LFF and Austrian cinema
by Annika Pham
To reflect the current critical success of Austrian filmmaking, the London Film Festival (LFF) is presenting a small selection of Austrian films in its Cinema Europa section, and tonight (November 3rd) it’s organising a special event dedicated to Austrian cinema.
”Austrian cinema: co-operative filmmaking and National identity”is the title of tonight’s panel discussion, which will explore Austrian cinema, co-operative filmmaking, political cinema, film exhibition and music in film.
Time Out magazine’s key film critic, Geoff Andrew will chair the discussion between Anne Laurent from the Austrian Film Commission, and Austrian directors Barbara Albert and Ruth Mader, who both have their films screened at the Festival.
Albert’s Free Radicals is her second feature, following her acclaimed Nordrand in 1999. The Austrian-German/Swiss co-production is nominated for the FIPRESCI Award, which will be announced on the closing gala night of the LFF on November 6th.
Mader’s Struggle
(co-written by Barbara Albert) is her feature film debut. Selected at Un Certain Regard at the last Cannes Film Festival, the film received rave reviews and Aleksandra Justa’s fine performance in particular was applauded by the critics. The film is nominated for the LFF’s Sutherland Trophy given to the maker of the most original and imaginative first feature.
The third Austrian film screening at the LFF is Jesus, You Know by Ulrich Seidl, who earned an international reputation with his film Dog Days.
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