As the name suggests, the Vienna Shorts Festival is a major international film festival celebrating short-form movies (though part of me wishes this was a Lederhosen retrospective).
- Dozens of films across multiple genres
- Screenings plus other events (panels, workshops, etc.)
- Prestigious international and national film awards
- 2023 dates: June 1 – 6, 2023
- See also:
- Film festivals
- DotDotDot film festival (also focuses on short-form movies)
- Vienna in June
The art of short films
(The Austrian Film Museum is a traditional venue for many festival screenings)
The Vienna Shorts Festival promotes, presents and debates the short-form version of film making, with a huge lineup of Austrian and international films.
The festival normally offers way more than just a series of screenings, since it also covers various film prizes, panel discussions, industry events, and more. It also approaches short film in the widest possible context: as a sociocultural and artistic medium as much as a means of information or entertainment.
The competitions invariably count among the highlights. In 2022, for example, these included:
- The Fiction & Documentary and Animation Avantgarde awards
- The Austrian Competition and Austrian Video Music Award
For the full programme and format (once available), check the Vienna Shorts website.
2023 dates and tickets
The 2023 festival takes place from June 1st to 6th. Tickets are normally available online shortly before the festival begins, along with festival passes.
The passes typically include options for access to the festival online portal and the wider This is Short portal (a joint platform for selected European short film festivals). The portals offer digital access to films and other resources.
How to get to the cinemas
The 2022 event took a hybrid on/offline approach: check the website for details of 2023. The prime locations for physical screenings last time out included:
Metro Kinokulturhaus
Address: Johannesgasse 4, 1010 Vienna | Website
Sandwiched at the middle of a triangle of subway stations: take the U3 to Stephansplatz or the U1, U2 or U4 to Karlsplatz (exit at the Oper side) or U4 to Stadtpark. Nearest tram stop is probably Oper/Karlsplatz (served by the 1, 2, D or 71 trams).
Stadtkino im Kunstlerhaus
Address: Akademiestraße 13, 1010 Vienna | Website
Take the U1, U2 or U4 to Karlsplatz or the same trams as for the Metro Kinokulturhaus above. Check out the contemporary exhibitions in the same building, such as those at the Albertina Modern