VIFF Vienna Independent Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in July in Vienna , capital of Austria . The festival focuses on independent cinema.
History
The Vienna Independent Film Festival was held for the first time on 4–7 July 2016 in the cinemas UCI Kinowelt Millenium City and CineCenter. The festival program consisted of 38 films from 14 countries in international competition.
Opening film of the festival was God of Happiness by Dito Tsintsadze who won the Best Director award.
Grand Prix of the festival – The Golden Sphinx – was awarded to the Konkani film Let's dance to the rhythm directed by Bardroy Barretto.
Graham Streeter received the Best Feature Film award for his film Imperfect Sky .
The award for Best Documentary Film was awarded to Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust narrated by Adrien Brody and directed by Lance Shultz.
Winners
2023 Best Actor award winner Wolfgang Cerny at the festival
2023
[1]
Grand Prix
The Whirlpool — Directed by Denis KryuchkovBest Feature Film
Best Short Film Director
Deirdre Lorenz — Return to New York Best Feature Film
Best Original Screenplay
8-Ball — Original Screenplay by Adrien MarquetBest Short Film
Best Documentary Film
My Two Lives — Directed by Sarita GoldBest Experimental Film
Little Planet 7406 — Directed by Goran Šporčić Best Song
Fearless — Music by J Edna MaeBest Music Video
Best Actor
Best Art Direction
An Occurrence — Directed by Dien Vo Best Editing
Touching Moon — Edited by Sophia LiuBest Cinematography
La Pietra — Cinematography by Michael BradleyBest Film Score
W — Film Score by Anna ErikssonBest Unproduced Script
2022
[2]
Grand Prix
Playing Through – directed by Balbinka KorzeniowskaBest Feature Film
Playing Through – directed by Balbinka KorzeniowskaBest Director
Balbinka Korzeniowska – Playing Through Best Short Film
Živa (The Death of the Goddess Živa) – directed by Nataša StearnsBest Music video
Frozen Heart – directed by Nina GusevaBest Documentary Film
Ballymanus – directed by Patrick Sharkey, Séan DoupeBest Experimental Film
Blue Delusion – directed by Guan FangBest Musical Film
Best Comedy Film
Hot Mess by Evelyne TollmanBest Animated Film
Me and My Winter Games-Perfect Holiday – directed by Haoling Lee, Ming Zhong, Zhe Zhang, Liwen WangBest Actress
Julia Rae – Playing Through Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Film Score
Long Flat Balls “Broken Promises” – music by Zach RobinsonBest Song
Molly’s Rainbow – by Katie HardymanBest Cinematography
Other Side of the Mountain – directed by Markus OtzBest Screenplay
JIZO-Evangelist – written and directed by Tokoroten NakamuraBest Art Direction
The Violin and its Shadow – directed by Greg BabalasBest Unproduced Script
The Faerie Rings – written by Zina BrownHonorary Mention for Social Impact
Change of Course – directed by Andreas Ortner[4]
2020
Grand Prix
Grand Cancan — Directed by Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov[5] Best Feature Film
Best Director
Great Poetry (Aleksandr Lungin)Best Original Screenplay
Best Short Film
To Her — Directed by Jacopo ArdolinoBest Documentary Film
Armenia(s), Time for Artists — Directed by Anahit Dasseux Ter Mesropian and David Vital-DurandBest Experimental Film
Our Turn — Directed by Martiros VartanovBest Music Video
Champagne Drag Queen — Directed by Anna HaslehnerBest Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Cinematography
Grand Cancan — Cinematography by Dmitriy Ulyukaev
2019
Grand Prix
Best Feature Film
Best Director
Doing Money (Lynsey Miller)Best Original Screenplay
Murder on the Road to Kathmandu — Original Screenplay by Rupalee VermaBest Short Film
Best Documentary Film
Three Scenes of a Wedding — Directed by Jason ToveyBest Experimental Film
Fragmented Dreams — Directed by Tonatiuh GarciaBest Music Video
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Art Direction
The Lossen — Directed Colin SkevingtonBest Cinematography
M — Cinematography by Matti PyykköBest Film Score
2018
Grand Prix
Best Feature Film
NO-ONE — Directed by Lev Prudkin, Vladimir PrudkinBest Director
I May Regret (Graham Streeter)Best Original Screenplay
Rosemarie — Original Screenplay by Adonis FloridisBest Short Film
Father of the Man — Directed by Tommy CreaghBest Documentary Film
Ballad of a Righteous Merchant — Directed by Herbert GolderBest Experimental Film
Ghosts on the Road to Camalt — Directed by Jason ToveyBest Music Video
The Sea — Directed by Hisanori TsukudaBest Actor
Best Cinematography
NO-ONE — Cinematography by Ziv Berkovich, David StragmeisterSpecial Jury Prize
Krieg — Directed by Jeff Fry
2017
Grand Prix (The Golden Sphinx)
Best Feature Film
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Million Loves in Me — Original Screenplay by John Yiu, Tiong Wooi LIM, Jeremy TanBest Short Film
Forgiveness — Directed by Rima IraniBest Documentary Film
Best Experimental Film
Best Music Video
Nara - alt-J — Directed by Jasmin Selen HeinzBest Actor
John Yiu (Million Loves in Me ) Best Supporting Actor
Best Art Direction
Bodyguard — Directed by Ebrahim HatamikiaBest Cinematography
Platonov — Cinematography by Felix Cramer
2016
Grand Prix (The Golden Sphinx)
Best Feature Film
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
The Closer — Original Screenplay by Eli Hershko & Isaac BroynBest Short Film
After Truth — Directed by Nicolas EhretBest Animated Film
Best Documentary Film
Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust — Directed by Lance Shultz[10] [11] [12] Best Experimental Film
The Calling — Directed by Chris BoydBest Music Film
Best Music Video
Best Actor
Blake Lewis (Imperfect Sky ) Best Supporting Actor
Robert Berlin (The Closer ) Best Art Direction
After Truth — Directed by Nicolas Ehret
Let's Dance to the Rhythm — Directed by Bardroy BarrettoBest Cinematography
God of Happiness — Cinematography by Ralf M. Mendle
Director Graham Streeter and producer Alex Lebosq presenting their film "Imperfect Sky" at the VIFF 2016
Director Bardroy Barretto receiving his Grand Prix for the film "Let's dance to the Rhythm" at the VIFF 2016
Fashion designer
La Hong Nhut and director Rima Irani at the VIFF 2017
Director Sarah Scherer presenting her film "Golden Shot" at the VIFF 2017
Actor John Yiu and producer Kenny Chan presenting their film "Million Loves in Me" at the VIFF 2017
Director
Andreas Morell and cinematographer Felix Cramer presenting their film "Platonov" at the VIFF 2017