"There are a total of 42 world premieres in the program of CROSSING EUROPE, a festival that speaks of its films in terms of positions – of cinema, on entertainment, on the state of Europe today. CROSSING EUROPE itself takes the position of mediating the interlocking of the local and the international."
Die Furche // Thomas Taborsky
From the beginning, CROSSING EUROPE has been dedicated to the idea of accessibly presenting sophisticated European filmmaking here in Linz, and to offer international and local networking along with the possibility of direct exchange with the filmmakers present from all over Europe. In 2015 the festival audience again took over the festival locations for six days – turning the OK Platz into the vibrant hot spot of the city at the same time.
The rise in the number of visitors was already evident on the first day of the festival, and there was no break in the enthusiasm of the festival audience in Linz for contemporary auteur cinema from Europe.
A total of 160 selected feature films, documentaries and short films from 45 different countries (109 of them premieres) were presented in the mostly sold-out cinemas, around 700 professionals from Austria and abroad – including roughly 160 film guests – were counted. Almost 22.000 festival guests and film and music enthusiasts attended the film screenings, exhibitions, talks and the nightline of the festival. This means that CROSSING EUROPE this year has broken last year’s record (20.000).
The cinephile highlight was undoubtedly this year’s Tribute, which was devoted to the acclaimed and award-winning director Sergei Loznitsa, who presented a total of 18 films – largely Austrian premieres – in person during CROSSING EUROPE and held a masterclass for a full house. The presence of many international film guests was altogether conspicuous this year, and like the local filmmakers they engaged with the audience in film discussions.
Audience number: 22.000
Films: 160
World premieres: 42
Countries of origin: 45
Film guests: 150
Award winners 2015: HERE
Jury 2015: HERE
Film archive 2015: HERE
Tribute 2015: HERE
