VIFF Vienna Independent Film Festival invites filmmakers from all over the world to submit their films to their international film festival which takes place in Vienna.  The goal of our festival is to find new talented filmmakers who will be able to approach the heights of cinematography created by geniuses like Antonioni, Fellini, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Visconti, Godard. Now, when the whole world has a tendency towards commercialization, they appreciate free spirit, new ideas an independent point of view and new approaches. Not the budget of the film but solely talent should be the criteria for the film’s success.

http://www.vienna-film-festival.com/

Interview with Festival Director Elena Ringo

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Elena Ringo: VIFF 2016 – Vienna Independent Film Festival took place for the first time in July and it laid the foundation for the future. There were 38 films screened at the festival, almost all of them were Austrian premieres and the films were introduced to a varied audience. The participants had a lot of opportunities for networking and have received exposure via social media and press coverage.

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

ER: Our festival took place in July 2016 and now we are preparing for the next edition.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

ER: We value artistic quality of the films, independent point of view, cinematographic innovations and appreciate auteur cinema. Many films were directed, produced, shot and written by the directors themselves and the films were often based on real stories and personal experiences which brings truth to the films and makes the films more authentic and believable.

For example, the film Imperfect Sky which received the award for Best Feature Film, was written, directed and shot by Graham Streeter and was based on true events. Another interesting film which received the Grand Prix – Let’s Dance to the Rhythm was written, directed and edited by Bardroy Barretto and tells the story of real jazz musicians from Goa.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

ER: I think that when festivals are very well-known they receive an enormous volume of submissions and very limited number of people actually select them on the first stage so many films are not noticed at all. Also, many festivals are more interested in big names rather than discovering new talents and do not want to take any risks.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

ER: I hope that our festival will become a bigger event but will still preserve our main principles; independence, artistic quality, lack of political motivation and no discrimination against any genre or countries.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

ER: I hope that our festival will become a bigger event but will still preserve our main principles; independence, artistic quality, lack of political motivation and no discrimination against any genre or countries.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

ER: The Mirror by Andrei Tarkovsky. This is a film which you can watch many times and every time discover something new.

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

ER: Artistic vision and deep ideas make a great film.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

ER: There are many cinemas and film lovers in Vienna. There are several film schools and there is a demand for more festivals in this cultural center.

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Fesival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go tohttp://www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.