International Film Production in Austria
THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Excellent filming conditions helped generate the great variety of international audio-visual projects produced in Austria, from arthouse films to international blockbusters, successful TV-series, commercials, and elaborate documentaries.
Incentives for filming in Austria include the country‘s abundance of impressive locations, financial support, a modern infrastructure, political stability, and public safety. International film teams, including international celebrities, also appreciate Austria’s high standard of living and the variety of recreational and cultural offerings.
In recent years, numerous international productions chose Austria as their location: in 2011, SHERLOCK HOLMES II captured motifs in and around Salzburg during a 2nd unit shoot. Director David Cronenberg was in Austria to film scenes for A DANGEROUS METHOD (2010) starring Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, and Viggo Mortensen. Original historic locations in Vienna were selected for the story of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Austria’s capital Vienna is a popular historic location for productions seeking an authentic turn-of-the century atmosphere. Along those lines, KLIMT (2006), the bio-pic of the famous painter Gustav Klimt starring John Malkovich and Veronica Ferres, was filmed in Vienna. The city’s unique locations brought director Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD) and his leading actor Jude Law to Austria in 2011, to work on their new feature 360.
The spectacular locations and ideal conditions of the Austrian Alps impressed the production teams of BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON (starring Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant), the British comedy POWDER GIRL, XXX (starring Vin Diesel), and SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET (starring Brad Pitt).
Friendly cooperation with public institutions and location owners is crucial for the success of any production. Benefitting from great local relations were big budget productions, such as KNIGHT AND DAY (2010) starring Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise, which was filmed in the city of Salzburg, SEASON OF THE WITCH (2009) starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Pearlman, which was filmed in mystical adventure locations in Salzburg, Styria, and Lower Austria, and PILLARS OF THE EARTH (2010) filmed with Donald Sutherland in Lower Austria and Vienna. The latter productions also incorporated a variety of imposing fortresses and magnificent castles which are highlights in many historic productions.
Enchanting fairy-tale locations bring a good number of Asian productions to Austria. Especially, Indian movie productions value Austria‘s mountain regions, green meadows, Alpine lakes, and waterfalls as desirable locations for their top-notch productions.
International TV-productions have also discovered the location Austria, among them the Austrian-Jordanian co-production FIRST LOVE, which tells the story of a Jordanian student in Vienna who finds herself in the middle of a mafia drug ring. POWDER PARK, a Columbia Tristar (United States) and Oceanik (Germany) co-production, was filmed in Austria as well as THE TENTH KINGDOM, a phantasy series co-produced by Hallmark Entertainment (United States), NBC (United States), and Carnival Films (Great Britain), and the two Arabian soaps HOPELESSLY IN LOVE and LOVE PAPER.
Commercial producers are especially attracted to Austria’s mountain and glacier regions since they offer a “snow guarantee“ during any season. Austria’s glaciers provide easy access and full infrastructure. The awe-inspiring backdrop with panaoramic Alpine roads are popular motifs for commercials. In the past, companies like Mercedes, Opel, Scania, Shell, Suchard, Tchibo, and Milka have produced commericals filmed in Austria‘s Alpine locations.
Commercial still photography productions can rely on professional support as well as trained staff and technical resources. Renown commercial photographers specializing in archtecture, food, fashion, and portrait photography have all successfully worked in Austria.
THE WHITE RIBBON
International Co-Productions
Since Austria entered various bilateral and multilateral co-production agreements years ago, the country has participated in a high number of international co-productions and benefitted from increased filming in Austria and the pooling of creative and technical expertise which has contributed greatly to the success of these productions. Michael Haneke’s films are an excellent example, in his case, a long-standing successful cooperation with the Austrian Wega Film and a French production partner. Haneke received the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for one of these co-productions. Additional production partners from Germany and Italy were involved in Haneke’s THE WHITE RIBBON, which won the Palme D’Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Lanuage Film, THE COUNTERFEITERS, directed by the Austrian Stefan Ruzowitzky, was a co-production between Aichholzer Filmproduktion in Vienna and the German Magnolia Film.
Strong ties to Germany have brought forth co-productions such as THE ROBBER (directed by Benjamin Heisenberg), JEW SÜSS – RISE AND FALL (directed by Oscar Röhler), FREE RADICALS (directed by Barbara Albert), LA BOHEME (directed by Robert Dornhelm), and DESERT FLOWER, the story of Waris Dirie, an activist against genital mutilation. In 2011, filming for LUDWIG II, a mega movie and television co-production between the German Bavaria Pictures and the Austrian Dor Film, began in castles in Germany and Austria. The first two segements of the co-produced children’s film HEXE LILLI were a huge box office success.
Austria’s historic role and geographical location between Western and Eastern Europe has led to numerous co-productions with Eastern European countries. The Vienna production company Coop 99 has developed a remarkable working relationship with Bosnian director Jasima Zbanic, and, together with partners from Germany, Bosnia, and Croatia, they produced GRBAVICA, winner of The Golden Bear at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, and the 2010 feature NA PUTU – ZWISCHEN UNS DAS PARADIES. More examples for co-productions with Eastern European countries are the co-productions between the Vienna Aichholzer Filmproduktion and the Rumanian Saga Film on PERFERIC, and the children’s film LITTLE ROBBERS, which involved a Latvian production partner. COOKING HISTORY, an Austrian-Czech documentary co-production features military cooks in European wars and was shown at various film festivals. International television film and documentary co-productions with major German broadcasting companies such as the ZDF, ARD, and ARTE have a strong history.
Strong Austrian Co-Production Partners
Location Austria acts as the first contact for international production companies interested in a co-production with Austria. Location Austria offers its support to foreign production companies in their search for an Austrian co-production partner with international experience.
More information on European Funding opportunities and international Co-Productions
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