Austria

Austria saw budgetary and structural changes to its production incentive programmes last year, but its diverse locations and experienced workforce nevertheless continue to attract international productions.

“The location itself and the rebate are what ended up putting us in Austria, and specifically [the ski town of] Ischgl,” says Austin Lapierre, unit production manager/co-producer on Prime Video action series Ride Or Die. “We brought in all of our HoDs and hired a lot of additional [crew] out of Ischgl and nearby Innsbruck. The people and town of Ischgl could not have been more accommodating, from closing slope runs for us, operating lifts after hours to move equipment, even allowing us to take over a restaurant at the peak for a day.”

Vienna, its surroundings and the Alps near Bad Gastein served as locations for season two of Netflix series Crooks, which received the highest sum — $5.1m (€4.4m) — paid out by Austria’s flagship funding programme Film Industry Support Austria Plus [FISAplus] in 2025 for its shoot last spring and summer. “Most of our HoDs were from Austria and highly skilled with a solid Austrian crew supporting them in Vienna,” says Kirstin Winkler, executive producer of Crooks.

“As far as shooting permits in Vienna are concerned, almost everything was achievable but I would recommend giving it plenty of time,” adds Winkler. “Last‑minute changes or requests were tricky to pull off, simply because the historic city centre is such a major tourist hub that the city isn’t always as flexible as other locations. Vienna Film Commission was helpful and engaged throughout, though the permitting office has its own timeline. As long as you know what you need ahead of time, it’s not an issue.”

The decision to locate part of the shoot of Dani Levy’s feature Kochschule Schwarz to Vienna was driven by a combination of creative and financial factors, according to producers Luca Verhoeven and Christian Hofer of Munich-based New!Move Films. “Our film is set in Munich in 1938, [but] Vienna’s historical buildings and alleys provided a perfect backdrop for this period, offering an authentic atmosphere that perfectly supports the narrative,” they explain, adding that the funding programmes — including FISAplus with its 30% non-repayable grant and the 5% green bonus — made Austria “particularly competitive”.

Outside Vienna, further eye-­catching locations include the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the lake and village at Altaussee, with its villas and hunting lodges, as well as an array of castles including the fairy tale-like Kreuzenstein Castle, 20 kilometres north of Vienna. In addition to the Lienz Dolomites, the country’s Tyrolean Alps include the ski resorts of Ischgl and Fiss. 

Shooting permits are usually straightforward but remain costly.

Vienna is the main filming hub with production service companies handling international film and TV productions. Since October 2024, the capital has been home to two state-of-the-art soundproof stages at HQ7 Studios, located between the city centre and the airport.

Austria is a member of the European Union and participates in the Schengen Agreement. Its currency is the euro. 

Austria is well-connected internally by air and land, with international flights to the country’s key cities.

Contact

René Tritscher, head of Film in Austria
r.tritscher@aba.gv.at