AUSTRIAN FILM COMMISSION

Austrian films at international festivals

Participations October - December 2019

Austrian films on international screens

Theatrical releases
October 2016 – November 2019

IDFA 2019 with EARTH and MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN

As the festival year draws to a close, the IDFA showcases two of the most successful Austrian documentaries of the year: EARTH by Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Masters) and MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN by Sebastian Brameshuber (Best of Fests). The German-Austrian co-productions HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME by Thomas Heise (Masters) and BORN IN EVIN by Maryam Zaree’s (Best of Fests) are also on the Amsterdam program.

Awards to ANGELO and LILLIAN at Ljublijana and Gijon

ANGELO by Markus Schleinzer wins a Kingfisher Award – Special Mention at the LJUBLJANA International Film Festival, LILLIAN by Andreas Horvath bags the Youth Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the GIJÓN International Film Festival.

Special Mentions to EARTH and SPACE DOGS

EARTH by Nikolaus Geyrhalter receives a Special Mention at the L’Alternativa festival in Barcelona, SPACE DOGS by Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter a Special Mention from the jury of the New Waves program for non-fiction films at the Festival de Cine Europeo in Sevilla.

MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN wins 3sat-Dokumentarfilmpreis

A mountain in motion ... Only a few days after winning the jury's Special Prize of the Vienna Film Award at the Viennale, MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN by Sebastian Brameshuber receives the 3sat-Dokumentarfilmpreis at the 43rd Duisburger Filmwoche.

LILLIAN: Best Film + FIPRESCI at the Minsk IFF Listapad

Two more awards for Andreas Horvath's feature debut LILLIAN: The Quinzaine des Réalisateurs entry took the Victor Turov Memorial Award for Best Film and the FIPRESCI Award at the Minsk International Film Festival Listapad.

Good-bye, Gustav Deutsch

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gustav Deutsch who, in SHIRLEY – VISIONS OF REALITY, captivated us with his cinematic encounters with painting. The moving and the stationary image, the damaged as well as the intact and both the professional views and those of amateurs were all subject to the exploratory spirit and regard of this artist and thinker, who imparted the certainty that film is more than film.

DOK Leipzig awards to ROBOLOVE and SAFETY123

DOK Leipzig honors thought-provoking visions from Austrian filmmakers: ROBOLOVE by Maria Arlamovsky receives the Gedanken Aufschluss Prize, awarded by a jury of young prisoners of the Juvenile Penitentiary Regis-Breitlingen. The Austrian-Italian co-production SAFETY123 by Julia Gutweniger and Florian Kofler wins the Golden Dove in the Next Masters Competition.

Focus on Jessica Hausner at the Lincoln Center

On December 6, Jessica Hausner’s LITTLE JOE will be released in the US by Magnolia Pictures. A good reason for New York’s Lincoln Center to focus on the complete works of the Viennese ”Miracle Worker“ (as the LC entitles the program), showcasing her five feature films, two shorts and an installation from November 8 to 10, 2019.

Filmuforia: «ROBOLOVE is a frightening documentary»

«ROBOLOVE, with its stunning images by Sebastian Arlamovsky, is a frightening documentary: do we really want our future in the hands of these technocratic scientists, who at best will replicate the contradictions of human life today?» Read more of Meredith Taylor's ROBOLOVE review on Filmuforia

Haifa hands over a Golden Anchor to LILLIAN

Andreas Horvath’s LILLIAN wins the Golden Anchor Award for Best International Debut Film at the 35^th HAIFA Film Festival for ... “An original, daring journey film through the declining U.S. landscape. Using minimal dialogue, the film succeeds in bringing a different, compassionate and cruel point of view of the people and places that the heroine passes through on her journey. An oustanding cinematic achievement by any measure.”

APA World Excellence Award to Gabriele Kranzelbinder

Gabriele Kranzelbinder has been honored with the APA World Excellence Award at the Jihlava Documentary Festival. She is the first to receive this award created by the Audiovisual Producers´ Association in the Czech Republic to honor a producer successfully supporting creative documentary filmmaking. KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Productions has (co-)produced documentaries by Hubert Sauper, Sebastian Brameshuber, Elisabeth Scharang and many more.

WELCOME TO SODOM – Best Environmental Film

WELCOME TO SODOM keeps on travelling around the globe. Poindimié in New Caledonia recently hosted the unsettling documentary by Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes and pointed it out as Best Environmental Film of the festival program.

THE ROYAL TRAIN and ROBOLOVE at DOK Leipzig

Not only are they contenders in the Leipzig International Competition: THE ROYAL TRAIN by Johannes Holzhausen and ROBOLOVE by Maria Arlamovsky are two movements into opposite directions, taking us either into the past or towards the future, both of them raising fundamental questions over reality. Also premiering at DOK Leipzig is THE FEVER by Katharina Weingartner.

Zürich awards ONCE WERE REBELS and LILLIAN

Only a few days after its world premiere, Johanna Moder’s second feature film ONCE WERE REBELS wins the Zürich Ecumenical Award. Andreas Horvath's LILLIAN, also a contender in the Focus Compettion, returns from Zürich with a special mention.

Political Award to MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN

“A film that makes you happy”, wrote the jury of the Political Award about their choice to give the prize to Sebastian Brameshuber’s MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN at the Hamburg Filmfest. The award, sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, comes with a cheque for € 5,000.

Jessica Hausner and Sudabeh Mortezai part of the London FF juries

The BFI LONDON Film Festival listens to two Austrian voices in the juries: Jessica Hausner will preside over the jury of First Feature Competition, giving away the Sutherland Award. Sudabeh Mortezai, winner of the Best Film Award 2018 for Joy, has been invited to join the official competition jury to decide on the most outstanding film of this year’s main competition.

Zürich FF 2019 with Johanna Moder's ONCE WERE REBELS

There’s no escape to normality. Once again, Johanna Moder draws a witty portrait of her own generation, who fail to conciliate a cosmopolitan outlook with narcissistic needs. ONCE WERE REBELS has been selected for the FOCUS Competition, together with LILLIAN and SEA OF SHADOWS, two additional Austrian contenders. Marie Kreutzer (The Ground Beneath My Feet) is part of the FOCUS Competition jury

Grand Prix to THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET at Salé Women’s FF

Marie Kreutzer’s Golden Bear contender THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET sweeps in two major awards at the Salé Women’s Film Festival, taking home the Grand Prix and the Best Screenplay Award.

Camden Harrell Award to EARTH

EARTH keeps revolving successfully around the globe: The 15^th Camden International FF honors Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s EARTH with the 2019 Harrell Award for Best Documentary Feature "for capturing a rare and epic sense of scope and scale that demonstrates the magnitude of mankind’s imprint on the earth"

Best Actress Award to LILLIAN

Andreas Horvath’s LILLIAN – Patrycja Planik – wins the Seymour Cassel Award für Best Female Performance at the Oldenburg Filmfest.

Open City Award to MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN

The London Open City Festival hands its Open City Award 2019 to Sebastian Brameshuber’s Cinéma du Réel-winner MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN. About their choice, the jury said that the winning film exemplifies an assured coming together of form and content to craft an intimate portrait of a character whose daily life illuminates a global conversation about labour, movement and capitalism.

Toronto 2019: World premiere of NOBADI by Karl Markovics

An old man and a young refugee – they couldn’t have less in common – meet by pure chance and get inextricably tied together. In his third feature film, his darkest one to date, Karl Markovics explores the fatal connections between identity and existence. NOBADI will make its first appearance on screen at the 44^th TORONTO IFF, celebrating its world premiere in the Contemporary World Cinema section.

With JOY into the Oscar race

The Austrian Oscar committee has selected JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai as Austria’s submission to the Oscar-nominations in the International Feature Film category.

LITTLE JOE and JOY in the race for EFA

The European Film Academy has announced a list of 46 feature films eligible for European Film Awards 2019, including two outstanding works from Austrian female directors: JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai and LITTLE JOE by Jessica Hausner. Nominations will be unveiled at the Sevilla FF on November 9. The Austrian-German co-production HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME is one of the 12 selected films running for Best European Documentary 2019.

Two awards to LILLIAN at the Orenburg East & West festival

Andreas Horvath’s LILLIAN, Directors’ Fortnight entry 2019, garners the Best Director Award as well as the prize from Yar (the festival’s general sponsor) for aesthetic and masterful depiction of human emotions in cinematography.

Krakow Grand Prix to WELCOME TO SODOM

One and a half years after its world premiere at CPH:DOX 2018, the gripping documentary by Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes keeps travelling around the globe, affecting juries and audiences alike. WELCOME TO SODOM took the Grand Prix 2019 as well as the Audience Award at the Krakow Green Film Festival.

Best Green Dox Award to EARTH

The DOKUFEST at the Kosovar city of Prizren honors Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s EARTH with the BEST GREEN DOX Award. „A strong philosophical statement about human nature“, points out the jury.

Variety: «An auspicious calling card for Vollrath»

Patrick Vollrath has delivered on his promise of his Oscar-nominated short Everything Will Be Okay with his first feature-length title "7500" – which premiered at Locarno’s Piazza Grande: «an undeniably visceral, well-executed debut feature, wrote Allan Hunter of Screen International. REad more of the Locarno reviews

Locarno 2019: SPACE DOGS in Cineasti del Presente

In their directorial debut Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter joined up with a pack of stray dogs in Moscow in order to discover the city through their eyes. In remembrance of the famous dog astronaut Laika, they interweave the wild lives of their animal protagonists with impressive archive footage from the space race in the 1960s. Patrick Vollrath's 7500, a German-Austrian co-production, will screen on the Piazza Grande.

Sheffield International Award to Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s EARTH

«In a remarkable way, the sheer scale and ambition of this project is matched by its humility towards its subject and subjects“, stated the jury of the newly created International Award intended to honor a new international non-fiction film challenging global perspectives. EARTH by Nikolaus Geyrhalter is the first winner of the Sheffield International Award.»

Cannes 2019: Best Actress Award to Emily Beecham

A red flower that makes people feel happy, a palm that makes us even more than happy!
Emily Beecham who plays the lead character in Jessica Hausner’s LITTLE JOE wins the Best Actress award at the 72^nd Cannes festival for her subtle and nuanced interpretation of Alice, a high-talented genetic engineer and loving single-mum of a 12-year-old boy.

Best Feature Awards to L’ANIMALE and NEVRLAND

Two Best Feature-Awards to Austrian movies on one weekend: The Mostra FIRE Barcelona has honored L'ANIMALE, by Katharina Mückstein with the FIRE!! Team Award for Best Feature Film. The TEL AVIV International LGBT Festival has picked NEVRLAND by Gregor Schmidinger as Best Narrative Feature.

KAVIAR at Sydney's Europe! Voices of Women in Film

Launched by the European Film Promotion in 2016 EUROPE! VOICES OF WOMEN IN FILM showcases ten European films by female directors at Australia’s premier international film festival. KAVIAR by Elena Tikhonova is part of this selection.

JOY on Netflix

JOY worldwide: As of May 24, 2019 Sudabeh Mortezai’s acclaimed second feature film JOY is available for the international audience all around the globe on Netflix . The only territories excepted are Austria and South Tyrol.

Red carpet for a red lily: World premiere of LITTLE JOE in Cannes

Jessica Hausner, a Cannes invitee since 1999, tops her performance at the Croisette with her first entry to the Palme d’or-competition and her first English-language film LITTLE JOE. Alice, a high-talented genetic engineer, has created a crimson flower of stunning beauty, but also inexplicable powers. A coop99 production with The Bureau (UK) and Essential Films (D) starring Emily Beecham, Ben Wishaw, Kerry Fox.

Cannes 2019: Quinzaine des réalisateurs with LILLIAN by Andreas Horvath

The 51^stedition of the Cannes parallel section will host the world premiere of Andreas Horvath's LILLIAN, a road movie that goes straigth across the USA into the cold of Alaska.

Cinema Planeta awards WELCOME TO SODOM

WELCOME TO SODOM by Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes is the winner of the Youth Award at the Cinema Planeta festival in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca.

FREE LUNCH SOCIETY
nominated for
Cinéma Positif Award

The Festival du Cinéma Positif, taking place during the Cannes festival for the 4^th time, has selected FREE LUNCH SOCIETY by Christian Tod among the ten documentaries vying for the Cinéma Positif Award. The 2019 selection focusses on the theme of social justice, prizes will be awarded in three categories: fiction, documentary and first feature film on May 23rd.

THE BORDER FENCE awarded in Munich and Trento

Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s clairvoyant essay about borders, portraying residents living close to the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy has garnered the Jury Prize at the Trento Festival and the VIKTOR DOK.deutsch Award at the DOK.fest München.

Filmkunstfest Schwerin awards THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET

Marie Kreutzer’s Berlinale competition entry is heading on solid grounds. THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET garnered two awards at the 29^th Filmkunstfest Schwerin: the NDR Regiepreis and the Prize for Best Young Actress to Valerie Pachner.

Grand Prix Cinéma du réel to MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN

Sebastian Brameshuber's new essay is the portrait of a man and a place, observing a determined loner as he goes about his work inside and outside time. The Grand Prix of Cinéma du Réel has been unanimously attributed to MOVEMENTS OF A NEARBY MOUNTAIN, "...Thanks to the elegance of his mise en scène and inventive use of the off-screen dimension...

DEMOCRACY LTD by Robert Schabus at CPH DOX

Robert Schabus examines the question why populist politicians meet with such strong resonance in European democracies. His new film DEMOCRACY LTD celebrates its world premiere as a contender in the F:ACT Award competition and as opening film of the focus on Europe. Also screening in Copenhagen: THE BORDER FENCE by Nikolaus Geyrhalter, SEA OF SHADOWS by Richard Ladkani.

Retrospectives RUTH BECKERMANN in Paris, Sarajevo, Bukarest ...

The Musee d’art et d’histoire du Judaisme in Paris is hosting a Ruth Beckermann Retrospektive from April 4 to 7, opening with the most successful Austrian film at international festivals in 2018 THE WALDHEIM WALTZ. Just recently, Ruth Beckermann was also the focus of retrospectives at the Sarajevo Winter Festival and the One World Romania festival in Bukarest.

A GERMAN LIFE on stage in London

A GERMAN LIFE, Brunhilde Pomsel’s compelling testimony about her youth and time as Joseph Goebbels’ secretary in the core of the Nazi power apparatus has been adapted for the stage by Christopher Hampton. The LONDON Bridge Theatre will be presenting the piece starring MAGGIE SMITH from April 6 to May 11, 2019.

WELCOME TO SODOM wins Objectif d’or

The documentary by Florian Weigensamer and Christian Krönes awarded Best documentary with the Objectif d'or at the Millennium Festival in BRUSSELS: "For us the most complete film, that is nearly telling the idealistic story about life and death, survival, about ethic … dramatic circumstances happening in one amazing and extraordinary microcosm."

Guadalajara: Premio Maguey to Valerie Pachner

The Guadalajara Festival Internacional de Cine has awarded Valerie Pachner for her mesmerizing performance in THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET with the Premio Maguey: "Pachner's performance startled and seared like no other in the Premio Maguey this year.", stated the jury.

Berlinale 2019: The Ecumenical Jury Prize goes to EARTH ...

... by Nikolaus Geyrhalter and two more distinctions to German-Austrian co-productions: BORN IN EVIN by Maryam Zaree wins the Compass Perspective Prize, Thomas Heise’s Forum entry HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME wins the Caligari Prize. Here are the jury statements ...

THE WALDHEIM WALTZ awarded in Atlanta

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival awards Ruth Beckermann’s THE WALDHEIM WALTZ with the
Documentary Jury Prize. The Building Bridges Jury Prize went to Austrian-Czech-Slovak co-production THE INTERPRETER by Martin Šulik.

Berlinale 2019: DIE KINDER DER TOTEN wins FIPRESCI prize

Performance artists Kelly Copper & Pavol Liska (The Nature Theater of Oklahoma) impressed the Berlinale film critics who awared the FIPRESCI Prize to their first cinematic work DIE KINDER DER TOTEN, a silent and gruesome march of the undead, inspired by the overwhelming novel of Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek.

The Guardian: «Geyrhalter proves again that he is a unique figure in world cinema.»

„You’ve heard of climate change but this latest documentary-spectacle from Austrian filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter is about landscape change. Read more of the GUARDIAN-review on EARTH by Peter Bradshaw.

3 nominees for the Glashütte Original-Documentary Award

The Berlinale has announced the entries for the Glashütte Original-Documentary Award 2019.
EARTH by Nikolaus Geyrhalter as well as the German-Austrian co-productions BORN IN EVIN by Maryam Zaree and HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME by Thomas Heise are among the 17 contenders for the Berlinale Best Documentary Award. Last year this distinction endowed with € 50, 000 went to Ruth Beckermann’s THE WALDHEIM WALTZ.

Berlinale 2019: Austrian films in Competition and Forum

On top of Marie Kreutzer's Golden Bear contender THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET the Berlinale Forum hosts the world premiere of Nikolaus Geyrhalter's new film EARTH as well as the first feature film of performance artists Kelly Copper and Pavol Liska with their haunting and witty Super-8-approach to Elfriede Jelinek's major novel DIE KINDER DER TOTEN.

Young Austrian cinema sweeps 7 awards at MOP Saarbrücken

Each of the three Austrian contenders in the main Max Ophüls Prize competition took at least one major award: JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai the MOPs for the socially relevant film and best young actress Joy Alphonsus, NEVRLAND by Gregor Schmidinger the MOPs of the Youth Jury and for best young actor Simon Frühwirth, KAVIAR by Elena Tikhonova the MOP Audience Award.

Ludwig Wüst in focus at Arsenal

One year after the world premiere of Ludwig Wüst’s latest film Departure at the Berlinale Forum 2018, the Berlin based ARSENAL Kino dedicates a retrospective to the film- and theater director LUDWIG WÜST and his intense and idiosyncratic cinematic language from Feb 1 to 3, 2019.

KAVIAR and NEVRLAND vying for Max Ophüls Prize

Young Austrian cinema is represented with two world premieres of two feature debuts in the main Max Ophüls Prize Competition: the culture clash comedy KAVIAR by Elena Tikhonova and NEVRLAND by Gregor Schmidinger, a terrifying coming-of-age journey of a young man into his own self.

Berlinale 2019: Marie Kreutzer’s new film in Golden Bear competition

THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET, Marie Kreutzer’s fourth feature film about two unequal sisters, starring Valerie Pachner, Pia Hierzegger and Mavie Hörbiger has been unveiled as one of the contenders of the 69^th Berlinale competition.

JOY reaches for Golden Star at Marrakech

After Venice, London and Chicago Sudabeh Mortezai’s JOY takes again a major award: The 17^th Marrakech film festival honors her second feature film with its main prize, the Etoile d’or.

Sundance with thrilling voices from Austria

The 35^th SUNDANCE Festival (January 24 to February 3) has reveiled its program with 112 long feature films including thrilling voices from Austria: Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala present their first English language movie THE LODGE in the Midnight programm. Richard Ladkani’s SEA OF SHADOWS is part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

New Yorker puts THE WALDHEIM WALTZ on its Best Movies 2018-list

The New Yorker magazine has selected THE WALDHEIM WALTZ by Ruth Beckermann, Austria’s entry to compete for the Foreign Language Award, among the 40 best movies of the year.

Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s THE BORDER FENCE competes at IDFA

The Austrian film year ends with a film about frontiers – on the political agenda, in everyday life, in our minds ... Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s accurate observation THE BORDER FENCE is part of the 31^stIDFA main competition. Also screening in Amsterdam: THE WALDHEIM WALTZ by Ruth Beckermann in the Masters selection and Amsterdam Human Rights Award Nominee CHAOS by Sara Fattahi in Best of Fests and Main Focus Program.

CHAOS wins at Mar del Plata

Sara Fattahi’s CHAOS wins the Altered States competition at the Mar del Plata Film Festival ex-aequo with the film Casanovagen by Luise Donschen.”The director left her native country but took the war with her.”, observes the jury in its particularly accurate statement.

Tribute to Tizza Covi & Rainer Frimmel at GIJON

The 56^th Festival Internacional de Cine in GIJÒN (November 16 to 24) dedicates a tribute to TIZZA COVI and RAINER FRIMMEL screening MISTER UNIVERSO, THE SHINE OF DAY, LA PIVELLINA, BABOOSKA and honored the filmmakers with the Premio de Honor del Festival at the opening ceremony.

Sevilla awards Joy for her "masterful interpretation"

Joy Anwulika Alphonsus wins the Best Actress Award at the Sevilla film festival: „ she carries the film through her captivating, open, honest, intelligent and authentic performance. A masterful interpretation of an indomitable drama." concludes the jury. It’s award n° 6 since the Venice premiere for Sudabeh Mortezai’s JOY shortly after winning the Vienna Film Prize 2018.