NÖN: Last Wednesday, Austria’s Film Academy celebrated its nominees for the Austrian Film Prize on the Danube, this Thursday it will celebrate its award winners in Grafenegg – under your direction. How is it going to be?
Clara Stern: It will definitely be a party – for everyone! And Grafenegg is incredibly beautiful in summer, we plan to go into the inner courtyard afterwards and when you arrive, there are already snacks outside…
“All together now” is already written above the invitation…
Stern: I chose the motto because it has energy for me. It’s borrowed from a Beatles song. And it’s also about the fact that you can’t make a film alone, it rests on many shoulders.
Whereby: Basically, the Film Prize is an award ceremony. So: many films, many categories, many award winners. How do you stage them?
Stern: There are of course fixed points, such as the 17 price categories. It’s never been less than two and a half hours – but it should be an entertaining two and a half hours! I want to design everything all around, it started with the motto, continues with the set design – that’s very nice – and the costume design up to the musicians – this time there won’t be a continuous band.
The dress code – something blue, something borrowed – definitely sounds like a wedding.
Stern: Blue comes from the colors on the invitation, “light” from last year and “bright” should also mean that you can also dare to shine …
Do we still have to explain Austrian film? Defend?
Stern: In the industry, you no longer have to explain it. And the stories and the styles are very different. But the Austrian film is always very close to the main characters. You have the feeling of sharing this world. And empathy is the best thing the film has.
You already have a film award at home for your short film “Mathias”. And your first feature film has just celebrated its world premiere.
Stern: Yes, in New York, at the Tribeca Film Festival, I was there last week! It’s a queer ice hockey film that I also shot in Lower Austria in 2021, in Göttlesbrunn. My grandmother still lives in Bruck. And it’s coming to the cinema in the fall…