The 52^nd Visions du Réel Festival at the Swiss town of Nyon kicks off its second “Corona” edition offering a hybrid festival format from April 15 to 25, 2021. Two Austrian (co-)productions are to celebrate their world premiere:  Jannis Lenz presents his first feature SOLDIER AHMET within the Burning Lights Competition, the Swiss-Austrian co-production THE BUBBLE by Austrian director Valerie Blankenbyl is a contender in the International Competition.

Ahmet Simsek has lived his life in Austria since childhood. As a medic in the Austrian army, state champion in boxing, son of a Turkish-Muslim family in Vienna, he could be tagged with several labels at once. But Jannis Lenz goes against common expectations: in his portrait SOLDIER AHMET he follows a multitalented young man who hasn't cried since he was twelve and had to learn early on to craft his own place.

We are pleased that Austrian documentary film is present at DOK Munich this year in all its rich diversity: SECOND THOUGHTS FIRST by Marko Doringer celebrates its world premiere at DOK:panorama, ALICE SCHWARZER by Sabine Derflinger and LIVING TOGETHER by Thomas Fürhapter their international premieres in DOK.Deutsch. Also screening: ALPENLAND by Robert Schabus (Münchner Premieren), FOR THE MANY by Constantin Wulff (Best of Fests) and SOLDAT AHMET by Jannis Lenz (DOK.international).

Die Projekte der Wiener Panama Film sind fiktional, dokumentarisch oder hybrid; die künstlerischen Handschriften individuell. Der Katalog der 2018 von David Bohun und Lixi Frank gegründeten Produktionsfirma ist (nicht zuletzt coronabedingt) klein, aber fein: Die ersten drei Filme eroberten internationale Startplätze in Berlin oder Nyon, für Nachschub ist gesorgt. 2023 verspricht zwischen Dreharbeiten in Wien, Drehvorbereitungen u.a. in Belarus und Verwertungsstrategien für eine fertiggestellte Koproduktioen ein dynamisches Jahr zu werden. David Bohun ist einer von 20 jungen europäischen PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE, die European Film Promotion wie jedes Jahr anlässlich des Festivals von Cannes zum grenzüberschreitenden Austausch einlädt.