The International Press Institute (IPI) has partnered with Austria’s largest short film festival – the annual Vienna Independent Shorts (VIS) Festival for Short Film, Animation & Music Video – to present two post-screening discussions on films examining freedom and environmental issues.
The Festival, now in its 13th year, will present over 400 Austrian and international short films from May 25 to 31, 2016 under the theme “Fear Is Not an Option”. The two discussions will be presented in English on May 26 and 27 at Vienna’s Stadtkino im Künstlerhaus (Akademiestraße 13, 1010).
The first discussion, part of the session “Looking for Freedom, Seven Filmic Freedom Fantasies”, is set for 9:30 p.m. on May 26 and will examine human freedom amid financial crises, capitalism and surveillance cameras. Following the screening, Wiener Zeitung Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Director of International News Thomas Seifert – who has reported on conflicts in Southeast Europe, Central Africa, Chechnya and the Middle East – will join Israeli filmmaker Or Bar-El and IPI Director of Press Freedom Programmes Scott Griffen to speak about the cost of freedom in a world where journalists are imprisoned for their work and media outlets are shut down by restrictive governments.
Eight short films will be shown during the second session, “The Heat Is On, Our Planet 30 Years After Chernobyl”, set for 7:00 p.m. on May 27. Environmental journalist Jonathan Tirone of Bloomberg will then speak with IPI Outreach & Engagement Manager Silvia Morales about the challenges of achieving true transparency in information when talking about sensitive environmental issues. The discussion is being presented with the support of Atomic Reporters.
Tickets to screenings are available starting today at the cost of €8.50 (€4.50 for those 18 years old or younger). Reduced tickets of €7 are available for students, members of the O1 Club and the Austrian Film Archive, and holders of the MQ Card, a Festival Pass or a mumok annual ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at viennashorts.com or at the respective venues (except Gartenbaukino).
Since its founding in 2004, the VIS has annually presented a selection of Austrian and international short films with a maximum length of 30 minutes, including short feature films and documentaries as well as animation and experimental films both in competitions and special programs. The VIS is the only Academy Award qualifying festival in Austria and it seeks to support short films of all kinds by bringing international professionals together to interact with one another and an audience.
The Vienna-based IPI is a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists dedicated to furthering and safeguarding press freedom, promoting the free flow of news and information, and improving the practices of journalism. Founded on the belief that a free press would contribute to the creation of a better world, IPI today includes members in more than 100 countries and holds consultative status with the U.N. and the Council of Europe.
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Media Contacts
Silvia Morales
IPI Outreach & Engagement Manager
+ 43 1 512 9011
smorales(at)freemedia(dot)at
For more information about IPI’s post-screening discussions at the VIS, please contact Silvia Morales, IPI Outreach & Engagement Manager, at +43 1 512 9011 or at smorales(at)freemedia(dot)at or click here.
For more information about media accreditation to cover the VIS, contact the VIS Communication Team, presse(at)viennashorts(dot)com.
Social Media Information
Facebook Event Page (May 26): ‘Looking for Freedom’ at the VIS Short Film Festival
Facebook Event Page (May 27): ‘The Heat Is On’ at the VIS Short Film Festival
Follow on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtags #FearIsNotAnOption and #ViennaShorts
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