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Little stories, big emotions
Finally, here we go again! The eagerly awaited Vienna Shorts 2025, Austria’s most important film festival dedicated to short films, is about to kick off. This year’s edition, which will take place from May 27 to June 1, 2025, is once again under the artistic direction of Daniel Hadenius-Ebner and once again presents a rich selection of live action, animated and documentary short films, including, of course, music videos and a special focus on young talents. In short, 374 films from 60 countries are ready to thrill and surprise us over the coming days.
Specifically, the Vienna Shorts 2025 will once again be divided into different sections, each with a particular focus. In this regard, particular attention should be paid to the main theme of this edition, which this year is entitled Rück näher: Radikale Intimität, inspired by the book of the same name by Sophie K. Rosas, and which focuses on the concepts of closeness and solidarity as an act of resistance at a time in history when, especially from a political point of view, we all seem to be dangerously distancing ourselves from one another. And what better medium than cinema could encourage us all to reflect on certain issues?
As for the short films competing at the Vienna Shorts 2025, there are four different sections. In the FIDO – Fiction & Documentary section, dedicated to international works, promising titles include Skin on Skin by Simon Schneckenburger, Camponliva by Alicia Moncholí, Common Pear by Gregor Bozic, Heartbeat by Jay Rosenblatt and Stephanie Rapp, and Through your Eyes by Nelson Yeo, just to name a few.
And what about animated films? The AA – Animation Avantgarde section is a must-see at the Vienna Shorts 2025, featuring a variety of colourful and visually captivating works, including titles such as A Round of Applause for Death by Stephen Irwin, Desk Bugs by Hakhyun Kim, Glass House by Boris Labbé and Moving Mountains by Jessica Poon, as well as the Austrian films Im Dickicht by Katharina Pichler, The Garden of Electric Delights by Billy Roisz and The Prologue by Marzieh Emadi and Sina Saadat.
And, of course, as usual, particular attention will also be paid to Austrian productions at the Vienna Shorts 2025. In this regard, the ÖW – Österreich Wettbewerb section is entirely dedicated to short films made in Austria over the last year, including Night of Passage by Reza Rasouli (which recently won the Best Short Feature Film Award at the Diagonale 2025), Ruletista by Lukas Valenta Rinner, Living Jewel by Simon Spitzer, World at Stake by the Total Refusal collective, At Home I feel like Leaving by Simon Maria Kubiena and Resonance by Katharina Bayer, just to name a few.
And if we add to all this the Portraits section, dedicated to specific filmmakers (including courageous Kurdwin Ayub), numerous live events, workshops and even a series of late-night screenings, we realise that this Vienna Shorts 2025 promises to be more exciting than ever. Ready for a new adventure? Some of Vienna’s best cinemas are ready to welcome us! And now let’s get comfortable, the show is about to begin…
