Copyright: Tobias Lintl & Benjamin Spitzer

Wir schwenkten keine Fahnen

„Wir schwenkten keine Fahnen” is a short film project based in Tyrol, Austria, exploring themes of guilt and personal responsibility during the National Socialist era. The film aims to foster historical reflection and public dialogue by artistically engaging with Austria’s Nazi past and its ongoing societal implications. Developed by a team of young, professional filmmakers working voluntarily, the project merges creative storytelling with civic commitment. Filming took place at various locations throughout Tyrol, and the completed film was submitted to national and international festivals.

Team: Tanja Ploner, Helene Sorger, Johannes Arnold, Daniela Diesner, Marlene Haberl, Magdalena Seibert

Award sponsored by Wirtschaftskammer NÖ Film- und Musikindustrie

OIDA

On grandson Toni’s birthday, there’s a cake à la Grandma just for him. A supposedly unforgettable day — but in the bustle of a retiree’s life, such an important task can sometimes slip one’s mind. A big dilemma, but nothing that could faze a true-born grandma from the Alps, who still has a few tricks and secrets up her sleeve. The project presents a small, 3D-animated short story with a plot twist, designed in a style inspired by traditional puppetry.

Team: Elisa Breitenbrunner, Silvana Kuenz, Michelle Heiduk, Mathias Maier, Jakob Moisl

Award sponsored by Förderverein USTP

Lebenslieder

Music has an effect on all of us. For elderly people, especially the ones with dementia, music may be the only thing they respond to. This documentary follows Eva Wannerer on her usual day, singing with elderly patients of a nursing home.

Team: Markus Wiesinger, Ngoc Nguyen, Gregor Baumschlager, Ludwig Merza

Award sponsored by ÖH USTP

Der kleine Tod – Cross-Media Content Creation

Women’s Business started as a passion project and evolved under the masterclass Film and TV into a creative collective focused on cross-media storytelling. Our latest project, the mini-series “Der kleine Tod”, was taken by Joyn for the DACH region and later released on YouTube. Throughout the production process—before, during, and after filming—we created targeted social media content, mainly Instagram Reels, reaching up to 19,000 views per video. Alongside the series, we built a dedicated website and engaged with press outlets, strengthening our visibility and audience reach across multiple platforms. Our goal is to inspire and empower through authentic female-driven storytelling that connects diverse audiences.

Team: Katja Reichör, Jennifer Gartler, Nomi Ruprecht, Helene Sorger, Magdalena Seibert

Award sponsored by city St. Pölten

Letzte Reihe Mitte

In “Letzte Reihe Mitte” geben fünf leidenschaftliche Kinobesucher*innen einen Einblick in ihr Leben, welche Rolle Kino darin spielt und wie verschieden ihre Zugänge dazu sind. Es werden Momente geteilt, die sowohl humorvoll als auch berührend sind, welche die Vielfalt der Erfahrungen und die Breite des Spektrums, das das Kino zu bieten hat, zeigen. Sie erzählen darüber, wie ihre Liebe zum Kino entstanden ist, wie es ihnen durch schwierige Zeiten geholfen hat, welche Erlebnisse sie für immer in Erinnerung haben werden und natürlich auch ob Popcorn ein Muss ist. Der Film soll die Blickwinkel der Menschen einfangen, die das Kino am Leben erhalten und das Publikum dazu animieren und inspirieren selbst ins Kino zu gehen.

Team: Laura Akermann, Andrea Bindreiter, Christoph Buchinger, Lucie Debnam, Judith Knell, Sarah Lackner, Lilli Lanske, Paul Lutz, Paul Schleimer

Award sponsored by Big Blue Marble/ORS

1. Place: Wir schwenkten keine Fahnen

„Wir schwenkten keine Fahnen” is a short film project based in Tyrol, Austria, exploring themes of guilt and personal responsibility during the National Socialist era. The film aims to foster historical reflection and public dialogue by artistically engaging with Austria’s Nazi past and its ongoing societal implications. Developed by a team of young, professional filmmakers working voluntarily, the project merges creative storytelling with civic commitment. Filming took place at various locations throughout Tyrol, and the completed film was submitted to national and international festivals.

Team: Tanja Ploner, Helene Sorger, Johannes Arnold, Daniela Diesner, Marlene Haberl, Magdalena Seibert

2. Place: Lebenslieder

Music has an effect on all of us. For elderly people, especially the ones with dementia, music may be the only thing they respond to. This documentary follows Eva Wannerer on her usual day, singing with elderly patients of a nursing home.

Team: Markus Wiesinger, Ngoc Nguyen, Gregor Baumschlager, Ludwig Merza

3. Place: Gemeinde Österreich

Unterwegs durch Österreichs verborgenste Winkel – Gemeinde Österreich ist eine unterhaltsame TV-Sendung, in der die Moderatorin kleine Gemeinden besucht und deren Besonderheiten aufspürt. Abseits der bekannten Touristenpfade entdeckt sie regionale Hotspots, skurrile Geschichten und liebenswerte Originale, die das Herz jeder Gemeinde ausmachen. Ob ein kurioses Heimatmuseum, ein legendärer Hühnerstall oder eine Mostbaronin mit viel zu erzählen – jede Folge zeigt, dass selbst die kleinste Gemeinde ein großes Stück Österreich in sich trägt. Charmant, humorvoll und mit einem Blick für das Besondere erzählt die Pilotfolge von Gemeinde Österreich von Land und Leute, wie man sie selten im Fernsehen sieht.

Team: Nico Brandstetter

Awards sponsored by E³UDRES²

Pollucean

The oceans are in trouble. Wildlife is fighting for survival. Hope feels like a distant memory—unless someone dares to make a change. Enter Dash, a fearless marine biologist on a mission to clean the seas, restore life beneath the waves, and uncover who’s behind the destruction. Players must explore the ocean, collect trash, and choose their path—recycle it to gain new materials or sell it to fund your journey. Along the way, meet quirky characters, build your own recycling factory, upgrade your gear, and unravel the mystery behind the ocean’s pollution in this cozy, heartfelt adventure.

Team: octo5studios – Julian Neuhauser, Alena Boucher, David Tirnanic, Florian Marjanov, Samuel Jessop

Award sponsored by Accent Gründerservice

Deo Volente

„DEO VOLENTE“ entstand im Rahmen der Masterklasse Film & TV der Fachhochschule St. Pölten im Jahr 2025 und bemisst knapp 13 Minuten. Der Kurzfilm handelt von einem grausamen Ritual eines mittelalterlich-germanischen Dorfes, welches Kinderopfer fordert. Fünf Drehtage in den Wäldern Heidenreichsteins, am sogenannten „Himmelsteich“ oder im Germanengehöft Elsarn hielten das knapp 17-köpfige Team auf Trab – Und trotz mehr als 42 Statisten am Set, historisch herausfordernden Kostümen sowie plötzlichen Wetterumschwüngen gelang die Fertigstellung des Films mit guter Laune!

Team: Sophie Lupine, Jonas Vasicek, Philipp Lenk, Katja Radler, Alicia Wach, Hoa Nguyễn-Thi-Minh, Alexander Steininger, Fiona Haunold, Sophie Birnbaum, Leo Beckstein, Lilli Lanske, Kilian Schillein, Rene Schmidt, Jakob Mayr, Marlene Haberl, Thomas Kreutzwiesner, Vanessa Emde, Lukas Topf

Award sponsored by AV Professional

Mariensäule | Orchesteraufnahme

“Mariensäule” is a musical number produced by Pascal Bruckner, Sebastian Heiden, and Christoph Schacherl as part of the Media Technology program at USTP. The project focuses on the complete audio production of an orchestrated live recording, created in collaboration with composer Günther Fiala and writer Benedikt Karasek. A live ensemble with vocals, brass, rhythm section, and keyboards was recorded using careful microphone placement and a coordinated recording concept to capture both individual parts and ensemble interaction. Editing, mixing, and processing completed the workflow and shaped the final sound of the recording. The piece is part of a new musical about Austrian poet Ferdinand Raimund and blends classical and contemporary elements.

Team: Pascal Bruckner, Sebastian Heiden, Christoph Schacherl

Award sponsored by Ableton AG

In welcher Zukunft willst du leben?

We are living in a time of change. There are many people who are working to adapt our actions to our environment so that we can live together peacefully and sustainably. At the same time, there are people who are working to adapt our environment to our actions in such a way that only those who can afford it can live comfortably. Photos of real places, re-imagined and set in motion by generative AI, together with an atmosphere of layered sounds, presented in a video installation, are intended to make two possible futures tangible, both of which I consider realistic.

Team: Elias van Gils

Award sponsored by Förderverein USTP