Vienna International Film Festival (Viennale)

Overview

The Viennale is Austria's largest and most important film festival. The 63rd edition took place October 16 to 28, 2025, selling 78,600 tickets across 13 days with a 78.3% occupancy rate - an increase of 2,800 tickets over 2024. The festival screened films across five Vienna cinemas and welcomed international guests including Juliette Binoche, John C. Reilly, and Willem Dafoe. The 64th edition is scheduled for October 22 to November 3, 2026.

The Viennale is a non-competitive festival accredited by the FIAPF (Federation of International Film Producers Associations). It does not award jury prizes for its main program. Instead, it functions as a curated cinephile event where the invitation to screen is itself the honor. The festival's director is Eva Sangiorgi, and filmmaker Christian Petzold was named the festival's president in 2025.

The festival's programming philosophy prioritizes formally ambitious world cinema over industry function. The 2025 edition opened with Petzold's "Miroirs No. 3" (which premiered at Cannes) and closed with Hong Sang-soo's "What Does Nature Say to You." The program included new work by Yorgos Lanthimos ("Bugonia"), Jim Jarmusch ("Father Mother Sister Brother"), and Luca Guadagnino ("After the Hunt"), alongside retrospectives and special programs.

Submission Details

The Viennale accepts open submissions, though the main program is primarily invitation-based. Key details:

There is no submission fee, which is unusual for a festival of this scale. However, the festival's programming is primarily curated by invitation. The open submission channel exists but accounts for a small portion of the final program. Films selected for the main program may have already screened at other international festivals, but they must not have been shown publicly in Austria in any format (cinema, TV, museum installation, or online).

All films are presented in their original version with subtitles or simultaneous translation. The Viennale covers print and copy transport expenses for officially invited films to Vienna, and return shipment costs if the copy is being sent back to the lender.

Program Sections

• Main Program - new international features and shorts, curated by invitation and open submission
• Austrian Film Program - new Austrian features and shorts
• Retrospective - major retrospective organized in collaboration with the Austrian Filmmuseum. The 2025 retrospective was dedicated to Jean Epstein (1897-1953)
• Tributes and Homages - programs honoring individual filmmakers. The 2025 edition included a tribute to Angela Summereder and a Textur series dedicated to Lucrecia Martel
• Historical Programs - curated programs of lesser-known international filmmakers. 2025 featured Jnos Xantus (Hungary), Digna Sinke (Netherlands), and Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti
• Special Screenings - landmark films in special contexts, including silent film performances with live music
• Viennale Talks - Q&A events and discussions with directors, organized in collaboration with drehbuchFORUM Wien, the Austrian Directors' Association, and FC Gloria

Awards

The Viennale does not award competitive jury prizes for its main program. However, several awards are presented during the festival:

• Vienna Film Award for Best Austrian Film - 2025 winner: "Perla" (dir. Alexandra Makarova, Austria/Slovakia)
• Special Jury Award - 2025 winner: "Girls and Gods" (dir. Arash T. Riahi and Verena Soltiz, Austria/Switzerland)
• Erste Bank MehrWERT Award - for Austrian films. 2025 winners: "White Snail" (dir. Elsa Kremser, Levin Peter) and "Rojo Zalia Blau" (dir. Viktoria Schmid)
• FIPRESCI Prize - awarded by international critics
• Viennale Standard Audience Jury Award - selected by an audience jury

The Vienna Film Award carries a cash prize of 25,000 EUR for the Best Austrian Film, making it one of the more substantial Austrian film awards.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Viennale is not a market festival. It does not host a film market, does not attract sales agents in significant numbers, and does not function as an acquisition venue. If your goal is to sell your film or secure distribution, the Viennale is not the right platform. If your goal is to screen your film to one of Europe's most cinephile audiences in a non-competitive context, the Viennale is among the best festivals in the world for that purpose.

The festival's 78.3% occupancy rate in 2025 (up from 76.3% in 2024) indicates strong audience engagement. Vienna's cultural infrastructure - the city's deep musical, theatrical, and artistic traditions - creates an audience with high expectations for formally ambitious programming. The festival has consistently grown its audience: from 73,700 in 2022 to 75,300 in 2023 to 75,800 in 2024 to 78,600 in 2025.

For Austrian filmmakers, the Vienna Film Award (25,000 EUR for Best Austrian Film) is the most significant domestic prize. Austrian productions also benefit from the festival's short film policy: short narrative/fiction films up to 40 minutes are only accepted if they are Austrian productions, which reduces international competition in that category.

The absence of a submission fee means there is no financial barrier to submitting. However, filmmakers should understand that the program is primarily invitation-based. The selection committee reviews open submissions, but the majority of the program is curated. Submitting does not guarantee consideration in the same way that competitive festivals with open calls operate.

Festival History

The Viennale was founded in 1960 and has operated for over six decades as one of Europe's most respected non-competitive film events. The festival was established to present adventurous international cinema to Vienna audiences, with a programming philosophy that has consistently prioritized formal ambition and critical seriousness over commercial appeal.

The festival has historically maintained a deliberately non-competitive structure. Unlike most major European festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, Karlovy Vary), the Viennale does not award a grand prize for best film. The invitation to screen is considered the honor. This approach has attracted filmmakers who value the curated, cinephile context over award-driven media attention.

The festival's retrospective program, organized in collaboration with the Austrian Filmmuseum, has become one of its signature elements. Past retrospectives have covered filmmakers ranging from established masters to rediscovered avant-garde figures. The 2025 retrospective dedicated to Jean Epstein was described by the festival as "a dream come true for all cinema lovers" due to the rarity of screening his films.

Eva Sangiorgi has served as festival director since 2018. The 2025 edition introduced Christian Petzold as the festival's new president. The festival operates across five Vienna cinemas, with the Gartenbaukino serving as the main gala venue and Metro Kinokulturhaus hosting the program press conference and talks.

Practical Information for Attendees

Vienna is served by Vienna International Airport (VIE) with direct flights from all major European and many international cities. The city has extensive public transport (U-Bahn, trams, buses). Festival venues are in central Vienna and accessible by public transport.

Accommodation in Vienna ranges from 60 to 250 EUR per night during the festival period. The festival offers accreditation for industry professionals, press, and invited filmmakers. Advance ticket sales for the 2026 edition begin October 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM via the Viennale website. Ticket vouchers (10-ticket and 20-ticket blocks) are available in advance through the webshop.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding the European film market and international sales, see International Film Markets. Submit through the Viennale submission form. Read the full Viennale 2025 regulations.