Sadly, we have to share the news of the passing of Wolfgang Glück (1929 – 2023). He was a prolific film-, TV- and stage director, internationally acclaimed for his Oscar-nominated 38 – And that was Vienna (1986), director of the Vienna Film Academy (1997 to 2001) and as a honorary board member, a longstanding friend and supporter of AUSTRIAN FILMS.
Rest in peace, Wolfgang!

Awards + Nominations
starting in January 2023

Brigitte Weich’s doc sequel …NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT … on the North Korean women’s soccer dream team of the early 2000s is hosted by IDFA, the world's largest documentary film festival (Nov 8 to 19). …NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT … will celebrate its international premiere at the Luminous section.

Also playing in Amsterdam: THE KLEZMER PROJECT by Leandro Koch und Paloma Schachmann, our Berlinale 23 Encounters entry, at Best of Fests.

Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel’s VERA, starring Vera Gemma, is the Austrian entry to the 2024 Oscar race for Best International Feature Film. Inspired by the life of actress Vera Gemma, the film interweaves the portrait of a glamourous woman with the merciless social realities of a big city.
VERA, winner of the Best Film and Best Actress award at the Venice Orizzonti competition, has so far attended over 50 festivals and garnered more than ten prestigious international and national awards.

When Covid reduced freedom of movement for all of us to a minimum, Nikolaus Geyrhalter captured the state of emergency in Vienna with his camera confronting us with the fragility of our supposed security.

THE STANDSTILL celebrates world premiere as a Documentary Competition contender at DOK Leipzig. Also showing at Leipzig: VISTA MARE by Julia Gutweniger & Florian Kofler in the Audience Competition.

The 48^th TIFF (September 7 to 17) will host the world premiere of Elisabeth Scharang’s new Film WOODLAND starring Brigitte Hobmeier as Marian who, driven by an inevitable impulse, leaves her city life and returns to her childhood place.
 
WOODLAND, produced by WEGA Film Vienna, is part of the prestigious Centrepiece line-up (previously known as the Contemporary World Cinema program)

It’s a festival summer with Austrian filmmaking in focus: After Jerusalem in July, it’s now the 29^th Sarajevo FF (August 11 to 18) to shine a light on films made in Austria:

Sudabeh Mortezai’s new film EUROPA will celebrate its world premiere in the Heart of Sarajevo competition. Jessica Hausner will be the tribute guest 2023 presenting all her six feature films. The Industry Days will host an Austrian delegation and one project selected at the CineLink co-production platform.
 

Julia Gutweniger and Florian Kofler’s new film VISTA MARE – perspicacious observations on those who work for those who crowd the Italian beaches for a short summer break –  will celebrate its world premiere at the Locarno Semaine de la Critique  (4-11 August)

Two Austrian projects – CALM by Sara Fattahi, MILA / MARIJA by Andrina Mračnikar – are selected by Alliance 4 Development.

The MoMA is hosting the North American premiere of Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel’s VERA
(August 9 to 15) presenting the film as “One of the most fascinating and nearly uncategorizable features to come out of the 2022 Venice Film Festival”
Read more of the New York reviews

Jessica Hausner’s 6^th fiction feature is a Palme d’or competition entry at the 76^th Cannes festival (May 16 to 27). CLUB ZERO, starring Mia Wasikowska and Sidse Babett Knudsen, produced by Vienna-based coop99 filmproduktion, is celebrating its world premiere on Monday, May 22.

This is Jessica Hausner's  6^th artistic appearance in Cannes after LITTLE JOE (2019, Best Actress Emily Beecham), AMOUR FOU (2014), HOTEL (2004), LOVELY RITA (2001) and her short INTER-VIEW (1999).

World premiere of Kathrina Mückstein’s new documentary selected in Special Premieres at the 20^th CPH:DOX festival (March 15 to 26). This colorful view on the intersectional facets of feminism was produced by LaBanda Filmproduktion and NGF Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion.
Also screening at CPH:DOX: A LITTLE LOVE PACKAGE by Gastón Solnicki, VERA by Tizza Covi & Rainer Frimmel, ZOO LOCK DOWN by Andreas Horvath and MATTER OUT OF PLACE by Nikolaus Geyrhalter.

Leandro Koch and Paloma Schachmann’s feature debut THE KLEZMER PROJECT, a Berlinale Encounters entry, wins the GWFF Best First Feature Award.
… an unexpected journey weaving real life events and mysticism… stated the jury
 
The documentary voyage from Argentina to Eastern Europa in quest of a music which is in a constant state of flux was produced by Austrian Nabis Filmgroup

photo directors: Berlinale

Encounters
THE KLEZMER PROJECT | ADENTRO MÍO ESTOY BAILANDO
by Leandro Koch & Paloma Schachmann
World Premiere: Feb 23 | 16.30 | Akademie der Künste

Panorama
STAMS by Bernhard Braunstein
World Premiere: Feb 19 | 13:00 | International

See full list

Discover a great Austrian presence  at the 73^rd Berlinale (February 16 to 26) including
world premieres
Encounters
THE KLEZMER PROJECT by Leandro Koch, Paloma Schachmann
WP: February 24, 16:30, Akademie der Künste
Panorama
STAMS by Bernhard Braunstein
WP: February 19, 13:00, Kino International

© photo premiere STAMS: Elsa Okazaki
© photos premiere THE KLEZMER PROJECT: @filmsboutique

The Berlinale has unveiled the first titles of its 73rd edition (February 16 to 26, 2023). BErnhard Braunstein's new documentary is among these first picks. STAMS, a portrait of Austria's renowned boarding school for future ski champions has been selected by the Berlinale Panorama. STAMS is a Panama Films production.