With 32,900 visitors, unbroken interest in the Diagonale’19 became manifest in renewed audience growth (figures do not include the exhibitions in the accompanying program and the 356 visitors to the staging at the Schauspielhaus Graz). Embedded in the heavily frequented festival district between the Kunsthaus Graz and the newly established Club Diagonale at p.p.c., the festival positioned itself once again as a hub of diverse opinions, offering stimulus for continuing discussions – inspired by individual films and arising between the individual events in the diverse accompanying program. Building from the postulated (self-critical) doubt in 2016, emphatic curiosity in 2017, and plea for empathy in 2018, in their opening speech the director duo Sebastian Höglinger and Peter Schernhuber argued for the fine distinctions, taking a second look, and a view to details: for the precision that they recognize in the cinema, on the screen, and in the films of this year’s Diagonale.
“Festivals can create special moments and unanticipated films, but also bring together guests. That happened this week. When works from Austria’s most flourishing niches fill the theaters, it’s Diagonale time. When renowned directors as well as emerging talents and local cinema mavericks speak with the audience as equals about film, then a lot has already gone right. The highly anticipated premiere of Die Kinder der Toten was a project that undeniably brought together all of these aspects. Pavol Liška and Kelly Copper traveled here extra to present their film to the audience together with a great number of the participating amateur actors. The US meets Styria. Cinema meets audience.”
— Sebastian Höglinger and Peter Schernhuber
The Diagonale im Dialog series, supported by the main sponsor, Steiermärkische Sparkasse, enables encounters with key figures in (local) filmmaking – present as guests for extensive talks were, among others: Emily Atef, Gerda Lampalzer-Oppermann, Hanno Pöschl, Peter Simonischek, Carolina Steinbrecher, Christiana Perschon, Heinz Trenczak, Mirjam Unger, and Ludwig Wüst.
Not only the many eagerly awaited cinema premieres – including several world premieres – turned out to be box-office successes. The films shown in the year’s retrospective were also well received, which was due, no least, to the presence of many of the directors at the screenings – Sudabeh Mortezai, Markus Schleinzer, Werner Boote, Reinhold Bilgeri, and others. The accompanying program and the buzzing festival district also enjoyed great popularity.
“We would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s Diagonale and let themselves enter a positive exceptional state for the week. The Diagonale has once again shown what’s possible when filmmakers, cinemas, and archives combine forces: in a city that welcomes this festival and its guests with open arms. A show of appreciation that begins with decorated displays and ends with packed movie theaters.”
— Sebastian Höglinger and Peter Schernhuber
Over six days, the Diagonale’19 presented a total of 180 recent and historical films and videos in the framework of 143 screenings in four festival cinemas and the Helmut List Halle. The competition comprised 112 films and was compiled from a total of roughly 500 submissions in all lengths and genres. In the context of the Diagonale’19 competitions, 71 films celebrated their premiere, 43 of them their world premiere. As is traditional, a majority of the directors were personally present at the screenings and accompanying film talks.
One highlight was the Spotlight on series devoted to the exceptional Viennese actor Hanno Pöschl, who personally accompanied all of the contributions and in doing so, met with companions such as Götz Spielmann and Xaver Schwarzenberger. Following along the biography of the charismatic acting personality, the film program and in-depth talks provided the opportunity to think about Austria’s more recent film history. The historical special – in cooperation with Filmarchiv Austria, the Austrian Film Museum, and the ORF Archive – was devoted in 2019 to the representation and narration of feminity(ies) in Austrian film. Starting from an essay by the author Michelle Koch and film journalist Alexandra Zawia, the Diagonale invited ten-plus personalities familiar with Austrian film to react to the presented essay, each in their own program slot.
The In Reference series once again illustrated intersections. This year, too, it searched for specific lines and placed parentheses and footnotes in the festival program. Local filmmaking, for its part, was interconnected with itself and with international positions. With the tribute Theater, Cinema, Wood and in a first-time cooperation with the Schauspielhaus Graz, the Diagonale’19 traced the diverse oeuvre of the veritable exceptional phenomenon Ludwig Wüst. Against the backdrop of the multifaceted film program and the hands-on wood lecture, especially notable was the highly praised premiere of the Wüst staging of Fräulein Julie at Schauspielhaus Graz on March 21.
In the context of the Diagonale, prizes valued at a total of more than € 185,000 were awarded to filmmakers. 17 film prizes were awarded at the festive awards ceremony on March 23, including the Grand Diagonale Prizes of the Province of Styria for the festival’s best feature and best cinema documentary, each endowed with € 21,000, as well as the Diagonale Prize for Innovative Cinema from the City of Graz.
In addition to the main prizes, high-ranking, international juries awarded honors for outstanding achievements in the areas of acting, cinematography, editing, production, and costume design, as well as sound design. On Saturday morning, the Kodak Analogue Film Prize was awarded for the first time – to the camera woman Leena Koppe. Honored as best Austrian feature film was Sara Fattahi’s sensitively composed film essay Chaos. Maintaining a constant skepticism regarding presentability, Fattahi’s Chaos tells the stories of three women from Damascus who have to deal with the repercussions of traumatic war events. The Grand Diagonale Prize Documentary Film went to The Remains – Nach der Odyssee by Nathalie Borgers who in calm shots carefully approached the dying in the Mediterranean. The Diagonale Prize Innovative Cinema went to Jennifer Mattes for Wreckage takes a holiday, which by means of props from pop culture, art and film history, acquiesces to a maritime cosmos. The Diagonale Acting Prize in cooperation with the VdFS went to Joy Alphonsus for her “razor-sharp presence” in JOY and to Simon Frühwirth for his penetrating performance in the vibrant NEVRLAND.
The Kleine Zeitung Audience Prize was awarded on Sunday evening to GEHÖRT, GESEHEN – Ein Radiofilm by Jakob Brossmann and David Paede. In it, the director duo looks behind the scenes of one of the largest cultural radio stations in Europe, Ö1, and traces the current challenges of making radio in an era in which public media is under pressure from various sides.
Already at the opening, Birgit Minichmayr was honored with the Grand Diagonale Acting Prize in the form of an artwork by the artist Ashley Hans Scheirl for her contribution to Austrian film culture.
The Franz Grabner Prize in the categories cinema and television documentary were awarded for the third time. The award in the television documentary category went to Karin Berghammer and Krisztina Kerekes for Leben für den Tod – Menschen am Zentralfriedhof. The award for best cinema documentary went to Waldheims Walzer by Ruth Beckermann. The Carl Mayer and Thomas Pluch Screenwriting Prizes were also awarded in Graz.
Available here is a folder with all prizes and prize winners from the Diagonale’19 for download.
We thank you for your great interest and are looking forward to seeing you again at the Diagonale’20 in Graz. The festival will take place from March 17 to 22, 2020.
Nice that you were here!
Your Diagonale press team
Matthias K. Heschl
Dewi K. Kostial
Samira Saad
Ece Isil Sahin
Download photos and film stills
Download press material
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Diagonale
Festival des
österreichischen Films
Festival of
Austrian Film
Graz, 19.—24.
März 2019
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Büro Wien
Rechnungsadresse
Billing Address
Forum österreichischer Film
Rauhensteingasse 5/5
1010 Wien, Austria
T +43 (0) 1 595 45 56
F +43 (0) 1 595 45 56-10
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Büro Graz
c/o Hotel Weitzer
Grieskai 12–16
8020 Graz, Austria
T +43 (0) 316 82 28 18
F +43 (0) 316 82 28 18-10
office@diagonale.at
www.diagonale.at
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