Golden Medal of Merit of the State of Vienna for Marijana Stoisits

Passion for film: Marijana Stoisits awarded the Golden Medal of Merit of the State of Vienna
To mark the 15th anniversary of the Vienna Film Commission, Mayor Michael Ludwig honored its managing director at a celebration at the Wien Museum
Vienna (OTS) – The 15-year history of the Vienna Film Commission (VFC), the central contact point for filming in Vienna, is a history of success for Vienna as a film location. Numerous international shoots have taken place in Vienna, from the US action films “Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation” and “Tyler Rake: Extraction” to the recently launched satire series “The Regime”, which was filmed last year in Schönbrunn Palace, among other locations: Hollywood has recognized how well you can film in Vienna. Reason enough for the Vienna Film Commission to celebrate this anniversary.

The birthday party at the Wien Museum provided the perfect setting for Vienna Film Commission Managing Director Marijana Stoisits to be honored by the Mayor and Governor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig. Ludwig presented the cultural manager with the Golden Medal of Merit of the State of Vienna in the presence of the film industry and numerous artists, her family and the honoree’s team.

Ludwig: Stoisits is jointly responsible for the excellent reputation of Vienna as a film city
“Today, the Vienna Film Commission is a central and reliable point of contact for national and international filmmakers. It is an established communication interface that makes it possible for film material and thus moving images from the cultural metropolis of Vienna to find their way onto cinema screens around the world,” emphasized the mayor in his speech. “For 15 years, the Vienna Film Commission’s expertise has been in skillfully combining the two poles – culture and business. Above all, I would like to thank Marijana Stoisits, who has always been ready to master challenges and solve problems behind the scenes since the VFC was founded and who is therefore jointly responsible for the excellent reputation of Vienna as a film city. Congratulations to her!”

Kaup-Hasler: Commitment, passion and love for people inextricably linked to success
In her laudatory speech, City Councillor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler emphasized how inseparable Marijana Stoisit’s commitment and passion for the cause, as well as her love of working with the most diverse people and characters from all over the world, is to the success of the Vienna Film Commission. “Your warmth Marijana, paired with know-how and patience is the secret of your success. I thank you for the tirelessness and passion with which you work so profitably for the film industry in this city and for the reputation of the film location all over the world,” said Kaup-Hasler. She continued: “You are a cineaste who, as a midwife, helps to realize the most beautiful film material and transport images from the most liveable city in the world to cinemas and living rooms on all continents.”

Marijana Stoisits saw the award from the City of Vienna as a sign of the special appreciation of her work as Managing Director of the Vienna Film Commission: “Working for a great city like Vienna is a wonderful job that I do very, very gladly and with great passion,” said Stoisits, who thanked Mayor Michael Ludwig, City Councillor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler, the city government, the municipal directorate and all municipal departments for their support of her work.

Short biography of Marijana Stoisits
Marijana Stoisits, born in 1960 in Stinatz, Burgenland, studied European Ethnology and Art History at the University of Vienna, the University of Hamburg and the Free University of Berlin and received her doctorate in 1991 on the subject of Folklore and Film. She also studied cultural management at the Hamburg University of Music.

After many years as a freelance journalist at NDR in the 1980s and a short stint as an assistant in Bertelsmann AG’s electronic media office, Stoisits joined Spiegel TV in Hamburg as editorial director and presenter. In 1999, Stoisits returned to Vienna as a freelance journalist, presenter and PR consultant and headed the Spiegel TV office in Vienna from 2004 to 2008.

When the Vienna Film Commission, the central municipal service and contact point for filming in Vienna, was founded in 2009, Marijana Stoisits took over its management. She was also Vice President of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) from 2009 to 2012 and a member of the board from 2015 to 2021. Marijana Stoisits is also a member of the European Film Academy and the Viennale Board.