Vienna Shorts

What Vienna Shorts does

Vienna Shorts is an international short film festival held annually at MuseumsQuartier Wien in Vienna, Austria. Operated by Independent Cinema – Verein zur Förderung unabhängigen Filmschaffens (Association for the Promotion of Independent Filmmaking), a non-profit association (Verein) registered in Austria, the festival has run continuously since its founding around 2002, with the 24th edition held May 26-31, 2026 and the 25th edition scheduled for May 25-30, 2027. The organization receives several thousand film submissions annually and serves several hundred filmmakers, accredited guests, and cultural attendees in person, while extending reach globally through the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform (thisisshort.com) and a companion festival app available on iOS and Android.

The core product is the annual festival, complemented by digital distribution infrastructure (THIS IS SHORT) and a Talent Days program for emerging filmmakers. Revenue is generated through accreditation fees, ticket sales, and potentially streaming access fees, with primary financial support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMWKMS) and venue infrastructure provided by MuseumsQuartier Q21. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Clara Schermer and operates within GDPR-compliant data processing standards with a dedicated data protection coordinator.

Name

Vienna Shorts

Legal name

Independent Cinema – Verein zur Förderung unabhängigen Filmschaffens

Website

https://viennashorts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vienna Shorts is a non-profit international short film festival held annually at MuseumsQuartier Wien, operated by Independent Cinema association. It serves independent filmmakers and film audiences through in-person screenings, the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform, a mobile festival app, and a Talent Days program, with primary funding from the Austrian federal arts ministry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• International short film festival
• Short film exhibition
• Film festival curation
• Filmmaker talent development
• Cultural event programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Festival Operations: Annual short film festival that receives several thousand film submissions annually. Revenue is generated through accreditation fees, ticket sales, and potential streaming access fees for online presentations.
2. Streaming Platform Access: Online presentation of films through THIS IS SHORT platform with registration requirements, likely generating revenue through viewer access fees or subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vienna Shorts organizes an annual international short film festival in Vienna featuring curated competitive screenings, talent development programs, and industry networking, complemented by year-round online access through the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform and a dedicated festival mobile app. The festival processes several thousand film submissions each year and serves filmmakers, industry professionals, and general audiences.

Product overview

Vienna Shorts operates as an international short film festival (core offering) with associated digital products including a mobile festival app (available on iOS and Android) and the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform for online film distribution. The festival runs annually at MuseumsQuartier Wien in late May, with the 2026 edition scheduled for May 26–31.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• THIS IS SHORT: Streaming platform for films from Vienna Shorts festival
• Talent Days

Products and services

• Vienna Shorts Film Festival Annual international short film festival held at MuseumsQuartier Wien in Vienna, featuring competitive film screenings, awards, talent development programs, and industry networking events for filmmakers and audiences.
• THIS IS SHORT Streaming Platform

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MuseumsQuartier Q21coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQ21 is the creative industries hub within Vienna's MuseumsQuartier, one of Europe's largest cultural centers. The festival operates from this venue, with Q21 serving as the primary location for festival screenings and events. Partnership provides physical infrastructure and institutional credibility within Vienna's creative community.
• THIS IS SHORT (thisisshort.com)coreTechnology or IntegrationDedicated streaming platform partner for online film presentation. The festival streams films through THIS IS SHORT, which serves as the digital distribution channel extending festival reach beyond Vienna. Films can be streamed on thisisshort.com.
• Short Film Conference (SFC) / ESFNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna Shorts participates in the European Sustainable Film Network (ESFN) and adheres to the Film Festival Code of Sustainability developed by the Short Film Conference. The festival publishes annual ESFN Readers and follows sustainability guidelines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Shorts International: Shorts International operates the ShortsTV channel and a streaming/cable distribution business focused on short films globally. Adjacent rather than directly competing with Vienna Shorts, but overlapping on the mission of giving short films wider distribution and audience reach (relevant given THIS IS SHORT).

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Film Festival (Shorts Programme): Sundance runs an internationally recognised short-film programme alongside its feature festival, with comparable submission volume and prestige. It overlaps with Vienna Shorts on independent short-film curation but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Locarno Film Festival (Pardi di domani): Locarno runs Pardi di domani, a competitive short-film programme for emerging filmmakers, comparable to Vienna Shorts' mission and target segment. The festival is broader in scope but overlaps materially on short-film programming.
• Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale Shorts): The Berlinale runs a curated short-film competition (Berlinale Shorts) within one of the world's largest feature-focused film festivals. It is comparable as a competitive short-film track but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than Vienna Shorts.
• Cannes Film Festival (Cinéfondation / Short Film Palme d'Or): Cannes runs an official Short Film Palme d'Or competition and the Cinéfondation section, placing it as a top-tier competitor for short-film recognition and filmmakers. Comparable to Vienna Shorts for its short-film programming role but much larger in overall scope.

Direct peers

• Uppsala Short Film Festival: Sweden's leading international short film festival with industry focus and an established track record. Comparable to Vienna Shorts in segment, festival scope, and target audience.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: One of the world's largest and most prestigious short film festivals, also held annually with competitive categories and an international industry market. Comparable to Vienna Shorts as a flagship European short-film festival pursuing filmmakers and industry guests.
• Oberhausen Short Film Festival: Germany's premier international short film festival with global submissions, an industry programme, and decades-long history. Closely comparable to Vienna Shorts in format, prestige level, and position in the European short-film circuit.
• Tampere Film Festival: Finnish international short film festival competing for the same European short-film audience and filmmaker pool. Comparable in format and geographic positioning within the European festival circuit.
• Drama Short Film Festival: Long-running Greek short film festival with international competition and industry events. Directly comparable in scale and segment (international short film) with Vienna Shorts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/viennashorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/viennashorts
• Instagraminstagram.com/viennashorts
• TikToktiktok.com/@viennashorts
• Xx.com/viennashorts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vis-vienna-independent-shorts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vienna Shorts