ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA commits to deepening Sino-Austrian cooperation in the film & TV industry

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA has been promoting the Austrian creative industry as well as the film and TV sector for years. The main objective is to support companies and organizations in establishing valuable contacts for future cross-border cooperation. Chinese and Austrian players have already completed first successful examples of joint projects in the film sector. However, the potential of the challenging growth market is far from being exhausted for Sino-Austrian cooperation. The teams of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA in Shanghai and in Vienna have therefore decided to focus on the film and TV industry in China over the next one and a half year.

This new work program and the cooperation agreement between ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA and Bridging the Dragon, a network for the promotion of Sino-European film partnerships, kicked off officially in Vienna this November. Watch out for an ambitious program, including a mix of online and offline eventsover the next few months in cooperation with the well-connected partner. This 1.5 year action program is  part of go-international, a joint initiative of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. 

On November 16, 2021 representatives from relevant authorities, location agencies and production companies gathered at the Schikaneder Cinema, one of the oldest cinemas in Vienna, for the kick-off event. A total of 30 professionals from the film industry witnessed the signing of the comprehensive cooperation agreement between ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA and Bridging the Dragon. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Patrick Sagmeister, Deputy Head of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, and Marc Baschet, President of Bridging the Dragon.

Reanne Leuning, Program Manager Creative Industries ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA, and Christina Schösser, Head of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Shanghai (via live-streaming), presented the market potential and the working program. Cristiano Bortone, Managing Director, and Fan Zhang, Project Manager Beijing – both Bridging the Dragon – shared their insight in the Chinese market and  cooperation opportunities. Melani Murkovic, Cultural Officerat the Austrian Consulate General Shanghai informed about her experiences with Austrian films in China. The event was completed by a lively panel discussion followed by an inspiring round of knowledge sharing with the audience including Dinah Czezik-Mueller, COO / Executive Producer and Michael Frenschkowski, Head of Features & Special Projects, both Terra Mater Factual Studios.

Each year, around 20 film festivals are held in Austria. Among these events, the Viennale in the capital in Vienna is the largest and most well-known one. Since it was established in 1963, it has attracted more than 80,000 visitors every year. The program includes a mix of documentaries, art house films and debuts for young directors. The frequent activities in the film industry attract more and more professionals to gather in Austria to interact, exchange and develop projects together. Today, the Austrian film industry counts more than 2,300 companies.

International film professional are attracted by Austria’s favorable environment too: the spectacular landscape of the Alps, the unique historic architecture in Vienna and Salzburg or the possibilities of shooting extreme sport scenes. A combination of this setting with a perfect infrastructure, highly-skilled producers and outstanding technology provides the perfect environment for international production companies. The most famous film shot in Austria might probably be The Sound of Music (1965), starring Julie Andrews. Further films such as Sissi (1955), James Bond: Spectre (2015), Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015), etc. are well-known to Chinese audiences as well. 

And do not forget: there are already some successful Sino-Austrian film projects. “Am anderen Ende der Brücke” (in Chinese 芬妮的微笑), which was shot in 2001/02 in Huangshan/China and in the Alps, or “Stars in the Winter Sky” (in Chinese 爱的雪翼), which was shot in 2015 in Ötztal/Tyrol and in China are just two examples. Still, there is a huge potential to further develop the cooperation between Chinese and Austrian film companies and professionals. ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA together with Bridging the Dragon, will help all interested partners to explore those opportunities further!

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Shanghai supports film companies from China and Austrian to connect and cooperate in all possible ways. Anyone who would like to explore business opportunities with Austrian companies in the film & TV industry, please contact ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Shanghai at shanghai@advantageaustria.org.