Vienna Film Festival to Celebrate Anniversary with "High-Caliber Productions"
Vienna will host the Film Festival right in front of the City Hall for the 30th time this year. After months of restrictions and numerous cancelled events, the City of Vienna plans a Film Festival that will try to go above and beyond.
The Film Festival at Vienna's Rathausplatz will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2021. / Picture: © stadt wien marketing gmbH / Film Festival auf dem Wiener Rathausplatz
From July 3 to September 4, Vienna's Rathausplatz will turn once again to a cinema. The Film Festival at Rathausplatz will take place for the 30th time this year.
According to a press release by the City of Vienna, for three decades the Film Festival on Vienna's Rathausplatz has been standing for joy of life, social gathering and enjoyment on a high level. What has been missing in the past months may now finally be lived again - and almost without restrictions. Between July 3 and September 4, 2021, visitors will once again have the opportunity to experience selected music films with free admission and enjoy culinary delights in the open air.
After the comprehensive opening steps announced by the Austrian federal government for the event area as of July 1, the team behind the festival is adapting the concept. The details will be announced shortly.
After the long period of abandonment, guests will be treated to high-caliber productions and crowd-pleasers from a wide variety of genres in the arts. On its round birthday, the festival offers a program of superlatives and promises a summer like the one back then on Vienna's City Hall Square.
Mayor Michael Ludwig looks forward to the popular summer event on his doorstep: "Exactly thirty years ago, this unique event took place for the first time. Since then, it has taken the hearts of the Viennese and guests from Austria and abroad by storm and is an absolute fixture in the event calendar. Because the Film Festival on Vienna's Rathausplatz stands for pure joie de vivre like hardly any other festival. And after the long months of deprivation, this is more important than ever," Ludwig emphasized.
Peter Hanke, City Councillor for Economic Affairs, who has always enjoyed being a guest at the Film Festival on Rathausplatz, is also pleased: "The privations of the last few months have had an effect and we are now finally facing a much more joyful summer than the last one. Celebrating together is possible again and also the Film Festival on Vienna's Rathausplatz - a must-attend event in Vienna's summer program - can take place as usual. We can all look forward to this Viennese event highlight," said Hanke.
In addition to top-class operas such as La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Così fan tutte and Turandot, this year there will be numerous concert recordings of pop greats to experience at the Rathausplatz: David Bowie, Alicia Keys and Anastacia are part of the program, as are Shakira, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera.
Classical music, dance, jazz, world music and musicals are also duly represented at the Film Festival 2021. Home productions by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Volkstheater, Salzburg Festival and Seefestspiele Mörbisch round out the program.
The entire program can be found at www.filmfestival-rathausplatz.at.