Fisa+ and ÖFI+ schemes have paid out €40m in grants since launch in January.
Austria’s new film and TV incentive schemes Fisa+ and ÖFI+ have already surpassed expectations since being introduced at the beginning of this year, with more than €40m paid out in grants and over €120m generated as “Austrian spend”.
The Fisa+ and ÖFI schemes offer a 30% grant on Austrian spend plus a 5% green filming bonus, with the maximum amount paid per project pegged at €5m for films and €7.5m for series.
ÖFI+ grants
Producer Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, chairman of trade association Film & Music Austria, told Screen that...
Austria’s new film and TV incentive schemes Fisa+ and ÖFI+ have already surpassed expectations since being introduced at the beginning of this year, with more than €40m paid out in grants and over €120m generated as “Austrian spend”.
The Fisa+ and ÖFI schemes offer a 30% grant on Austrian spend plus a 5% green filming bonus, with the maximum amount paid per project pegged at €5m for films and €7.5m for series.
ÖFI+ grants
Producer Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, chairman of trade association Film & Music Austria, told Screen that...
- 8/11/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
The European Film Academy (Efa) has unveiled 462 film professionals as new members in an announcement timed to coincide with Europe Day on May 9.
The new arrivals will be eligible to vote in the academy’s European Film Awards, the region’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, as well as contribute to its other initiatives across the year.
The Efa said a record number of professionals had accepted to join the organization this year, adding that 50% were female, 49%, were male, and 1% defined as non-binary.
The bigger intake comes amid a drive to revamp the academy which recently announced it would be moving the Efa ceremony to January in 2026, from its traditional December slot, to make it more relevant in the annual film awards season culminating with the Oscars.
The Efa currently now counts 4,600 members based in 52 countries.
The new members mainly hailed from Germany (68), France (38), Switzerland (37), Poland (36), Italy (33), Spain (24), UK (28) and...
The new arrivals will be eligible to vote in the academy’s European Film Awards, the region’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, as well as contribute to its other initiatives across the year.
The Efa said a record number of professionals had accepted to join the organization this year, adding that 50% were female, 49%, were male, and 1% defined as non-binary.
The bigger intake comes amid a drive to revamp the academy which recently announced it would be moving the Efa ceremony to January in 2026, from its traditional December slot, to make it more relevant in the annual film awards season culminating with the Oscars.
The Efa currently now counts 4,600 members based in 52 countries.
The new members mainly hailed from Germany (68), France (38), Switzerland (37), Poland (36), Italy (33), Spain (24), UK (28) and...
- 5/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Iraq-born Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub has just begun work on Mond (the translation of the word Moon). She is re-teaming with Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion on a project that will film in Jordan and Austria. The given synopsis sounds Orwellian and underground but out there in the open. We’ll likely get to confirm the film’s female protagonist.
Sarah, a former professional kickboxer from Vienna, accepts an offer to work as a personal trainer for three daughters of a wealthy family in the Middle East. She lands in a strange world, in a palace behind walls and without internet, where the sisters are monitored 24/7.…...
Sarah, a former professional kickboxer from Vienna, accepts an offer to work as a personal trainer for three daughters of a wealthy family in the Middle East. She lands in a strange world, in a palace behind walls and without internet, where the sisters are monitored 24/7.…...
- 4/26/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Ruben Östlund’s latest satire, Triangle of Sadness, dominated the European Film Awards with four wins, including Best Film, the evening’s top prize.
Östlund also picked up the Best Screenplay and Best Director Awards for his work on the film, and Zlatko Burić nabbed Best Actor for his leading role.
The film, which picked up this year’s Palme d’Or, follows Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), a celebrity model couple who are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting to stay alive.
In other top prizes, Vicky Krieps won the Best Actress award for the well-received period drama Corsage, and the Javier Bardem starrer, The Good Boss, won Best Comedy.
The awards ceremony, overseen by the European Film Academy, took place...
Östlund also picked up the Best Screenplay and Best Director Awards for his work on the film, and Zlatko Burić nabbed Best Actor for his leading role.
The film, which picked up this year’s Palme d’Or, follows Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), a celebrity model couple who are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting to stay alive.
In other top prizes, Vicky Krieps won the Best Actress award for the well-received period drama Corsage, and the Javier Bardem starrer, The Good Boss, won Best Comedy.
The awards ceremony, overseen by the European Film Academy, took place...
- 12/10/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Vicky Krieps was also a winner as best European actress for Corsage.
Ruben Ostlund’s class warfare comedy Triangle Of Sadness was the big winner at the 2022 European Film Awards (EFAs), which took place today (December 10) in Reykjavík.
Scroll down for winners
The class warfare comedy won best European film, director, screenwriter and actor, for Zlatko Burić.
Vicky Krieps was also a winner as best European actress for Corsage.
Mantas Kvedaravičius’ Mariupolis 2 won the European documentary prize, whilst Alain Ughetto’s No Dogs Or Italians Allowed picked up the animated feature award.
Fernando León de Aranoa’s The Good Boss,...
Ruben Ostlund’s class warfare comedy Triangle Of Sadness was the big winner at the 2022 European Film Awards (EFAs), which took place today (December 10) in Reykjavík.
Scroll down for winners
The class warfare comedy won best European film, director, screenwriter and actor, for Zlatko Burić.
Vicky Krieps was also a winner as best European actress for Corsage.
Mantas Kvedaravičius’ Mariupolis 2 won the European documentary prize, whilst Alain Ughetto’s No Dogs Or Italians Allowed picked up the animated feature award.
Fernando León de Aranoa’s The Good Boss,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
The 35th European Film Awards have officially unveiled this year’s nominations.
Lukas Dhont’s queer coming-of-age drama “Close,” Ali Abbasi’s serial-killer thriller “Holy Spider,” and Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning “Triangle of Sadness” lead the 2022 nominations, with each film garnering nods in top categories: Best European Film, Best Director, and Screenwriter.
Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” lands three nominations, including Best Actress for Vicky Krieps. “Alcarràs” has two nominations, while Venice Golden Lion winner “Saint Omer” picked up one nod for Best European Director for Alice Diop.
The European Film Academy hosts the award ceremony on December 10 in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík.
German director Margarethe von Trotta will be honored with the European Lifetime Achievement award, and Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman is set to be celebrated with the European Achievement in World Cinema Award. Italian director Marco Bellocchio will receive the Award for European Innovative Storytelling for the limited series “Exterior Night.
Lukas Dhont’s queer coming-of-age drama “Close,” Ali Abbasi’s serial-killer thriller “Holy Spider,” and Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning “Triangle of Sadness” lead the 2022 nominations, with each film garnering nods in top categories: Best European Film, Best Director, and Screenwriter.
Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage” lands three nominations, including Best Actress for Vicky Krieps. “Alcarràs” has two nominations, while Venice Golden Lion winner “Saint Omer” picked up one nod for Best European Director for Alice Diop.
The European Film Academy hosts the award ceremony on December 10 in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík.
German director Margarethe von Trotta will be honored with the European Lifetime Achievement award, and Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman is set to be celebrated with the European Achievement in World Cinema Award. Italian director Marco Bellocchio will receive the Award for European Innovative Storytelling for the limited series “Exterior Night.
- 11/8/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Emphasizing its consolidated position as an important bridge between European creators and cinemagoers, the Seville Festival is expanding its reach with an ambitious sidebar, Essential Voices, to bring together decisive European filmmakers for a discussion forum.
At the same time, the Seff continues strengthening its industrial heft with the announcement of Sevilla Cinema Lab, an initiative which, kicking-off in 2023, aims to promote high-level training for film professionals, as well as the development of film projects in international co-productions. It is supported by Spain’s Icaa film institute and Europe’s Next Generation Funds.
Juan Antonio Bayona and Álex de la Iglesia, two of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers, will take part in the Essential Voices section together with revered Russian director Alexandr Sokurov and two animation auteurs, France’s Michel Ocelot (“Kirikou and the Sorceress”) and Latvia’s Signe Baumane (“Rocks in My Pockets”).
In addition to the joint presence of two European emerging talents,...
At the same time, the Seff continues strengthening its industrial heft with the announcement of Sevilla Cinema Lab, an initiative which, kicking-off in 2023, aims to promote high-level training for film professionals, as well as the development of film projects in international co-productions. It is supported by Spain’s Icaa film institute and Europe’s Next Generation Funds.
Juan Antonio Bayona and Álex de la Iglesia, two of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers, will take part in the Essential Voices section together with revered Russian director Alexandr Sokurov and two animation auteurs, France’s Michel Ocelot (“Kirikou and the Sorceress”) and Latvia’s Signe Baumane (“Rocks in My Pockets”).
In addition to the joint presence of two European emerging talents,...
- 11/4/2022
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Dubai-based sales agent Cercamon will handle international sales on Fabian Hernández’s “Un Varón” (A Male), which has its world premiere in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
“Un Varón” tells the story of Carlos, who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogotá – a refuge meant to help mitigate the harshness of daily life. He longs to spend Christmas Day with his family, but as he leaves the shelter, he’s confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, which is ruled by the law of the strongest and dominated by the ideal of the alpha male. Carlos must prove he belongs, even while these expressions of masculinity clash deep inside him with the decisions he must make in order to survive.
Cercamon’s founder, Sebastien Chesneau, said: “‘Un Varón’ touches us by the way the protagonist’s sensitivity is shown in this tough and masculine world. In order to fit into this environment,...
“Un Varón” tells the story of Carlos, who lives in a youth shelter in the center of Bogotá – a refuge meant to help mitigate the harshness of daily life. He longs to spend Christmas Day with his family, but as he leaves the shelter, he’s confronted with the brutality of his neighborhood, which is ruled by the law of the strongest and dominated by the ideal of the alpha male. Carlos must prove he belongs, even while these expressions of masculinity clash deep inside him with the decisions he must make in order to survive.
Cercamon’s founder, Sebastien Chesneau, said: “‘Un Varón’ touches us by the way the protagonist’s sensitivity is shown in this tough and masculine world. In order to fit into this environment,...
- 5/6/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Sun Also Scheisse: Ayub Explores Identity Politics in Modern European Diaspora
For her directorial debut, Sonne, director Kurdwin Ayub draws on her background as a video and performance artist to cull a contemporary coming-of-age drama centered on the life of a young Kurdish woman living in the cultural hub of Vienna. Old World meets New World in this Gen Z primed exercise featuring partial autobiographical elements of Ayub herself, whose family fled Iraq during the Gulf War, ending up as refugees in Austria. However, assimilation is never a stable certainty for first generation children whose parents are at odds with the cultural beliefs of a host culture, especially one evolving swiftly through the splintering intersectionalities of social media.…...
For her directorial debut, Sonne, director Kurdwin Ayub draws on her background as a video and performance artist to cull a contemporary coming-of-age drama centered on the life of a young Kurdish woman living in the cultural hub of Vienna. Old World meets New World in this Gen Z primed exercise featuring partial autobiographical elements of Ayub herself, whose family fled Iraq during the Gulf War, ending up as refugees in Austria. However, assimilation is never a stable certainty for first generation children whose parents are at odds with the cultural beliefs of a host culture, especially one evolving swiftly through the splintering intersectionalities of social media.…...
- 4/1/2022
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Top prizes for Hong Sangsoo’s ‘The Novelist’s Film’, Claire Denis’ ‘Fire’.
Carla Simon’s Alcarras won the Golden Bear at the 72nd Berlinale, in a ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast this evening (Wednesday 16).
“I feel like I should just move here, because every time I come here something amazing happens,” said Simon on accepting the award.
Alcarras: Berlin review
The award was presented by Competition jury president M. Night Shyamalan, who praised the film “for its extraordinary performances from the child actors to the actors in their 80s and for the ability to show the tenderness and comedy...
Carla Simon’s Alcarras won the Golden Bear at the 72nd Berlinale, in a ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast this evening (Wednesday 16).
“I feel like I should just move here, because every time I come here something amazing happens,” said Simon on accepting the award.
Alcarras: Berlin review
The award was presented by Competition jury president M. Night Shyamalan, who praised the film “for its extraordinary performances from the child actors to the actors in their 80s and for the ability to show the tenderness and comedy...
- 2/16/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The winners for the 2022 Berlin Film Festival have been revealed. The in-person event took place this year February 10–20. The competition jury, led by president M. Night Shyamalan, included filmmaker Karim Aïnouz, producer Saïd Ben Saïd, filmmaker Anne Zohra Berrached, filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga, Oscar-nominated “Drive My Car” director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and actor Connie Nielsen.
The festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear for Best Film, was presented by Shyamalan. “For its extraordinary performances, from the child actors to the actors in their 80s, for the ability to show the tenderness and comedy and struggle,” he awarded Spanish drama “Alcarras,” from director Carla Simon.
The festival did away with gendered acting awards once again, instead offering Silver Bears for Best Supporting and Best Lead Performance. Beloved auteur Claire Denis won best director for her romantic psychodrama “Both Sides of the Blade” — or “Fire,” as it’s known in the United States. (IFC Films has stateside rights.
The festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear for Best Film, was presented by Shyamalan. “For its extraordinary performances, from the child actors to the actors in their 80s, for the ability to show the tenderness and comedy and struggle,” he awarded Spanish drama “Alcarras,” from director Carla Simon.
The festival did away with gendered acting awards once again, instead offering Silver Bears for Best Supporting and Best Lead Performance. Beloved auteur Claire Denis won best director for her romantic psychodrama “Both Sides of the Blade” — or “Fire,” as it’s known in the United States. (IFC Films has stateside rights.
- 2/16/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Competition(Jury: M. Night Shyamalan, Karim Aïnouz, Saïd Ben Saïd, Anne Zohra Berrached, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Connie Nielsen)Golden BearAlcarràs (Carla Simón)Silver Bear — Grand Jury PrizeThe Novelist’s Film (Hong Sang-soo)Silver Bear — Jury PrizeRobe of Gems (Natalia Lopez Gallardo)Silver Bear for Best DirectorClaire Denis (Both Sides of the Blade)Silver Bear for Best Leading PerformanceMeltem Kaptan (Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush)Silver Bear for Best Supporting PerformanceLaura Basuki (Nana)Silver Bear for Best ScreenplayLaila Stieler (Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush)Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic ContributionRithy Panh (Everything Will Be Ok)Silver Bear — Special MentionA Piece of Sky (Michael Koch)Encounters(Jury: Chiara Marañón, Ben Rivers, Silvan Zürcher)Award for Best FilmMUTZENBACHER (Ruth Beckermann)Special Jury AwardSee You Friday, Robinson (Mitra Farahani)Award for Best DirectorCyril Schäublin (Unrest)Generation — Kplus(Jury: Daniela Cajías, Nicola Jones, Samuel Kishi Leopo)Grand Prix for Best Film The Quiet Girl...
- 2/16/2022
- MUBI
Winners have been announced at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival, with Carla Simon’s Alcarràs scooping the coveted Golden Bear prize as the best film of the festival’s International Competition. Scroll down for the full list of winners, which were revealed Wednesday night at the Berlinale Palast.
Alcarràs follows the life of a family of peach farmers in a small village in Catalonia, whose world changes when the owner of their large estate dies and his lifetime heir decides to sell the land, suddenly threatening their livelihood.
Simon previously picked up Berlin’s Best First Feature Award in 2017 for her debut Summer 1993.
Other winners in the International Competition included Hong Sang-soo’s The Novelist’s Film, which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (read Deadline’s review here); Natalia Lopez Gallardo, who picked up the Silver Bear Jury Prize for Robe of Gems (review here); and Claire Denis, who...
Alcarràs follows the life of a family of peach farmers in a small village in Catalonia, whose world changes when the owner of their large estate dies and his lifetime heir decides to sell the land, suddenly threatening their livelihood.
Simon previously picked up Berlin’s Best First Feature Award in 2017 for her debut Summer 1993.
Other winners in the International Competition included Hong Sang-soo’s The Novelist’s Film, which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (read Deadline’s review here); Natalia Lopez Gallardo, who picked up the Silver Bear Jury Prize for Robe of Gems (review here); and Claire Denis, who...
- 2/16/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Social media, sexual politics and the struggle of a rebellious young woman to find herself are at the heart of Kurdwin Ayub’s fiction feature debut, “Sonne,” which has its world premiere Feb. 12 in the Berlin Film Festival’s Encounters strand.
Set in Vienna, the story begins as three teenage girls in hijabs lip-synch and perform a provocative dance routine to a pop song. A video quickly goes viral, turning the trio into overnight sensations, especially among Kurdish Muslims.
But for Yesmin (Melina Benli), the only one of the three with Kurdish roots, the sudden popularity pushes her away from both her friends and her culture. The distance only grows when her friends, played by Law Wallner and Maya Wopienka, fall for a pair of young Kurdish patriots.
The provocative first feature from Ayub, a writer, director and video and performance artist known for blurring the lines between fact and fiction,...
Set in Vienna, the story begins as three teenage girls in hijabs lip-synch and perform a provocative dance routine to a pop song. A video quickly goes viral, turning the trio into overnight sensations, especially among Kurdish Muslims.
But for Yesmin (Melina Benli), the only one of the three with Kurdish roots, the sudden popularity pushes her away from both her friends and her culture. The distance only grows when her friends, played by Law Wallner and Maya Wopienka, fall for a pair of young Kurdish patriots.
The provocative first feature from Ayub, a writer, director and video and performance artist known for blurring the lines between fact and fiction,...
- 2/11/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Böse Spiele (Wicked Games)
With filming taking place in portions between April 2017 to May 2018, it’s been a painstakingly long post-production process for Austrian maestro Ulrich Seidl‘s Böse Spiele (Wicked Games) so it’s no wonder that we’re now celebrating a fourth appearance (watch Nicholas’ vid below) on our yearly list. This may have to do with Seidl putting more of his time and creative energy into shepherding films as a producer such as Kelly Copper & Pavol Liska’s Die Kinder der Toten (2019), Andreas Horvath’s Lillian (2019), Peter Brunner’s Luzifer (2021), and Kurdwin Ayub’s upcoming Sonne (likely to have its world premiere at a major film festival).…...
With filming taking place in portions between April 2017 to May 2018, it’s been a painstakingly long post-production process for Austrian maestro Ulrich Seidl‘s Böse Spiele (Wicked Games) so it’s no wonder that we’re now celebrating a fourth appearance (watch Nicholas’ vid below) on our yearly list. This may have to do with Seidl putting more of his time and creative energy into shepherding films as a producer such as Kelly Copper & Pavol Liska’s Die Kinder der Toten (2019), Andreas Horvath’s Lillian (2019), Peter Brunner’s Luzifer (2021), and Kurdwin Ayub’s upcoming Sonne (likely to have its world premiere at a major film festival).…...
- 1/12/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Competition line-up includes new films by Jerzy Sladkowski, Bryan Fogel, Moara Passoni and Hubert Sauper.
Copenhagen-based documentary festival Cph:dox (March 18-29) has revealed its 2020 competition line-up, with 52% of the 65 titles directed by one or more female directors.
Notable world premieres include Ecstasy, the new project from Brazil’s Moara Passoni, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated The Edge Of Democracy. Ecstasy is an autobiographical hybrid following Passoni’s alter ego Clara as she battles anorexia
Also in the main competition is the world premiere of Bitter Love from Polish filmmaker Jerzy Sladkowski, who won the main award at Idfa with Don Juan...
Copenhagen-based documentary festival Cph:dox (March 18-29) has revealed its 2020 competition line-up, with 52% of the 65 titles directed by one or more female directors.
Notable world premieres include Ecstasy, the new project from Brazil’s Moara Passoni, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated The Edge Of Democracy. Ecstasy is an autobiographical hybrid following Passoni’s alter ego Clara as she battles anorexia
Also in the main competition is the world premiere of Bitter Love from Polish filmmaker Jerzy Sladkowski, who won the main award at Idfa with Don Juan...
- 2/21/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
The institution has backed the new films by Benjamin Heisenberg, Adrian Goiginger and Kurdwin Ayub. During the Vienna Film Fund’s fourth session of 2019, the five members of the committee decided that 11 of the 22 projects submitted would be supported with a total sum of €3.15 million. Eight feature-film projects received production support, while three projects were aided with development grants. The highest grant for production went to Serviam - Ich will dienen, the new film by Ruth Mader. The director, whose movie Struggle screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, is readying a thriller set in a Catholic boarding school for girls. Ruth Mader Filmproduktion is producing the film together with epo-film. Furthermore, the sci-fi thriller Sojus, which will be the feature debut by Magdalena Lauritsch, was backed by the...
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