Austria Film Industry

Austria is mostly accepted location for film industry.  The country’s sophisticated and up-to-date infrastructure is the reason behind the success of Austrian cinema. Oscar-winning movie Bridget Jones: The Edge of reason, Crazy Canucks and Bergkristall are some of the Austrian blockbusters. Enormous support from public institutions and location owners made it possible to produce big budget movies such as the world famous “The Three Musketeers”, “James Bond,” “The Living Daylights” and so on.

The period from1896 to 1905 marked for only short films with commentary about current events and most of the movies produced by French companies such as Pathé Frères and Gaumont. The first film that was produced in Austria was a series of short erotic movies. These include the movie produced by the photographer Johann Schwarzer, who founded the Saturn-Film company. A few months after the presentation of first public movie silent pictures sparkled over a screen, accompanied by live piano music.

Mainstream film production began in the year 1910. The first Austrian documentary film, the first Austrian newsreels as well as feature films wer produced by Wiener Kunstfilm-Industrie Ges.m.b.H studios in 1910.

The "Wien Film" studios were alienated as East and West just after the World War II. Part of "Wien Film", the Rosenhuegel-Studios became "USIA” and worked under Soviet Administration. But that was not for a long time. In 1955 the signing of “State Treaty" gave the Rosenhuegel Studios its earlier status. After that incident, things were going well again for the Austrian Movies and modern technology started to take the mainstream arena of Austrian filmdom.

Meanwhile the concept of ‘Film award’ had also come up with some famous movies like Dog Days and Northern Skirts (Nordrand). The Austrian movie awards like the "Sascha-Trophy" for feature films, awards for documentary or newsreels, critic award etc. are few of the honour present for Austrian outstanding movies.

The Austria film industry was greatly affected with the invention of television and changing spare time activities. In 1974 total number of movie produced in Austria were 645, whereas in the year 1994 only 390 movies were produced. But still with a tiny bunch of movies in hand every year, a few producers and directors could win nominations for their films in the international award events. Now, the latest trend in Austria film production is based on comedy, which are the commercially successful movies, rewritten from bestselling programs.

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