Great Freedom

Andrea, a small-town policewoman, has decided to move on from her unhappy marriage with the help of a transfer to a higher position in the police department of the next bigger city. As she drives home after a birthday party, she has no chance of stopping when her not-yet-divorced husband suddenly appears in front of her car, drunk. Unable to break, she runs him over and kills him. In a state of shock, Andrea flees the scene. Still, that night, being called to duty as the local police officer to the crime scene, she discovers to her horror that someone else has accepted responsibility for the accident: Franz, a religion teacher and recovered alcoholic, is convinced that he ran over the victim, and so is everyone else in the village. While Franz starts drinking again, Andrea applies herself to the task of eliminating all traces of her guilt... In his second feature film, Josef Hader blends humour with melancholy as he takes a look at sad, drunken men and a woman with a plan.

Richie Bravo, once a celebrated «Schlager» star, is chasing his faded fame in wintry Rimini. Lost between permanent intoxication and concerts in front of bus tourists, his world begins to collapse when his adult daughter suddenly turns up. She wants money from him that he doesn't have.

Empress Elizabeth of Austria is idolized for her beauty and renowned for inspiring fashion trends. But in 1877, "Sissi" celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image by lacing her corset tighter and tighter. While Elizabeth’s role has been reduced against her wishes to purely performative, her hunger for knowledge and zest for life makes her more and more restless in Vienna. She travels to England and Bavaria, visiting former lovers and old friends, seeking the excitement and purpose of her youth. With a future of strictly ceremonial duties laid out in front of her, Elizabeth rebels against the hyperbolised image of herself and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy. A bold and timely reflection on a woman’s worth and agency in 19th century Europe, that pulls back the curtain on Empress Elizabeth (Vicky Krieps), revealing the modern aspirations and darkest secrets of this disruptive early influencer. Directed by Marie Kreutzer ("The Ground Beneath my Feet", Berlin 2019 Competition).

In the spring of 1912, Alma Mahler (Emily Cox), grande dame of Viennese society and newly widowed, embarks on an affair with the "enfant terrible" of the Viennese art scene, Oskar Kokoschka (Valentin Postlmayr). A passion erupts that threatens their very existence. Director Dieter Berner focuses on two icons of the early 20th century art world and and uses powerful images to tell the story of Alma Mahler's passionate affair with Oskar Kokoschka, the intensity of which takes the two eccentric artists to their limits and threatens their very existence.

Franz is by far the smallest in the class, has blond ringlets and gets a high-pitched squeaky voice when he gets upset. Luckily, two best friends help: Gabi and Eberhard. When Franz discovers Hank Haberer's "10 rules for a real man" for himself one day, turbulence is inevitable and the friendship of the three gets into trouble.

This documentary portrays one of the most important museums in the world, Vienna’s Museum of Art History. An extensive look behind the scenes at this fascinating institution employs a number of charismatic protagonists and the varied routine there to show us the museum’s special world.

Ewald moved to Rumania years ago. Now in his 40s, he seeks a fresh start. Leaving his girlfriend, he moves to the hinterland. With young boys from the area, he transforms a decaying school into a fortress. The children enjoy a new, carefree existence. But the distrust of the villagers is soon awoken. And Ewald is forced to confront a truth he has long suppressed. Sparta is the brother film to Rimini, and the conclusion of Ulrich Seidl's diptych about the inescapability of the past and the pain of finding yourself.

A small problem can get out of hand very quickly. Franz, our ten-year-old hero, knows this only too well, as the sworn trio's peace is in trouble: Gabi and Eberhard are constantly at each other's throats - and Franz stands between them. But friendship based on separate schedules doesn't work, because a shared vacation is only half a vacation. The strongest bond is supposedly a common enemy and so Franz persuades the others to work together to solve the burglaries that are keeping Vienna in suspense. The main suspect is the overly strict neighbor Mrs. Berger, who has been behaving very dubiously lately. Things come to light that nobody expected, but in the end, everyone's hearts are lifted... and even the burglar is caught. "Neue Geschichten vom Franz" is the sequel to Christine Nöstlinger's film adaptation of the book series of the same name. The Franz stories showcase Nöstlinger's great writing skills, her wit and heart. She is always an ally to the children, and the parents reading to them also appreciate this - after all, everyone started out small.

Waste on the shores, waste on the mountains. On ocean floors and deep down in the earth. The term “matter out of place” refers to objects in a place they originally do not belong to. And there are many such objects in the places Nikolaus Geyrhalter visits for this film. In his unique imagery consisting of minutely composed pictures, the director traces immense amounts of waste across our planet. From the mountain tops of Switzerland to the coasts of Greece and Albania, into an Austrian refuse incinerator and then to Nepal and the Maldives, and finally to the deserts of Nevada. "Matter Out of Place" is about human-made refuse, which is surrounding us all the time everywhere. On his journey, Geyrhalter illustrates the sheer endless struggle of people to gain control over the vast amounts of waste that we produce every single day. Collecting, shredding, burning, burying – a Sisyphean task, which ostensibly solves the global problem of rubbish that is stealthily growing.