Festival FAQ

What should be kept in mind in all venues of the festival to ensure a safe and good festival experience for our visitors inside? Here we answer your questions! If your question is not listed or answered sufficiently, send an email to support@viennashorts.com. We will answer as soon as possible.

(last update: May 10, 2023)

HOW WILL VIENNA SHORTS 2023 TAKE PLACE?

• VIENNA SHORTS 2023 takes place at the beginning of June in its regular cinemas Gartenbaukino, Stadtkino im Künstlerhaus and METRO Kinokulturhaus. Selected programs will also be shown at Blickle Kino in Belvedere 21, mobile Milieukino, Österreichisches Filmmuseum and Open Air in MuseumsQuartier. In addition, the in-house film portal will offer the opportunity to catch up on films missed at the cinema until June 30.

WHAT'S NEW AT THE FESTIVAL?

• We are also the first festival in Austria to offer our own app (for Android and iOS) for festival planning, ticket handling and film streaming. We are also very excited about this year's collaboration with the mobile Milieukino, which will be parked in the MuseumsQuartier (Hof 8) during the festival. Blickle Kino at Belvedere 21 will be the venue for Kevin Jerome Everson this year. And for the 20th anniversary of VIENNA SHORTS, the festival center returns to the MuseumsQuartier—including open-air cinema!

WHY ARE THERE HARDLY ANY PRINTED MATERIALS?

• VIENNA SHORTS has proudly carried the Austrian Eco-Label since last year and implements large parts of the festival as certified Green Events. This is associated with numerous criteria and measures, from the choice and furnishing of venues and resource-saving equipment to transport and printed materials. Everything printed is produced according to the principle of minimal resource consumption: small print runs, double-sided copies. And instead of the catalog, there is now a digital substitute in the form of the app (for Android and iOS).

HOW DOES A VISIT TO THE FESTIVAL WORK?

• Super relaxed and hopefully still very stimulating! Here you can find an overview of our venues. Click here for the schedule & tickets. If you'd like to meet us in person, we'll be there for you at the guest counter in the MuseumsQuartier (Courtyard 8) on June 1 from 12-5 p.m. and from June 2-6 from 12-6 p.m. each day—including a cozy garden and bar. If you have any questions along the way, you can always ask the ticket office staff at the venues.

HOW DO I RECOGNIZE FILM AND INDUSTRY GUESTS AND TEAM MEMBERS?

• For environmental reasons, we do without printed festival passes and badges. Instead, we provide VIENNA SHORTS bags made of 100% organic cotton for all accredited persons. Our staff members are always at the venues during opening hours as well as at the festival center in the MuseumsQuartier (Hof 8)—and our receptions for the industry are intended as ideal icebreakers for getting to know each other.

IS THE FESTIVAL BARRIER-FREE? IN WHICH LANGUAGE WILL FILMS BE SHOWN?

• We make every effort to keep barriers to festival attendance as low as possible. Except for the Milieu Cinema in the converted truck, which is not yet barrier-free accessible, at least one wheelchair seat is offered in every cinema (available online and at the box office, each with free companion seating). Gartenbaukino, Stadtkino, METRO Kinokulturhaus and Filmmuseum are equipped with inductive hearing systems. All films at the festival are presented in the original version with English subtitles—in many cases even when the spoken language is English. Details on accessibility can be found on the Venues page.

WHO DO I TURN TO IF I DON'T FEEL SAFE AT THE FESTIVAL?

• We want everyone to feel comfortable at our festival—both in the cinema and at accompanying programs, industry events or parties. On our Awareness page, you will find a collection of numbers of support offices in Vienna if assistance is needed, as well as an anonymous contact form.

HOW DO I GET TICKETS?

• There are three ways to do this: Via our webshop, via our app (Android, iOS) or at the box office on site. Tickets purchased via website or app are digital tickets with QR code, with which you can go directly to the hall entrance. These are available for Gartenbaukino, Stadtkino, METRO Kinokulturhaus and Filmmuseum and cost € 9.50. Tickets for Blickle Kino at Belvedere 21 and Milieukino are available at the box offices on site and cost € 5. Refunds are not possible. Culture pass holders receive free tickets.

HOW DO I GET TICKETS IF I AM UNDER 20?

• This year, with the support of the City of Vienna, there is a special promotion for all young people under 20 years of age on the occasion of the 20th anniversary: Upon presentation of an ID (or other proof of age), free tickets will be issued directly at each box office of the festival, as long as they are available.

HOW DO I GET TICKETS IF I HAVE A FESTIVAL PASS?

• Festival passes and accreditations are linked to personalized accounts. As soon as a pass holder or an accredited person is logged in to the festival, one ticket per performance can be purchased. Tickets can be reserved via the schedule on the website or app. If the ticket is not used after all, please cancel the ticket.

DO I HAVE TO REGISTER FOR AN OPEN-AIR PROGRAM?

• No registration is required for the open-air programs. Please be there on time to secure a seat. Admission is free for the open-air screenings.

CAN I STILL GET INTO THE CINEMA IF I ARRIVE LATE?

• The tickets remain valid. However, we ask that you make sure to arrive on time so as not to disrupt the screenings.

CAN I CHANGE MY SEAT OR PASS ON MY TICKETS?

• All tickets basically have assigned seats, which should be respected. It is possible to pass your ticket on to other people—but each QR code of a ticket is only valid once at the cinema entrance. A refund is unfortunately not possible.