Third edition of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival
The Austrian Cultural Forum London in cooperation with the Austrian Film Institute present the third edition of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival, championing the best new films to emerge from Austria. Running 13 – 16 March at Ciné Lumière and the ICA Cinemas, the festival provides a glimpse of the world as perceived by the current generation of Austrian filmmakers. With a focus on today’s hottest issues making waves in front of and behind the camera, watchAUT is both a timely snapshot and an intriguing reflection of the current status quo.
watchAUT is an opportunity to preview anticipated new films by Austrian directors, including opening gala PEACOCK starring BAFTA-nominated actor Albrecht Schuch, and acclaimed international film festival titles VENI VIDI VICI and MOON, both produced by Austrian filmmaker, writer, producer and provocateur Ulrich Seidl (Venice Grand Jury Prize winner for Dog Days). Satirical mocumentary PIGGY BANK and Bollywood critique MEHRUNISA complete the feature programme.
The festival is also a celebration of Austria’s rich cinematic heritage. This year’s archive screening is a rare chance to see on a cinema screen the infamous 1980s psycho-thriller ANGST, which was banned in many European countries for its depiction of violence. Austrian experimental cinema has long been a hotbed of radical ideas and daring artistry, and watchAUT’s first ever shorts programme FRAME REBELS is a fascinating selection of surreal and experimental Austrian short films from the 1970s to the present day.
Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum London, Waltraud Dennhardt-Herzog says: “watchAUT presents a new generation of Austrian filmmakers who come from a rich cinematic tradition. Austrian film history spans over a century and while often overlooked internationally it has transformed the development of the medium. Its radical and pioneering filmmakers are presented alongside a young generation who continue to develop this legacy. Join us to discover the wealth of Austrian cinema at our dedicated festival.”
Director of the Austrian Film Institute, Roland Teichmann adds: “Building on the incredible audience reactions to 2023’s watchAUT Festival, I’m thrilled to introduce our youngest yet already acclaimed directors, such as Bernhard Wenger and Kurdwin Ayub, to a UK audience. I love the concept behind this year’s festival, which showcases an unexpected variety of Austrian features. While Austrian independent films can be radical and unconventional, short films have a unique ability to push boundaries even further. These radical shorts are bold, innovative and offer a fascinating glimpse into our vibrant arts scene.”
OPENING GALA: PEACOCK
(dir: Bernhard Wenger, Austria/Germany). London Premiere. Lauded at festivals including Venice and Stockholm, Bernhard Wenger’s razor-sharp debut follows Matthias: a master of his profession, he can be anything from a ‘cultured boyfriend’ to a ‘perfect son’ – but while he excels at pretending to be someone else every day, just being himself is the real challenge. BAFTA-nominated Albrecht Schuch (All Quiet on the Western Front) delivers a darkly funny and emotionally layered lead performance as the film explores identity, connection, and the exhausting performance of life itself. Including Q&A with Bernhard Wenger. Ciné Lumière, Thursday 13 March, 8pm
FEATURE PROGRAMME:
VENI VIDI VICI
(Dir: Daniel Hoesl & Julia Niemann, Austria). London Premiere. In this pitch-black satire, which debuted at Sundance, the ultra-rich have reached the ultimate privilege: getting away with murder. The grotesque Maynard family have turned hunting into a chilling blood sport in a film that drips with poisonous elegance, and blends biting social commentary with stunning, painterly visuals. Veni Vidi Vici delivers a savage critique of unchecked power with a wink, a smirk, and plenty of blood. Including Q&A with Daniel Hoesl & Julia Niemann. ICA, Friday 14 March, 6:30pm
MOON
(Dir: Kurdwin Ayub, Austria). UK Premiere. A winner at Locarno Film Festival, Moon sees former Austrian martial artist Sarah take a job as a personal trainer for three sisters from a wealthy Jordanian family – but what seems like a dream job quickly turns eerie: the girls aren’t interested in training, their lavish home feels like a prison, and their bodyguards hide secrets. Kurdish-Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub crafts a tense mystery of wealth and control, isolation and silence. Including Q&A with Kurdwin Ayub. ICA, Friday 14 March, 8:40pm
PIGGY BANK
(dir: Christoph Schwarz, Austria). London Premiere. This satirical mocumentary sees filmmaker and climate activist Christoph Schwarz receive 90,000€ from Austrian broadcaster ORF to make a documentary. He ‘raids the piggy bank’ and spends the money on a house, but he must still deliver a film – so logic dictates that it be a no-budget film. He therefore documents himself on a year-long money strike. Playful and self-aware, Piggy Bank evolves from a cheeky stunt into a witty satire on capitalism, art, and climate activism. ICA, Sunday 16 March, 3pm
MEHRUNISA
(dir: Sandeep Kumar, Austria). UK Premiere. An 80-year-old actress sets her sights on an overdue dream: starring in a Bollywood epic. The male-dominated Indian film industry wants her to play a minor, background character – but she refuses to be sidelined. Starring legendary actress Farrukh Jaffar (Photograph, Peepli Live, What Will People Say), her first time as a main lead in 40 years, it’s a stirring story that critiques Bollywood’s ageism and celebrates female resilience. Including Q&A with Sandeep Kumar. ICA, Sunday 16 March, 5:30pm
SPECIAL ARCHIVE SCREENING: ANGST
(dir: Gerald Kargl, 1983). Banned in many European countries for its depictions of violence, and based on real-life Austrian mass murderer Werner Kniesek, Angst follows a troubled man who is released from prison after serving ten years for murdering an elderly woman. Feeling the compulsion to kill again, he chances upon a secluded rural home where a young woman lives with her sick mother and disabled brother, and he immediately begins enacting his sadistic fantasies on them. Shocking and significant in equal measures, notable filmmakers including Gaspar Noé cite Angst as an influence. ICA, Saturday 15 March, 8:30pm
SHORTS PROGRAMME:
FRAME REBELS: AUSTRIAN SHORTS THAT DEFY CONVENTION
Austrian experimental cinema has long been a hotbed of radical ideas and daring artistry. From the 1970s to the present day, this collection, courtesy of the Sixpack archive, charts a bold lineage of filmmakers who shattered conventions and reimagined cinematic possibilities. Frame Rebels showcases a kaleidoscope of creative rebellion, where form meets subversion, and the boundaries of film are constantly redrawn. (ICA, Saturday 15 March, 6:30pm). The programme comprises:
Birth of Venus (dir: Moucle Blackout, Austria, 1972, 5 min). A surreal montage of 30 photos – including friends and a dead pig found on the road – forms the core of this experimental gem from the 70s, blending dark humour with a sharp critique of gender and power.
Valley Pride (dir: Lukas Marxt, Austria/Germany, 2023, 15 min). This stunning yet unsettling short doc examines California’s Imperial Valley, where monocultural agriculture thrives at the expense of ecological and human well-being – revealing a collusion of beauty, decay and relentless exploitation in the name of profit.
Ball-Head (dir: Mara Mattuschka, Austria, 1985, 6 min). Ball-Head sees the filmmaker transform her body into both a canvas and a machine in an exploration of creation and self-destruction. The film’s centerpiece is a shocking moment when Mattuschka shaves her head with a razor, bleeding red like ink on paper. An intense, visceral meditation on the body as a tool for production.
Art Education (dir: Maria Lassnig, Austria/USA, 1976, 8 min). Austrian artist Maria Lassnig delivers a witty feminist reimagining of iconic works by Vermeer, Michaelangelo and others. Her bold, humorous approach turns art history on its head, blending critique with creativity.
Conference, notes on film 05 (dir: Norbert Pfaffenbichler, Austria, 1976, 8 min). Through fragmented Super 8 footage and a haunting electronic soundtrack by Bernhard Lang, the film is a surreal exploration of the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in cinema, featuring 65 world famous actors who embody the dictator in various forms. A chilling and through-provoking study of historical iconography.
Loving In Between (dir: Jyoti Mistry, Austria/South Africa, 2023, 18 min). Political rules, religious orders, social norms, and cultural taboos altogether control who we love and how we love. With spoken word and archive sources, love is unboxed from categories in queer expression and a celebration of eros.
Issues With My Other Half (dir: Anna Vasof, Austria, 2023, 6 min). This animated short explores the unsettling loss of control over the body with a sharp, darkly comedic edge. Blending body-horror with surrealism, the film reflects on the cynical nature of life and death, where nothing functions as expected.
Tako Tsubo (dir: Eva Pedroza, Fanny Sorgo, Austria/Germany, 2024, 6 min). Inspired by the Japanese term for stress-induced cardiomyopathy, this minimalist and visually stunning animated short plunges into a strange world where a patient decides to have his heart removed to be relieved of his complicated feelings.
