Press Release #4/21

Opening Films | Program Preview & Cooperations | Departure of Christine Dollhofer | YAAAS! Workshoprally & Youth Jury | GOLDEN BAG Display Window Contest

 
28.04.2021 // In not quite five weeks the eighteenth edition of CROSSING EUROPE Film Festival Linz that will take place from 1 to 6 June will get under way as an in-person film event (it goes without saying that we will comply to all rules and regulations in place concerning the prevention of the spread of the Covid-19 virus). In addition to this from 6 June to 6 July, ten selected European feature films and documentaries will be offered on the platform of our streaming partner KINO VOD CLUB as “Crossing Europe VOD Premieres”.

After months of intense preparation the complete program for CROSSING EUROPE 2021 has now been finalized and will offer audiences the possibility to go on a cinematographic exploration of Europe. We can already say that the virtual trip around Europe will include around 120 feature films and documentaries and will encompass 40 countries.

This year’s opening rally is headed up by Maria Schrader’s Berlinale festival entry ICH BIN DEIN MENSCH / I’M YOUR MAN, Tribute guest Ivan Ostrochovský will present his current work SLUŽOBNÍCI / SERVANTS as its Austrian premiere, and the documentary THE WIRE is exemplary for how Europe “actively” is closing its borders.  The world premiere SURVIVING GUSEN honors three survivors of the Nazi extermination camp in Gusen near Linz, and the Night Sight opener will be MANDIBULES / MANDIBLES, the newest work by chief absurdist Quentin Dupieux.

Three films deal with the interplay of politics and media, contemporary history, and society. HINTER DEN SCHLAGZEILEN accompanies journalists of the Süddeutsche Zeitung on their work on a hot story that unfolds into the “Ibiza Affair”. CROSSING EUROPE award winner Carlos Marques-Marcet returns with LA MORT DE GUILLEM, and the long-term observation NEMESIS by Thomas Imbach reflects upon the politics of migration and security, a.o. in Switzerland.

The Film Tour Ulrike Ottinger: PARIS CALLIGRAMMES will be presented by Crossing Europe, Österreichisches Filmmuseum and Diagonale. Together, Diagonale and CROSSING EUROPE will screen number of films as joint premieres due to their proximity. All in all, this encompasses ten films, that include the world premieres of two feature films: 2551.01 by Norbert Pfaffenbichler and MOTORCITY by Arthur Summereder.

Furthermore we want to announce a coming personnel change. Christine Dollhofer, who founded CROSSING EUROPE together with Wolfgang Steiniger in 2003 will relocate to Vienna in November 2021 and will head the Filmfonds Wien, the second largest Austrian film funding agency, and will therefore be handing over all agendas of CROSSING EUROPE after 18 years of successful work. The new festival director will be announced in the early autumn of 2021.

The DIY practical format YAAAS! Workshoprally will offer five practical workshops on a range of topics, such as camera, digital animation, props, and sound. Also we are happy to announce the five members of this year’s YAAAS! Youth Jury, who will select the winner of the competition section YAAAS! Competition. And the GOLDEN BAG Display Window Contest will be executed from 20 May to 6 June and create a special festival flair in all of Linz.

Comprehensive press release HERE: