The 59th Viennale ended on Sunday evening with a great victory for Sebastian Meise’s drama “Große Freiheit” – and newfound freedom for Eva Rotter, who has retired after a quarter of a century. “Great Freedom”, which was honored with the jury prize in the Un Certain Regard category in Cannes, was able to claim two main prizes. And Eva Rotter the approaching pension.
“There is also a little sadness about it,” said the managing director, who was struggling with tears, looking back on the past, last edition of the festival in function. “I have learned and recognized that the actual task of the management is to ensure stability even in difficult times,” said Rotter. And that she was able to help shape the “golden times”, fill her with gratitude.
The Viennale is now poorer by one Eva, as an Italian-sounding duo will head the Viennale from December 1st, when Paolo Calamita, from Brixlegg in Tyrol, succeeds Rotter and, alongside director Eva Sangiorgi, will lead the fate of the festival. The 42-year-old knows the festival as he has been its marketing director since 2006.
In any case, one can be satisfied with this year’s numbers, after the previous year’s edition, which was reduced thanks to Corona, with 42,000 guests, 58,200 visitors were counted. The occupancy rate remained the same at 74 percent due to the increased number of seats this year.
Sebastian Meise was also delighted with “Große Freiheit”, his plea against discrimination against homosexuality with Franz Rogowski and Georg Friedrich in the leading roles, on the one hand the Vienna Film Prize, endowed with 6,000 euros and other donations from sponsors, for the best Austrian film received. On the other hand, at the gala played around by scene musician Alicia Edelweiss, he was also able to secure the Erste Bank MehrWERT film award, which was awarded for the eleventh time.
This includes a stay in New York including a work presentation in the Anthology Film Archives. He tried to live as a painter in New York after school, but was promoted out of the country by the immigration authorities after his tourist visa had expired. “Now I’m coming back as a filmmaker – with a decent job, so to speak,” said Meise, delighted about the New York ticket.
The jury’s € 4,000 special prize went to “Beatrix” by the two young directors Milena Czernovsky and Lilith Kraxner. “We are very touched that so many can identify with our film,” said both of them, happy about the money and good words. The “Standard” audience award for a festival film still without distribution went to Milica Tomovic’s Serbian debut film “Kelti”, while the FIPRESCI award of the international film review for the best first or second film by the three recognized experts went to “Re Granchio” by Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis left.
(S E R V I C E – www.viennale.at)