From May 8 to 14, 2025, 53 long and short films from 33 production countries are on the program and show current international documentary film cinema. Among them are two world premieres, an international premiere, 26 premieres and 6 Vienna premieres. The films are accompanied by numerous film talks and a versatile supporting program to the festival focus.
www.ethnocineca.at
„With this year’s focus on Haunings, we focus on the documentary as an artistic practice, which relates the visible and invisible togetherness. The films of the program design counter -counts to history (s) of continuous violent interdependencies: They tell of war and persistent effects of colonialism, accompany people in dealing and resistance and commitment paths of collective healing. The lectures and discussions of the framework and mediation program also discuss and reflect on how the spirits of the past or fears of the future in the present can be experienced in film.“Marie-Christine Hartig and Martin Lintner (festival management)
As a prelude to the festival, the cultural anthropologist and film curator speaks Jacqueline Nsiah In her keynote “Hauntings: The unfinished Business of Colonialism”, How colonialism as an ongoing legacy influences our present and overshadow the future of people in Africa and African diaspora. In her speech, she asks central questions about the need for historical processing and the possibility of new future prospects. In addition, NSIAH curates an accompanying film program in Haunting, which also deals with the aftermath of colonial history and its cinematic processing.
Lecture, Thursday, May 8th, 6:30 p.m., Votive cinema, With free admission and in English.
The Austrian premiere of the documentary HOME GAME opens this year’s ethnoCineca And tells of lost homeland, social division and the attempt to find his place in between. Lidija Zelovic flees with her family from the Yugoslav war from Bosnia to the Netherlands. The experience of the family as war refugees and the growing up of their son in their new homeland accompanies them into the present with their camera. She experiences how right -wing populism and racist tensions again lead to a division of society and deny her and her family a feeling of belonging.
HOME GAME
Lidija Zelovic | Netherlands 2024 | 98 min. Dutch, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian with Engl. Subtitles. Austrian premiere: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 8 p.m., Votive cinema, Second demonstration: Saturday, May 10, 2025, 3 p.m., Kino de France. The film is shown in the presence of the filmmaker.
ethnoCineca competitions and award ceremony
The award ceremony will take place on May 14th. In Five competition categories 18 long films and 16 short films are nominated: for the best international long and short film of the festival (Ida or ISA), for the best Austrian feature film (ADA), for the best young film (Essa) and- as a homage to the roots of the EthnoCineca – for the best ethnographic film (Eva). The long film prices (Ida, Eva, ADA) are chosen by international juries, the short film competitors of ISA and Essa are chosen by the audience.
All information about the jury members and the competitions as well as the short descriptions of the nominated films can be found at www.ethnocineca.at/awards-2025/
Appointment overview
VVK: from April 24, 2025
Film program: 8.-14. May 2025 Votive Kino and Kino de France, fountain passage
Framework program: 9.-13. May 2025 Austrian Latin America Institute and Room
Opening: May 8th, Votive Kino | 18:30 Keynote by Jacqueline NSiah | 8:00 p.m. Opening film Home Game
Award ceremony: May 14th at 8:00 p.m., Votive cinema
Ticketinfos
Tickets can be bought directly in the cinema and online and by phone.
www.votivkino.at | Tel. No. 01/317 35 71
www.ethnocineca.at/ticketinfo/
All framework programs take place with free admission.
All information about the jury members and the competitions as well as the short descriptions of the nominated films can be found at www.ethnocineca.at/awards-2025/
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