Austrian Film Prize: Gala of Solidarity after the Graz Tragedy

Austrian Film Prize: Gala of Solidarity after the Graz Tragedy

On June 12, 2025, the Austrian film industry waited with bated breath in the hq7 studios in Simmering for the awarding of the renowned Austrian film awards. Moderated by Stefanie Reinsperger and Philipp Hansa, the gala began in a serious tone: After a tragic shooting spree in Graz, a minute's silence was observed while a lettering with the word "Graz" and a white heart flickered across the screen. The event sent a strong signal of solidarity and cohesion in difficult times, although the traditional after-show party had to be canceled due to the incident Small newspaper reported.

The gala honored the creators of films that brought different realities of life to the fore. A special spotlight was shed on Mo Harawe's debut film "Village Next to Paradise", which won all five categories for which it was nominated. These awards included: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography and Best Casting, as well courier held on. Harawe's humble acceptance speech highlighted the teamwork behind the film and visibly moved those in attendance.

Excellent services

The awards for the best leading roles went to the impressive Birgit Minichmayr for “Sleeping with a Tiger” and the celebrated Albrecht Schuch for “Peacock – Am I Real?”, while Gerti Drassl also took home awards in the best supporting actress category for “Gina” and Thomas Schubert for “Andrea Gets a Divorce”. Ruth Beckermann's "Favoriten" secured the award for best documentary, and the audience award went to "80 Plus," the gala organizers reported.

There was a shadow over the evening as Kurdwin Ayub's film “Moon” came away empty-handed despite eight nominations. Arash T. Riahi, Co-President of the Austrian Film Academy, used the platform to educate participants about the difficulties the film industry is currently experiencing due to austerity announcements. He called for a dialogue with the federal government in order to maintain a tax incentive model and ensure the industry's attractive growth.

A look at the current film world

A look at the numbers shows the upswing in the Austrian film industry: In 2023, around 115 million euros were invested in film funding, an increase of 30.5% compared to the previous year. Funding expenditure for film production climbed to around 86.8 million euros, which represents a boost for the industry. 11.7 million movie tickets were sold, an increase of 16.8% compared to 2022, like that Film Institute clarified. The market share of Austrian films also reached its highest level since 2004 at 8.1%.

With 440 films produced and over 350 premieres, the Austrian film industry is on the right track. Ultimately, cinematic diversity offers space for all voices and stories that cinema has to offer - and this was once again impressively demonstrated this evening in Simmering. The Oscars-like evening was a sign that the love of film remains strong despite all odds.