Vienna shorts 2025: A festival of radical intimacy begins!

Vienna shorts 2025: A festival of radical intimacy begins!

Wien, Österreich - The 22nd International Short Film Festival Vienna shorts today started in the sold-out horticultural cinema in Vienna. This festival, which runs until June 1, 2025, shows a total of 374 films from 60 countries and brings together around 600 industry guests. It is one of the most important film events and a platform for aspiring talents in the short film industry.

For the first time, Karin Ginzel leads the festival in the commercial leadership. Her predecessor, Daniel Hadenius-Ebner, kept his last opening speech as an artistic director before the management was handed over to Max Bergmann. The festival was launched in 2004 as Vienna Independent Shorts (VIS), originally as a student initiative without financial resources.

diverse programs and competitions

In addition to international and national competitions,

As part of the festival, various programs can also be discovered. 90 films take part in the competitions that can win prize money of almost 40,000 euros. The four competitions include the categories "Fiction & Documentary", "Animation Avantgarde", "Austria Competition" and "Muvi - Austrian Music Video Prize". Thematic focuses are on intimacy and relationships that are understood as a political space. This year's motto "Move Closer! Radical Intimacy" emphasizes the importance of solidarity as an act of resistance.

Special highlight of the festival is the range of panels, discussions and live events that integrate the audience even closer into the film culture. The films that are shown outside of the competition include works by Kurdwin Ayub and Christopher Harris. In addition, a Muvi evening with highlights of Austrian music videos from 2024, including by SOAP & Skin and Nicola von Leffer, is organized.

innovative pricing models and participation offers

An innovative "Pay As You Wish" system enables cinema seekers to purchase tickets at prices from 4 to 13 euros, while festival passes from 20 euros are available. This promotes access to a wide audience and underlines the commitment to including film culture.

The festival also offers a youth program called "Coming of Shorts", which includes screenings for young people with original versions and subtitles. In addition, children and adolescents can curate and moderate their own screenings in the “Young Curators” program, which enables them to have an active role in festival design.

Since 2023, the winners are no longer awarded in the form of trophies, but by freshly planted trees that are provided with QR codes that lead to the corresponding short films. This sustainable concept reflects the values of the festival and contributes to a more environmentally conscious approach.

With a diverse offer and a clear focus on the topics of intimacy and solidarity, the Vienna shorts offers an important platform for the exchange of ideas and the promotion of new, creative perspectives in a short film.

In an international context, the festival is in a series of renowned film festivals worldwide, which are known for the discovery of new talents and the presentation of outstanding cinematic works, such as the International Film Festival from Cannes . These festivals play a central role in global film culture and offer filmmakers the opportunity to network internationally.

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OrtWien, Österreich
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