As part of the Johann Strauss 2025 anniversary celebrations in Vienna – marking the 200th birthday of the Waltz King – this year we sought out modern and cinematic interpretations of the Blue Danube Waltz. From around 200 submissions from all over the world, 9 fantastic films were ultimately selected, which will be presented to the public for the first time on May 28 as part of the festival at the METRO Kinokulturhaus.The films take us into dystopian, AI-driven flood disasters, to the sun-soaked heat of Albania, into an architectural labyrinth in Barcelona, and to a private residence in Romania. The grand prize, worth €6,000, along with additional awards, will be decided by our special jury: curator Florian Widegger, editor Julia Drack, musicologist Dr. Julia Heimerdinger, journalist Gerald Heidegger, and actor/director Karl Markovics. We’re already excited to see what decisions they’ll make.

Official Selection

A diminishing Blue
Jakob Jakubowski, AT 2025, 5 min 24 sek

Donau so blau - Donau so Underground
DANUBE SO BLUE - DANUBE SO UNDERGROUND
Regine Kafeder, AT 2024, 5 min 2 sek

觸
ENCOUNTER
Tsung Hao Duan, TW 2025, 7 min 50 sek

Ich paddel mit dem Kanu 3 Meter unter der Zivilisation
I PADDLE MY CANOE 3 M BELOW CIVILISATION
Michel Klöfkorn, DE 2025, 10 min

Permanent Life
Greta Griniute, ES/LT 2025, 4 min 31 sek

Sac en Plastique
Stefanie Weberhofer, AT 2012, 2 min 11 sek

Sommerkaiser
SUMMER EMPERORS
Renato Balla, AL 2025, 7 min

Nimm mich mit zum Wasser
TAKE ME TO THE WATER
Teona Galgotiu, DE 2025, 7 min 9 sek

You & I
Anastasiya Sergienya, US 2024, 5 min 19 sek

News 16.4.2025