Austrian Competition
The Austrian short film scene has been of constant importance in the international festival landscape for decades. Distinctive character and stylistic multiplicity are therefore also to be found in the national competition of VIS Vienna Independent Shorts 2010. 24 films will compete in the programme of this inaugural competition (up to now the Austrian films were shown in the non-competitive “Panorama” programme). It is high time for VIS to honour the consistent high quality of the national film scene with its own award. In cooperation with the VDFS this has become possible: The VDFS has donated the Austrian Short Film Award worth 2.000 Euros, which will be awarded by an independent jury.
The ray Audience Award of the film magazine ray consists of a voucher for post production from ZONE worth 1.000 Euros. The audience and jury have a choice of fictional as well as documentary and also experimental and animated short films that, compressed into four hours, send mighty heartbeats of contemporary cinema “made in Austria” over the screen.
Friday, May 28th, 2010, 6 p.m., Metro Kino
The recurrent theme of this programme of the Austrian competition is the question of determining a location. Where are we, how can we get away from here in the fastest way possible, and how can we locate mixed emotions, different conditions and situations? This can be explored in the interaction of art and nature, but also in summer feelings and encounters, tumbling down buildings or peep shows. Eight documentary, fictional and experimental films offer a colourful insight into the world of contemporary Austrian short films.
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Monday, May 31st, 2010, 6 p.m., Metro Kino
The second programme in the Austrian competition focuses on the art of staging, a partly detailed and playful, sometimes cool and structured, then again subtly observed or an ironically effervescent mise-en-scène. Some of the nine films concentrate on the topic of loss, be it the loss of youth, humanity or of life in itself. Others refer to the history of art, film and television or momentarily keep the audience in the dark with regard to their intentions. Ingenious and convincing variations of the cinematic art form are to be found in this extravagant programme.
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Tuesday, June 1st, 2010, 10 p.m., Metro Kino
A partly bizarre, partly subversive and mostly postmodern cinematic experience awaits the audience of the third programme of the Austrian competition – always a step ahead and yet keeping a commenting and interested eye on the filmic past. In some films you can find references to the Nouvelle Vague and Buñuel, in others background noise, sound footage or off-screen voices take on a commenting or irritating function. Eight animated, documentary, fictional or experimental short films form a programme that follows the motto “it’s not what you say; it’s the way that you say it”.
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