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It was a precision landing: it had long seemed like this year’s Viennale could be one of the victims of the cultural crown. But director Eva Sangiorgi prevailed with her premise that only a physical film festival is a real film festival, and she won the Vabanquespiel. After eleven days and zero known crown groups, Austria’s largest film festival held the closing gala on Sunday evening, the penultimate night before the new closing.
Of course, with 42,000 movie fans, the number of viewers since the opening on October 22 has not come close to the numbers of previous years, when significantly more seats were offered without the pandemic. With the cancellation of three days and almost half of the ticket supply, the 42,000 tickets sold represent a respectable occupation of 74 percent.
“We tremble and wait until the end,” said Viennale CEO Eva Rotter, recalling the planning time. Furthermore, we look back with humility over the last few days and our thoughts go to all the comrades in the cultural sector who will be affected by the official closings during the new closure on Tuesday.
“Sure, how lucky we were”
“I know how lucky we are,” said Director Sangiorgi in her closing speech on the success of this year’s edition. He said goodbye with a Christmas gift tip: Movie subscriptions and vouchers are the ideal way to support the hungry cultural scene.
Vienna City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ) reported that it was a great relief that the Viennale had opened worlds again Public Health. There are no safer places than cinemas, theaters, opera houses, museums. “
Those who could be happy were also the winners of this year’s Corona Edition, who were honored at the evening’s gala. The Vienna Film Prize, endowed with 6,000 euros, for the best Austrian film went to Hubert Sauper’s essay documentary on Cuba “Epicentro”. “This is the third time I have received this award, from now on it can only go downhill,” Sauper said routinely. Sandra Wollner’s android dystopia “The Problem of Being Born”, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale this year, was awarded the special prize of 4,000 euros from the jury.
Audience Award for the Mystical “Tragic Forest”
The “Standard” Audience Award was also awarded to a film that has not yet been distributed in Austria: the jury of readers chose the mystical Mexican parable “Selva tragica” (“Tragic Jungle”) by Yulene Olaizola. The Polish animated work “Zabij to i wyjedz z tego miasta” (“Kill him and leave this city”) by Mariusz Wilczynski won the FIPRESCI award of international film critics for the best first or second film.
And as in previous years, there were two winners at the Erste Bank MehrWERT-Filmpreis: Since a New York scholarship was not possible due to the crown, 6,000 euros went to the Austrian co-production “Zaho Zay” by Georg Tiller and Maeva Ranaivojaona. Telling the story of a condemned colony in Madagascar. “We have an account at Erste Bank, and will be glad our losses are now covered for a few months,” said Tiller, pleased with the cash award. The second prize is the Austrian documentary “Please wait” by Pavel Cuzuioc about communication technicians in Eastern Europe, who can expect 3,000 euros. (apa)
