This year, for the first time, we will no longer present our award winners with trophies, but dedicate freshly planted trees in Vienna to them. This way, we want to make filmmakers and their short films permanently visible in the cityscape—and enable a film and tree walk through Vienna over the years.

Following the award ceremony (June 6), we will attach plaques with the award-winning films to ten recently planted young trees—or more precisely: to the crosspieces of their supporting pillars. Via a QR code on the plaque, the respective film can be streamed directly on the smartphone in close proximity to the tree, while the seeds of the young filmmakers will grow and flourish together with the young Viennese trees.

The project is implemented—actively supported by the Vienna Film Commission (VFC)—in cooperation with the Municipal Department Parks and Gardens (MA 42) and the City’s Forestry Office (MA 49). “The fact that the winners of the short film festival will henceforth receive trees as trophies is not only an original idea, but also draws attention to the great importance of trees in a creative way,” says Vienna's Climate City Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky. “In view of the advancing climate crisis and increasingly hot summers, trees are among our strongest contributors to maintaining the high quality of life in Vienna.”

The locations of the ten VIENNA SHORTS trees will be announced at the award ceremony on June 6 at the Stadtkino in the Künstlerhaus and will then be made available on our website and subsequently also via the Vienna Tree Registry.

News 23.5.2023