In conjunction with the Claire Simon retrospective Jedes Leben ist ein Roman [Each Life Is a Novel] at the Film Museum from 17 January to 24 February 2025, the filmmaker herself came to Film Academy Vienna, the mdw’s Department of Film and Television, for a one-day seminar on 20 January. Students had the opportunity to discuss Simon’s films with her at the Arthouse Cinema, the University’s own movie theatre.

Film Academy Vienna’s “Werkschau”, a showcase event that gives its students the opportunity to present their projects to a wide audience on a big screen, takes place once each year. The Gartenbaukino, the Stadtkino Wien, and the mdw’s own Art House Cinema treat the general public to a multifaceted three-day programme comprised of feature-length and short films by Film Academy students from various degree programmes and semesters.

In a film industry somehow capable of rescuing itself from crisis to crisis, as part of which its magic is being systematically stripped away layer by layer, location sound has a smaller and smaller role to play. It has separated from filmmaking as such to become something like a peculiar accessory of the film industry.

“Green filming” refers to measures taken as part of film production that aim to reduce CO₂ output and conserve resources. The film industry’s environmental footprint is a large one: film teams travel to all kinds of locations, equipment needs to be transported, and set elements as well as costumes need to be made—all of which results in large amounts of waste as well as high energy consumption. Recent years, however, have seen a shift in attitudes.

Barbara Albert, Jessica Hausner and Karina Ressler are the protagonists oft the first three volumes of the book series Aus der Werkstatt [From the Workshop], based on an ongoing oral history project of the Media and Film Studies chair at Film Academy Vienna. In wide-ranging workshop conversations, the filmmakers discuss their artistic work and provide insights into their cinematic thinking and the methods by which they proceed.

Police officer Nancy is torn between her responsibility and her compassion for the family, who’ve been living in Austria for a long time and are blindsided when the police show up. For this stirring short film, Film Academy Vienna alumnus Mark Gerstorfer and his Film Academy team won a Student Academy Award in gold in the Narrative category.

Barbara Albert studied directing as well as screenplay writing and dramaturgy at Film Academy Vienna during the 1990s. Her graduation film Nordrand (1999), simultaneously her debut feature film, celebrated its world première at the Venice Film Festival and went on to achieve international renown.

The film industry is a rough place. Brutal competition along with the pressure to perform and deliver, tight schedules, and financial insecurity can combine to produce considerable mental strain. Against this backdrop, film director Leni Lauritsch has launched a new course with the intent of better preparing the young film professionals of Film Academy Vienna to deal with it all.