Dive in, hold your breath—and for a moment, time stands still. A legendary still from the film Taris (1931) by French director Jean Vigo adorns this year’s festival theme and points to the focus of the 19th edition of VIENNA SHORTS. Starting on May 25, however, we don't want to turn back time, but rather learn from (film) history for the future—while not closing our eyes to the present.

We look around us. The world seems chaotic. We look forward, somewhat perplexed, through the fog of the present. And we look back, at our common history and the collective wealth of experience. For our focus this year, we have rummaged through the archives of the Austrian Film Museum and selected films between 1903 and 2003 that will be shown in their original format. Other partners are contributing to the focus—so that together we can make sense of the world ...

News 22.3.2022