“Salzburg loves the cameras and the cameras love Salzburg” » Leadersnet
| editorial staff
| 01.08.2022
Experts discussed the cultural assets of film, television and digital media, location perspectives for the production industry and changes in the funding landscape.
The 17th Salzburg Media Summit took place in Schloss Leopoldskron, where Julie Andrews wrote film history in “The Sound of Music”. “What are 17 years of Media Summit compared to 100 years of film history, in which 1,500 productions were made here? The Sound of Music has made Hollywood and the global film industry even more curious about Salzburg. With the help of the Salzburg Film Fund, 174 productions have been realized over the past 20 years that gave us a certain boost as a location,” said Hannes M. Schalle, the initiator of the Media Summit and chairman of the Salzburg Film and Music Committee.
In two panels, experts discussed the cultural assets of film, television and digital media, location perspectives for the production industry and changes in the funding landscape in front of around 120 participants.
The 20th anniversary of film funding in Salzburg was also celebrated at the summit. Provincial Governor Wilfried Haslauer explained: “For 20 years now, commercial film funding in Salzburg has been an indispensable instrument for sustainably reflecting the cultural diversity and breathtaking landscape of our state in sound and image. Whether documentary, national or international production for TV and cinema: filmmakers from all over the world appreciate our federal state for its effective specialist network, the lively and creative media production industry and of course the original scenery in the city of Mozart and in the Salzburger Land where local tourism is created, film productions represent a minor employment factor for the region and offer business opportunities for numerous companies in the IT, media and film industries.”
The event was organized by the film and music industry professional group together with Innovation Salzburg and the Salzburg Federation of Industrialists. Experts discussed in two panels © Foto Christ
Ten million grants
Film location Salzburg project manager Edith Urban draws a positive interim balance: “In 20 years we have distributed over ten million in funding and reached over 548 million viewers with the films shot in Salzburg. As Filmlocation Salzburg, we are an advice and service point for filmmakers and the first point of contact if they want to shoot in Salzburg.
Innovation Salzburg Managing Director Walter Haas emphasized: “Cooperation is a recipe for success for a small location like ours. We can be happy about a success story – numerous alumni of the FH have become entrepreneurs in the industry. Around a tenth of Salzburg’s companies are active in the creative industries. Together we want to bring the luminosity of Salzburg into the future and strengthen our importance as a significant production location alongside Vienna.” Manuela Strihavka, Chairwoman of the Salzburg Film Advisory Board, explained the anniversary: “Salzburg loves the cameras and the cameras love Salzburg. Schloss Leopoldskron has become an iconic venue thanks to The Sound of Music. Even if only a few people in Austria have seen the film, it creates an identity for our perception abroad and is one of the most successful in film history.”