The international short-film festival Vienna Shorts is the first gathering in Austria to receive a formal certificate to host so-called Green Events. The festival therefore meets the criteria set out by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. The certificate will encompass movie screenings and industry events, and will already be effective for the 19^th edition, set to take place in May this year.

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Valid for a duration of four years, it allows the festival not only to label its own events as green, but also to award this distinction to the events of other organisers. While the certification is already in effect, its formal presentation ceremony and official handing-over will take place later this spring, with minister Leonore Gewessler herself doing the honours.

“As a cultural institution operating internationally, we are aware of our responsibility to the environment and are planning to act accordingly,” festival directors Doris Bauer and Daniel Ebner said about the achievement. Minister Gewessler added that with this certificate, Vienna Shorts would take on “a pioneering role and show how sustainable event organisation can be implemented in a practical manner”.

Vienna Shorts has been following the guidelines laid out by the City of Vienna’s “ÖkoEvent” label since 2020. By taking the next step to qualify for Green Events, the festival has pledged to avoid the unnecessary squandering of resources whenever possible. This includes making environmentally friendly travel arrangements for filmmakers and industry guests, the prevention of waste, and the use of energy-saving equipment during the assembly and dismantling of the venues, sustainable print forms (or avoiding them altogether) and a CO₂-neutral server landscape for the digital infrastructure, as well as ensuring regional, seasonal and fair-trade catering.

On an international scale, Vienna Shorts is further renowned for being Austria’s only qualifying festival for the Academy Awards, the European Film Awards, the BAFTAs and the Austrian Film Award. The event showcases shorts with a length of up to 30 minutes and will take place from 25-30 May this year, on location in Vienna as well as online.