Vienna’s premier documentary film event, #ethnocineca, returns for its 19th edition from 8 – 14 May 2025, showcasing international and Austrian documentary cinema at **Votiv Kino and Kino De France**. This year’s curatorial theme, «Hauntings,» explores history’s lingering spectres, contemporary anxieties, and how documentary cinema navigates the visible and invisible.

Spanning short, feature-length, and experimental films, ethnocineca remains committed to showcasing ethnographic and socially engaged documentary cinema. The festival highlights human experience through storytelling that confronts contemporary realities.

Beyond screenings, audiences can engage in discussions, panels, lectures, and a masterclass, offering deeper insight into the thematic focus and documentary film trends

An international jury will present prizes across five competition categories: IDA & ISA – Best international feature and short documentary, ADA – Best Austrian documentary, ESSA – Best emerging short documentary, EVA – Best ethnographic documentary./p>

The 12-day Hands-On Filmmaking: The ethnocineca Film Workshop (30 April 30 – 11 May 2025) provides aspiring filmmakers an opportunity to create documentary projects under expert guidance. This year’s mentors include Estonian filmmaker #Anna Hints# (Smoke Sauna Sisterhood) and Austrian cinematographer Serafin Spitzer (Stories from the Sea, Sparta).

Selected participants will undergo four days of training before forming teams to produce short documentaries, which will premiere on 13 May at Votiv Kino as part of the festival.

The official program will be released on 24 April 2025, ahead of the grand opening on 8 May at 8:00 PM at Votiv Kino.

Find more information – HERE