Feminism is a young movement, and in that sense it has been fairly effective. But despite all the achievements and the urgent needs it addresses, the term itself somehow remains unpopular. Filmmaker Katharina Mückstein, who has experienced academic feminism as a formative school of thought, feels there is insufficient scientific expertise in a public debate that has become highly emotional. Her documentary FEMINISM WTF provides impulses for consideration – across a spectrum of shimmering colours – intended to move this urgent debate towards greater objectivity.

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

She is a musician who has undertaken detailed research into the origin of European Klezmer music; he's a cameraman, which provided him with a good reason to stay in touch with her. In their debut film THE KLEZMER PROJECT, Leandro Koch and Paloma Schachmann have staged themselves in the fictional setting of a possible love story in order to explore a music in a constant state of flux. It’s a documentary voyage from Argentina to rural areas of Eastern Europe – and in the process they tell a story of slow fading, of brutal disappearance and of survival and further life.

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

Its name has just five letters, the Austrian dream factory in the mountains of Tyrol. Every year, youngsters who are crazy about winter sports apply to the Stams Schigymnasium | Ski Academy to make their talent and technique fit enough to compete with the best in the world. In STAMS Bernhard Braunstein observes young people between the ages of 14 and 18 who are highly motivated in their endeavours to be among the very best, though this involves dedicating themselves to a ruthless performance principle.

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

Even King Midas reached the limits of greed when it dawned on him that his desire to turn everything to gold by touching it also meant the end of food and affection. In LE FORMICHE DI MIDA the inescapable turning point we have reached in humanity’s dealings with the planet led Edgar Honetschläger on a journey into mythology and the history of ideas to create a multi-layered collage, prompting reflection on how and when things got out of hand between nature and humans.

For the first time since 2019 there was a full festival calendar – with no cancellations, no postponements and no substitution strategies.

Never before has Austrian filmmaking stood out with such diversity and excellence in all the key locations of the global market.

We’re proud and thrilled to share the awesome news! Vicky Krieps takes this top distinction for her superb interpretation of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth in Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE.

Congrats to Vicky Krieps, to the director of CORSAGE Marie Kreutzer and the whole team of this outstanding production!

The 14^th International Film Festival LES ARCS (December 10 to 17) dedicates this year’s focus to Austrian filmmaking with

• feature and short films from Austria in the Competition and the other festival sections
• new projects from Austria in the Industry Village
• with a strong presence of filmmakers from Austria in a compact and targeted European network meeting for production and exploitation

 

The EFA nominations confirm the exceptional film year 2022  for Austrian cinema and its women directors: Marie Kreutzer’s Cannes-laureate CORSAGE is in the race for European Film | European Director | European Actress; the Berlinale Best First Feature Film SONNE by Kurdwin Ayub is nominated for European Discovery. Winners will be announced on December 10, 2022.

Alma Mahler is often reduced to being labelled "the wife of...". At some point, when Gustav Mahler was no longer alive and his widow was in the process of forging plans for the future with the architect Walter Gropius, Oskar Kokoschka appeared on the scene. He would have been only too happy to be united with her in matrimony. That never happened. But what did take place was an explosive affair. Dieter Berner and screenwriter Hilde Berger, in their depiction of ALMA & OSKAR, present the battle between the sexes as it begins to erupt at the turn of the century… along with a musician whose talent has received little attention.

Best Directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, Best Actress Vera Gemma – that’s the awesome verdict of the Orrizonti 2022 jury announced for VERA on the closing night of the 79^th Venice Film Festival.
First time director David Wagner took the IWONDERFULL Grand Prize of the Settimana della Critica for his debut EISMAYER.

SPARTA
It is a film about identity, about guilt and, most obviously, about pain. A very good film
El Mundo
 
a precise, intense film
Blickpunkt Film

The San Sebastián IFF is hosting the world premiere of Ulrich Seidl's SPARTA in its Golden Shell competition, the second part of Seidl's brother diptych (together with RIMINI). Also invited – two of our highly performing festival faves 2022 – CORSAGE by Marie Kreutzer and MUTZENBACHER by Ruth Beckermann who will also be holding a masterclass.

Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE, starring Vicky Krieps, is the Austrian entry to the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film. Vicky Krieps is the winner of the Best Actress Award at Cannes Un Certain Regard and the Heart of Sarajevo for her outstanding performance in the role of Empress Elisabeth.

The first Pardo Verde WWF, a newly launched initiative by the Locarno IFF and the WWF for outstanding films tackling environmental issues, went to Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s stunning essay on our growing amounts of garbage.
 
Ruth Mader’s SERVIAM – I WILL SERVE, also a contender of the Locarno 75 International Competition, took one of the Junior Jury Awards.

Reality and fiction merge and collide in both Austrian entries at the 79^th Venice Film Festival (August 31 to September 10):

• VERA by Tizza Covi & Rainer Frimmel is invited to the Orizzonti Competition
• EISMAYER, directorial debut by David Wagner, is  part of the Settimana della Critca selection

Vera's father Giuliano Gemma is an Italian screen legend. He bestowed upon his daughters a childhood of glitz and glamour – but also the burden of fame. In Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel's new film VERA the protagonist is involved in a minor car accident in a suburb of Rome, and this brings about a collision between two contrasting realities of the city. Good-natured, generous and unworldly, Vera navigates these two worlds full of ambushes and traps… and despite all her doubts, she remains unwaveringly at one with herself.

None of his colleagues in the Austrian Army could have even dreamt that Eismayer was concealing a double life behind his brutal rigour. The young soldiers under his command had nothing to laugh about. But when the recruit Mario Falak embarks upon his military service, Charles Eismayer's life – consisting of the military, an apparently ideal family and hidden homosexuality – begins to come apart. In his feature film debut EISMAYER David Wagner slowly lets the true and unusual love story take its course within the brittle structures of an army barracks.

The 70^th San Sebastián IFF (September 16 to 24) has unveiled its competiton line-up including Ulrich Seidl’s SPARTA in the Golden Shell competition. SPARTA, with Austrian actor Georg Friedrich in the lead, completes Ulrich Seidl’s brother diptych; its first part RIMINI was a Golden Bear contender earlier this year.