VIENNALE 2021 Program revealed

The program of the 59th edition of the Viennale, Austria’s largest film festival (October 21 to 31, 2021) has just been announced announcing the main sections in the program  Monographies, Cinematographies, Historiographies and the Restrospective.

In 2021, film lovers in Vienna can once again breathe a sigh of relief. We consider ourselves lucky that, despite adverse conditions, we’ve been able to maintain the continuity of our event, having prepared the 59th edition of the Viennale with a lot of enthusiasm and somewhat more peace of mind.

These preparations also include security protocols that will enable easier access to the venues: five magnificent, classical cinemas, among them Gartenbaukino, which will reopen fully renovated. This is something that not only the Viennese public has been waiting for but also many friends of the festival and international filmmakers who have applauded the endeavor over the past months.

The Viennale is expanding its barrier-free oferings, taking another step towards mastering the challenges that inclusion poses to contemporary society. In Urania, four screenings will be ofered with audio description for the visually impaired, and audio induction loop systems are now available in all the five cinemas for the hearing impaired. “Cinema for all” is what these eforts stand for – in the same way as the screening of our traditional surprise film on October 26 at 11 a.m. and the Erste Bank ExtraVALUE matinee on October 31 at 10:30 a.m., both at Gartenbaukino.

This year, we’re commemorating the 100th birthday of the most famous Viennese cinephile, Amos Vogel, who took his love of cinema to the other side of the Atlantic and passed it on there. In collaboration with the Austrian Film Museum and with the active participation of various curators from diferent parts of the world, we’ve created a program that reflects Vogel’s critical spirit and the subversive thrust of his programming in a contemporary way. The Viennale program includes about 240 productions, and one focal point is the short form, traditionally the auteur genre among films, because it ofers both promising debutants and established directors ever diferent and ever new possibilities of expression. Yet the intense program, screened over merely eleven days, only really comes alive in the encounter with the filmmakers on site; because it’s their physical presence and the opportunity to exchange ideas directly with them that makes a festival what it is.

This year, we’ve invited numerous industry guests who will not only fill the cinema auditoriums but also the corners of the city with their energy. Among them is Terence Davies, who recently won an award at the San Sebastián Festival for the screenplay of his latest film, BENEDICTION. Davies will ofer insights into his writing process in a workshop discussion, organized jointly with Drehbuchforum Wien. As part of this event, we’ll present the third volume of a film criticism series of books, launched in 2019, TEXTUR #3, which is dedicated to Terence Davies. In addition, we’re looking forward to having live music in cinema. Musical accompaniment will be provided for films representing the magnificent work of Henrik Galeen in the Monography special organized by Filmarchiv Austria, as well as for two programs dedicated to the pioneer of film trickery and master of the fantastic, Segundo de Chomón, as part of our Historiography special.

For some time now, the economy of cinema has not only been experiencing markets and reception habits in a state of flux but is also confronted with new players in the industry. To reflect on the role and responsibility of film festivals in the economy of auteur cinema, we have organized a meeting aimed at both professionals and those who simply want to learn more about the world of festivals. In this regard, we’re looking forward to the presence of directors of major film festivals like the Berlinale and Locarno. This event is part of a more extensive program that runs until the end of next year and is aimed at grasping the basics of the transition period that we’re currently going through and identifying the needs that arise from it.