East Silver Caravan.

«Rock’n’Roll hat für mich etwas mit einer Haltung zum Leben zu tun»

Michael Ostrowski

Ein Gespräch mit Michael Ostrowski über die Dreharbeiten von HOTEL ROCK'N'ROLL, den Spirit Glawo, den Charme alter Hotelfilme und das Restrisiko des Rock'n'Roll.

«Die Figur von Gonzalo, das Dorf, die Entvölkerung, die Landschaft...

Günter Schwaiger

... – all das zusammen stellt etwas Universelles dar.» Günter Schwaiger hat einen kastilischen Bauern über vier Jahreszeiten hinweg durch die Unwägbarkeiten eines harten Berufes begleitet und viel über den Zustand der Welt abgeleitet.

Martin Gschlacht – European Cinematographer 2015

The European Film Academy has announced the first winners to be honoured at the 28^thEuropean Film Awards: The Prix Carlo di Palma 2015 goes to Martin Gschlacht for his outstanding camera work in GOODNIGHT MOMMY.

Unearthing the Macrocosm in the Microcosm

Angela Summereder

In the Upper Austrian village of Aurolzmünster, Angela Summereder followed the traces of an inventive mind from the 1920s and 1930s. Whereas Karl Schappeller once dreamed of being able to utilise 'free energy', present-day researchers are now furnishing results. An interview with the filmmaker about her new work Out of the Void.

«As close as possible to reality.»

Constantin Wulff

Constantin Wulff is a careful observer. He spent one and a half years at a psychiatric clinic for children and young people in order to give us a thorough insight to every day life of a hospital ward that generally evokes only vague and probably outdated ideas in our heads. LIKE THE OTHERS sets out for its international festival tour at Dok Leipzig .

«Everything remains clean, colorful, and full of false promises.»

Stephan Richter

Stephan Richter talks about his directorial debut ONE OF US, inspired by the death of a 14-year-old boy, who was shot in the back by a policeman while breaking into a supermarket. ONE OF US celebrates its world premiere at San Sebastián as one of the contenders in the New Directors Competition.

Zurich Film Festival: Golden Eye to Barbara Eder

The jury of the Focus: Switzerland, Germany, Austria at the 11^th Zurich FF manifests a distinct penchant to films „made in Austria“. Golden Eye to Best Feature film went to Barbara Eder’s THANK YOU FOR BOMBING, a Special Mention to Marie Kreutzer’s GRUBER IS LEAVING.

For A Thousand Lives: Be Human

More than 5,500 signatures have been gathered among European filmmakers since Nathalie Borgers and Ursula Wolschlager have initiated a few weeks ago an appeal for action to the European Union in the face of the current refugee situation. European Film professionals are raising a common voice to urge the necessary political move. It’s still time to join in.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY nominated for European Discovery – Prix Fipresci

The European Film Academy has announced the candidates for the best European debut film:
GOODNIGHT MOMMY by Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala is one of the five contenders vying for EUROPEAN DISCOVERY – Prix Fipresci along with Limbo, Mustang, Slow West and Sommers Downstairs. The winner will be announced on December 12.

Bronze Student Academy Award to Patrick Vollrath

Only two days after the First Steps Award, Patrick Vollrath receives the BRONZE STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD in Los Angeles.

«Emotion is my métier.»

World premiere of THANK YOU FOR BOMBING by Barbara Eder at the Toronto film festival. After an in-depth look at the ruthless working lives of profilers, Barbara Eder has turned her gaze towards the every day existence of war reporters and set a compelling story in three episodes at the war zone Kabul. Her new film premieres as part of the Contemporary World Cinema section.

Victorious night at the FIRST STEPS AWARDS ceremony

Andrina Mracnikar’s MA FOLIE wins the First Steps Award for Best Feature Length Film, Student Academy Award nomminee Patrick Vollrath takes the award in the mid-lenght category with EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.

«Berger almost seems like a Thomas Bernhard character. »

Andreas Horvath

Andreas Horvath on his attempt to create a portrait of the actor and his unfathomable personality. HELMUT BERGER, ACTOR celebrates its world premiere at Venice Classics.

RIP Peter Kern

Was he an enfant terrible? Everybody said so! Was he trying to provoke his audience? That's obvious! Was he trying to make this world we live in a better, a more understanding place? Most definitely!
This is goodbye to a gentle soul and a brutally honest filmmaker.
Farewell, Peter Kern!

Focus on Nikolaus Geyrhalter at the Milano Film Festival

Labeling Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s work as „one of the best gazes in contemporary cinema“ , the Milano festival pays a tribute to the Austrian documentary filmer, including a masterclass and the screenings of The Year After Dayton (1997), Pripyat (1999), Our Daily Bread (2005) as well as the Italien premiere of Geyrhalter’s highly acclaimed Over the Years, released at the Berlinale 2015.

CHUCKS wins Audience Award at Montréal

Sabine Hiebler & Gerhard Ertl returned to the Montréal World Film Festival with their new feature film CHUCKS and enthused again the audience. After Coming of Age (2012) they won the prize for the most popular film of the festival for the second time.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY: Austria’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film

Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

It has cult potential stamped all over it, wrote The Hollywood Reporter after its world premiere at Venice Orrizzonti 2014. Now, after 70 participations at international festival and 14 awards, GOODNIGHT MOMMY, the intriguing genre debut by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, has been selected the Austrian submission for the 2015 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

«A wonderful, powerful heroine.»

Sabine Hiebler, Gerhard Ertl

«Cornelia Travnicek has created a wonderful, powerful heroine. A strong, rebellious and almost unruly female character who is at the same time fragile and vulnerable» Sabine Hiebler & Gerhard Ertl about their adaptation of Cornelia Travnicek's novel CHUCKS, selected for World Cinema Competition in Montréal.

And the Academy Award goes to ...

... Patrick Vollrath! For EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY (Alles wird gut), his diploma film at Vienna's Filmakademie, he will be awarded one of three 2015 Student Academy Awards in the Foreign Language category. Whether it will be the Bronze, the Silver or the Gold medal will be announced on September 17th at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles. Huge congrats to Patrick and the Filmakademie Wien!

«Es geht um die Generation, die eigentlich alles hat...

Ihre Sorgen generieren sich aus dem Umstand, dass man keine Nöte hat. Man könnte das als „Wohlstandsverwahrlosung“ bezeichnen.» Produzent Alexander Glehr über die Dreharbeiten zu Marie Kreutzers neuem Spielfilm WAS HAT UNS BLOSS SO RUINIERT.

THANK YOU FOR BOMBING by Barbara Eder in Toronto

Barbara Eder returns to Toronto with her third feature length film Thank you for Bombing. After portraying profilers in her last documentary film, she turns her focus on journalism, taking a fictional approach to fears, ambitions and daily life of war reporters in Kabul.

LAMPEDUSA IN WINTER wins Boccalino d’oro

The independent film critics awarded Jakob Brossmann's Locarno Semaine de la Critique entry with the Boccalino d'oro for Best Film.

«Lampedusa is probably more influenced by the influx of refugees than anywhere else in the world.»

Jakob Brossmann

Jakob Brossmann on LAMPEDUSA IN WINTER, the vivid portrait of a tiny island obliged by virtue of its position on the southernmost edge of Europe to confront issues which the rest of the continent attempts to avoid. World premiere at Locarno Semaine de la Critique

Venice and San Sebastián launch new Austrian films

Helmut Berger, Actor, Andreas Horvath’s relentless portrait of a man who keeps hanging on to the memory of his glorious past will be part of the Venice Classics program. One Of Us, Stephan Richter’s first feature focussing on two teenagers who try to break out of their bleak and monotonous life will premiere in San Sebastián’s New Directors Competition.

«Familie war noch nie einfach.»

Ein Gespräch mit Cornelia Travnicek, der Autorin des Romans Chucks, der von Sabine Hiebler & Gerhard Ertl fürs Kino adaptiert wird.

OVER THE YEARS and SUPERWORLD competing at Sarajevo

The 21^st Sarajevo Festival hosts 2011 Heart of Sarajevo winner Karl Markovics with his second feature film SUPERWORLD, Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s OVER THE YEARS as one of the doc competition entries as well as GOODNIGHT MOMMY and Dominik Hartl’s first feature BEAUTIFUL GIRL

«... an accomplished, quietly compelling portrait of a convicted killer»

Screen International reviews Elisabeth Scharang's JACK after its world premiere on the Locarno Piazza Grande. Read more

«When a person’s life comes to an end ...

Elisabeth Scharang

... he or she has to cope as an individual with the question 'What have I done?' No matter what courts might decide or how society might judge you. I gave my character the opportunity of confronting that question at the end.» Elisabeth Scharang talks about her new feature film Jack scheduled for world premiere at the Locarno Piazza Grande.

CHUCKS at Montréal World Competition

The 39^th Montrál World Film Festival (August 27 to September 7) unveils its program with CHUCKS by Sabine Hiebler & Gerhard Ertl as part of the World Competition.

«This is a film of a devastating emotive force.»

...stated the jury of the Melbourne IFF, awarding Patrick Vollrath’s student Oscar nominee Everything Will Be Okay with the City of Melbourne Grand Prix for Best Short Film.

Fantasia Audience Award to THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE

The Audience Gold Prize in the category Best European, North or South American Feature at the Montréal Fantasia Festival went to David Ruhm’s Therapy for a Vampire.

«Jack ist eine so ambivalente Figur ist, dass man davon nur träumen kann, sie spielen zu dürfen.»

Johannes Krisch über seine Auseinandersetzung mit Jack Unterweger und die Arbeit in Elisabeth Scharangs Jack.

Wroclaw Audience Award to GOODNIGHT MOMMY

Festival fav Good Night Mommy wins the Audience Award at the 15^th Era New Horizons Film Festival. Since its world premiere at Venice Orizzonti 2014 the captivating genre debut by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala has gathered no less than 66 festival participations around the world.

Patrick Vollrath nominated for Student Academy Awards

Cannes entry Everything Will Be Okay (Semaine de la Critique 2015) by Patrick Vollrath is one of the finalists selected for the 2015 Student Academy Awards. The short produced at the Vienna Filmakademie will compete with another six student films in the „Foreign“ category.

«Er war ein wilder Typ.»

Dieter Pochlatko über die Dreharbeiten zu Elisabeth Scharangs JACK und die lange Geschichte, die ihn mit Jack Unterweger verbindet.

Crystal Closing at Karlovy Vary

Grief turns into joy for both Austrian competition entries awarded at the closing ceremony of the 50^th Karlovy Vary Film Festival: Peter Brunner’s poetic essay on loss and mourning Those Who Fall Have Wings wins the Special Jury Prize, Albert Meisl’s The Father Tapes documenting care and company of his terminally ill father receives the Special Jury Mention.

EFP launches FUTURE FRAMES at Karlovy Vary

A new initiative by the European Film Promotion highlights Europe's very young directors.

Young Austrian cinema competes at the 50^th Karlovy Vary Festival

Two young directors selected for the Karlovy Vary competitions: Peter Brunner’s Those Who Fly Have Wings runs for Crystal Globe, Albert Meisl’s The Father Tapes is vying at the at the Documentary competiton. More Austrians at Karlovy Vary ...

«Somebody who is in a state of conflict with his body and his illness represents a theme that interests me a lot.»

Peter Brunner talks about Those Who Fall Have Wings, selected for Crystal Globe competition at Karlovy Vary.

IN THE BASEMENT awarded at Skopje Make Dox

The Skopje Make Dox Creative Documentary Festival honors Ulrich Seidl’s IN THE BASEMENT with its Onion Seed Award.

«Es ging mir nicht in erster Linie ums Dokumentieren einer Abschieds- und Todessituation.»

Albert Meisl über seine dokumentarische Arbeit Vaterfilm, der im Dokumentarfilm-Wettbewerb von Karlovy Vary seine internationale Premiere feiern wird.

Paul Poet's MY TALK WITH FLORENCE at FID Marseille

The uncut interview with a woman who talks about abuse, escape and survival will be screened at Histoires de portraits on July 2 and 4.

For me it is a kind of very dark coming-of-age story.

An interview with Paul Poet about My Talk With Florence, screened at FID Marseille section Histoires de Portraits.

«Es ist ein historischer Stoff und behandelt ein stets aktuelles Thema – Kinder im Krieg.»

Produzentin Gabriele Kranzelbinder über Mirjam Ungers filmische Umsetzung von Christine Nöstlingers Autobiografie Maikäfer flieg!

START-StipendiatInnen 2015

Drei dokumentarische und ein fiktionaler Stoff sowie ein semidokumentarischer Zugang: so fächert sich das Spektrum der Projekte auf, die 2015 in den Genuss des START-Stipendiums für Film gekommen sind.

Peter Brunner’s second feature film competes for Crystal Globe at the 50^th Karlovy Vary film festival

Those Who Fall Have Wings, Peter Brunner’s second feature film, a poetic essay on loss and grief, is part of the Karlovy Vary competition line-up.

«THE NIGHT OF A THOUSAND HOURS is a living depiction of a family history.»

Producer Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu talks about shooting Virgil Widrich‘s new feature film.

Publikation: Michael Glawogger – 69 Hotelzimmer

Michael Glawoggers Romandebüt in der Anderen Bibliothek erschienen.

«Wenn Fehler, die ein Menschenleben gekostet haben, vertuscht werden, ...

... dann müssen Fragen gestellt werden.» Produzent Arash T. Riahi im Gespräch über den ersten Spielfilm der Golden Girls Fimproduktion EINER VON UNS von Stephan Richter.

«I tried to remove everything that could create suspense artificially...

Patrick Vollrath

...My aim was to make an honest little film that showed how this incident would happen in real life.» An interview with Patrick Vollrath on his Cannes entry Everything Will Be Okay.

Cannes 2015: EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY by Patrick Vollrath at the Semaine de la Critique

The Cannes parallel section focusing on new talent has selected Everything Will Be Okay by Patrick Vollrath for its short film program. The film, produced at the Vienna Filmakademie where Vollrath studies film directing with Michael Haneke, narrates the story of a weekend father and his desperate attempts to stay close to his 8-year-old daughter.

Martin Schweighofer, new president of the European Film Promotion

Martin Schweighofer, Executive Director of AFC – AustrianFilms.Com, has been appointed president of the European Film Promotion (EFP), the European network of organisations promoting their national cinema worldwide.

Special Mention to CATCHING HAIDER at DOK.fest Munich

Most debated film by the jury – Natalie Borgers’ new documentary on Joerg Haider’s Carinthia earns a Special Mention at the German speaking documentary competition at the DOK.fest Munich

Outstanding Actresses Awarded at Schwerin

Alice Dwyer (Ma Folie) and Jana McKinnon (Beautiful Girl) are the winners of the acting awards given away at the Schwerin filmkunstfest.

«Die Gedanken kamen oft aus ihm in einer Form heraus, die wir „Schwurbelsprech“ nannten. »

Ein Gespräch mit Andrea Glawogger, die gemeinsam mit Eva Menasse Michael Glawoggers Romandebüt 69 Hotelzimmer editiert hat.

LIFE ETERNAL wins Young Blood Award at Beaune

Wolfgang Murnberger

Things are getting dark for down-and-out detective Brenner: in LIFE ETERNAL he approaches a dead end as he wakes up at hospital, a bullet in his head, nobody supporting him to find out who could have attempted to kill him. Wolfgang Murnberger has adapted a new adventure of the lonesome ex-cop embodied in an outstanding performance by Josef Hader. At the 7th Beaune Festival International du film policier

«Es werden im Jahr 1500 Filme in Europa produziert...

... und wir sind in einer Filmwelt, die sich in ihren Mechanismen dramatisch ändert. Darauf müssen wir sensibel reagieren.» Ein Gespräch mit Martin Schweighofer, seit Mai 2015 Präsident des Netzwerks European Film Promotion (EFP)

«America becomes a world of paper and canvas.»

Edgar Honetschläger

Edgar Honetschläger talks about filming LOS FELIZ, a road movie between film and painting, a car drive from Rome to L.A. via 18 studio screens.

«The collision of various elements became a narrative principle for us.»

Lukas Valenta Rinner

Lukas Valenta Rinner and Ana Godoy, co-writer and editor, talk about their feature debut PARABELLUM, presented at the Rotterdam film festival 2015.

New Directors New Films with GOODNIGHT MOMMY and PARABELLUM

The 44^th New York spring meeting for exciting discoveries from around the world hosts GOOD NIGHT MOMMY by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala and Lukas Valenta Rinner’s PARABELLUM for its North American premiere

«Work is for life. That becomes particularly apparent in this film.»

Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Nikolaus Geyrhalter (director) and Wolfgang Widerhofer (editor) on their decade-long observation about meaning and loss of work in a rural area in northern Austria. World premiere is scheduled by the Berlinale Forum.

«It is an extremely melodramatic tale ...

... which depicts the global dimensions of our catastrophic downfall – a fate which awaits us all.» THE LAST SUMMER OF THE RICH, Peter Kern’s gloomy and satirical gaze on Vienna’s society, was presented at Panorama Special at the 65^th Berlinale.

«I think all of us have an inbuilt curiosity about the mystery of God.»

... It's composed partly of longing and partly of fear. Karl Markovics talks about his new feature film SUPERWORLD which is ready for world premiere at the Berlinale FORUM 2015.

«Es haben mich kleine Vorkommnisse beschäftigt, ...

Thomas Woschitz

... die sich letztendlich doch als große Themen erweisen. Ich denke an Menschen, die aus ihrer existentiellen Verzweiflung heraus etwas Dummes tun.»Thomas Woschitz im Gespräch über BAD LUCK.

«Es war mein Ziel, nicht nur Hanna total zu verunsichern, ...

Andrina Mračnikar

... sondern auch die Zuschauer etwas Ähnliches durchmachen zu lassen.» Andrina Mračnikar über ihr Spielfilmdebüt MA FOLIE, dessen Uraufführung beim Max Ophüls Preis-Festival stattfand.

Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Peter Kern, Karl Markovics and Jakob M. Erwa at the 65^th Berlinale

The 45^th Berlinale Forum hosts Karl Markovics’ second feature film SUPERWORLD and Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s new documentary OVER THE YEARS. Peter Kern’s satire THE LAST SUMMER OF THE RICH is selected for Panorama Special, Jakob M. Erwa's HOMESICK is scheduled by Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

The festival year 2015 opens at Rotterdam and Saarbrücken

First world premieres at Rotterdam and Saarbrücken: PARABELLUM by Lukas V. Rinner is a contender for Tiger Award 2015, DREAMS REWIRED by Martin Reinhart, Thomas Tode and Manu Luksch selected for Signals: Regained and Georg Tiller's WHITE COAL for Bright Future at the Rotterdam FF. Andrina Mra?nikar’s MA FOLIE and Thomas Woschitz’ BAD LUCK will run for the Max Ophüls Prize 2015.

2024 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

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