PRESS CONFERENCE 2022

The Vienna Film Commission draws a highly positive summary for the past year: “Measured in terms of film permits, 2021 was the most successful year to date for the Vienna Film Commission and Vienna as a film location,” says CEO Marijana Stoisits. While the first quarter was moderate, from April to the end of the year a significant increase in filming permits was recorded, far surpassing even 2018 and 2019.

For Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Vienna’s City Councilor for Culture and Science, these figures are a clear indicator to continue on the successful path of the City of Vienna: “Good operating conditions are a top priority for film production and artistic work in our city. Vienna is continuously working towards the consistent and sustainable expansion of Vienna as a film location and, in doing so, continues to revitalize the Viennese film industry,” emphasizes Veronica Kaup-Hasler and continues: “As an institution of the city, the Vienna Film Commission plays an essential role here. As a long-standing and reliable partner, the Vienna Film Commission also makes an essential contribution to the international positioning of the City of Vienna.” Managing Director Marijana Stoisits thanks the Vienna City Administration and the Magistrate for the excellent cooperation and always solution-oriented support of filming in Vienna, regardless of whether it involves blockbuster, indie, or student projects.

In 2021, 806 film projects of various genres and technical complexity were submitted to the Vienna Film Commission for processing. This corresponds to a 41% increase compared to the previous year. For Austrian and international projects, a total of 1290 applications for filming permits were submitted, for which 1295 letters of recommendation were issued by the Vienna Film Commission to the responsible basic administrative departments and simultaneously to the applicants. The number of filming applications thus increased by 38%, the number of letters of recommendation issued by 29%.

While international projects, at 78, were 13% higher than in 2020, they were still well below the results of previous years. Most of the project applications from abroad came from Germany, the UK and France, followed by the USA and 16 other countries. The biggest international projects included the US series “Jack Ryan” for Amazon, the Bollywood production “Tiger 3” and the US series “The Bachelor” for ABC.