3rd watchAUT Austrian Film Festival

The third edition of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival brings to London the best new films to emerge from Austria, alongside a shorts programme, plus an influential and controversial Austrian film from the 1980s.

Presented by the Austrian Cultural Forum London in cooperaton with the Austrian Film Institute, watchAUT is an opportunity to preview anticipated new films by Austrian directors, including opening gala "Peacock", an absurdist drama starring BAFTA-nominated actor Albrecht Schuch. Other highlights include the UK Premiere of tense mystery "Moon", and the London Premiere of savage pitch-black satire "Veni Vidi Vici", both produced by Austrian filmmaker, writer, producer and provocateur Ulrich Seidl (Venice Grand Jury Prize winner for Dog Days). The London Premiere of satirical mocumentary "Piggy Bank" and the UK Premiere of Bollywood critique "Mehrunisa" complete the feature programme.

The festival is also a celebration of Austria’s rich cinematic heritage. This year’s archive screening is a rare chance to see on a cinema screen the infamous 1980s psycho-thriller "Angst". Based on the story of a real-life Austrian mass murderer, it was banned in many European countries for its depiction of violence. Shocking and significant in equal measures, notable filmmakers including Gaspar Noé cite Angst as an influence. Austrian experimental cinema has long been a hotbed of radical ideas and daring artistry, and watchAUT’s first ever shorts programme "Frame Robels" is a fascinating selection of surreal and experimental Austrian short films from the 1970s to the present day.