Cine Tirol Film Commission

Tirol is the „land in the mountains“ – this fascinating mountain world in the centre of Europe attracts people from all over the world and in all seasons creates special requirements for sporting activities and adventure as well as leisurely experiences to remember. Culture is particularly integrated in the Alpine landscape of the Tirol. Monuments from past epochs and examples of contemporary architecture, living traditions, modern art, rural ways of life and a new urbanity make an exciting mix.

Tirol is ideal film production country for various reasons – the easy access to Alpine locations right into the glacier regions, the climate advantage of having four very distinctive seasons, the central location in the heart of Europe, and the skills and know-how of local artists, engineers, craftsmen and other professionals such as mountain and ski guides can be of great advantage to a film crew.

Since 1998 the Cine Tirol team under Johannes Koeck has introduced comprehensive measures in communications and marketing in order to make the Tirol the “leading film land in the Alps”. These include Cine Tirol presentations at film centres in Austria and abroad, participation in international film festivals, e.g. in Berlin and Cannes, location fairs and coproduction meetings e.g. in London and Los Angeles, and invitations for film producers to the annual specialist event as part of the Alpine branch meeting “Cine Tirol & Ski” in St. Christoph am Arlberg. The acquisition of specialist events like EAVE where young and experienced film producers receive training and further training provide means to make decision makers more aware of the film land Tirol. In addition Cine Tirol is a member of the AFCI (Association of Film Commissioners International) and a founding member of  EUFCN (European Film Commissions Network) and the AFC&F (Austrian Film Commissions & Funds).

As a special service, Cine Tirol provides a comprehensive and free location service for all film makers. During the decision-making phase in particular the provision of information and personal attention for producers, directors, heads of production and location scouts enables the land to be seen in all its variety. Excellent contacts with the local population and outstanding local knowledge characterize the Cine Tirol location service, as do professional contacts with companies, authorities and the film branch, quick access to extensive photo and video archives and libraries, linguistic ability, dedication and great empathy.

Selected film projects also receive financial support in form of a non-repayable production grant from Cine Tirol. The main grant criteria include the economic effect of the production on the region („Tirol Effect“) and the thematic relation of the production to the region („Tirol Reference“).

Training and further education for Tiroleans involved in film-specific work constitutes another Cine Tirol priority. As part of seminars and workshops those interested receive training in location scouting and Alpine location management, the network of Tirolean film makers being given help and support.

In order to raise awareness of sustainable film-making in Tirol as well, Cine Tirol has been a member of the ‘Green Filming Austria‘ working group newly founded by the Lower Austrian Film Commission – LAFC since 2020. Through this interregional cooperation, synergies are to be used in the best possible and targeted way. The platform Green Filming Tirol aims to provide film-makers with the best possible information to enable them to realise their film projects in Tirol under sustainable aspects. For example, under the heading ‘Marketplace Tirol‘ you will find a list of Tyrolean companies that can be of service to a film production. The categories range from travel, transport & mobility, accommodation & hotels and food & catering to set design, costume design, make-up and production.

Since the foundation of Cine Tirol in 1998 more than 2,000 film productions from near and far have been hosted by the Tirol. They include – to name but a few – cinema films like „James Bond 007 – SPECTRE“, „Ein ganzes Leben“, „Die Theorie von Allem“, „Woodwalkers“, „Downhill“, „Madison“, „Märzengrund“, „Luzifer“, „Klammer – Chasing the Line“, „Eddie the Eagle“,  „Point Break“, „Snowpiercer“, „Stars in the Winter Sky“, „Tiger Zinda Hai“, „Yuvvraaj“, „Saaho“, „As it is in heaven“, „The Edukators“, „Last Holiday“, „In 3 Tagen bist du tot 2“, „xXx – Triple X“, „Der Architekt“, „März“, „The Mystery of the Snowqueen“, „Rise up and Dance!“, „Vals“, „Extreme Ops“, „Die Freiheit des Adlers“, „Lapislazuli – Im Auge des Bären“, „Bergkristall“, „Vollgas“, „Die Skitour“, „Helden in Tirol“, „Flashback“, television films like „Der Schandfleck“, „Schwabenkinder“, „Franz und Anna“, „Gefährliche Gefühle“, „Gipfelsturm“, „K2“, „Die Lawine“, „Crazy Canucks“, „Das Weihnachtsekel“, „Der letzte Kronzeuge“, „Ausgelöscht“, „Gletscherblut“, „Der Bär ist los“, „Die Hüttenwirtin“, „Die Wanderhure“, „Die Hebamme – Auf Leben und Tod“, „Die Aufnahmeprüfung“, „Der Meineidbauer“, „Stille“, „Fremder Feind“, TV serials like „Tatort“, „Landkrimi Tirol“, „Stadtkomödie Tirol“, „Im Tal des Schweigens“, „Wilder Kaiser“, „Da wo die Berge sind“, „Der Metzger“, „Team Alpin“, „Einsatz in den Alpen“, TV series „Der Bergdoktor“, „SOKO Kitzbühel“, „Euer Ehren“, „Aus die Maus“, „Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil“ and „Powder Park“, streaming productions „KITZ“, „Woman of the Death“ and „Your Christmas or Mine 2“ as well as numerous documentaries like „Glockner – Der schwarze Berg“, „Unterwegs nach…Heimat“, „Vom Leben am Steilhang“, „Im Reich des Steinadlers“, „Der Inn“, „Schnee“, „Streif – One Hell of a Ride“, „STAMS“ and short films by young producers e.g. „Excuse Me, I’m Looking for the Ping-Pong Room and My Girlfriend“ or commercials for leading companies and brands like BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Opel, Suchard, Sony Ericsson, Tchibo, Karstadt, Scania, Shell, Garmin, Samsung, Telekom and many music videos, such as „Perfect“ by Ed Sheeran, „Ohne Dich“ by Rammstein, „Parasol Peak“ by Manu Delago, „L’ultima notte al mondo“ by Tiziano Ferro and „Enni soni“ from the Bollywood movie „Saaho“.

Many well-known film figures have come to locations in the Tirolean mountains since the foundation of Cine Tirol, among them Daniel Craig, Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hugh Jackman, Vin Diesel, Queen Latifah, Peter Storemare, Mario Adorf, Heino Ferch, Daniel Brühl, Tobias Moretti, Bernhard Schir, Christian Berger, Ina Weisse, Josef Bierbichler, Iris Berben, Karl Markovics, Fritz Karl, Désirée Nosbush, Joseph Vilsmaier, Sabine Derflinger, Matthias Schweighöfer, Brigitte Hobmeier, Harald Krassnitzer, Fritz Wepper, Kristina Sprenger, Hans Sigl, Nicholas Ofczarek, Hannah Herzsprung, Hans Weingartner, Ruth Drexel, Kurt Weinzierl, Günther Maria Halmer, Robert Palfrader and many others.

The successes hitherto have put the “land in the mountains” in the international spotlight, film makers coming here from many European countries as well as overseas countries, e.g. USA, Canada, Brasil, Korea, Russia, U.A.E., Indonesia, Japan, India and China.

Various “made in Tirol” film projects have won awards – an Oscar nomination for “Wie im Himmel” (“Så som i himmelen”), the German Film Prize for “Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei” (“The Edukators”), the Silver Leopard for “März”, the German television prize for “Schwabenkinder” and the Romy for “Unterwegs nach … Heimat”, Film Critics‘ Special Award „Boccalino D’Oro“ for Best Director at the Locarno Film Festival for Peter Brunner and his feature film „Luzifer“.

The European Film Academy also honours locations with a special significance for the history of film in Europe. Thanks to the initiative of Cine Tirol, 007 ELEMENTS was submitted – and the cinematic installation on the Gaislachkogl at 3,048 m convinced the jury: in 2021, the European Film Academy ennobled 007 ELEMENTS with the coveted award as „Treasure of European Film Culture“.

Cine Tirol itself honours those who have given special service to the film land Tirol: they receive the “Cine Tirol Award”. The prizewinners hitherto were the director Jean-Jacques Annaud, the Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick, the actor Tobias Moretti, Erich Hörtnagl, one of the founding fathers of Cine Tirol, the director of the international film festival Innsbruck IFFI, Helmut Groschup, script author Felix Mitterer, actor Harald Krassnitzer, director and cameraman Georg Riha, EAVE-manager Tina Trapp, the “picture maker” Joseph Vilsmaier, the “Bergdoktor” Hans Sigl, the Tirolean actress and former lead actress of „SOKO Kitzbühel“ Kristina Sprenger, Initiator of 007-ELEMENTS Jakob Falkner and Cine Tirol Co-founder and current CEO of the Lebensraum Tirol Holding Josef Margreiter.

The commercial effect thanks to production related expenditures in the various Tirolean regions has hitherto amounted to an impressive amount, added to that there are the extremely pleasing media effects thanks to reporting on the productions made in the Tirol. The number of cinema visitors and TV viewers thanks to “made in the Tirol” films is also remarkable: in 2023 over 206 million people watched moving, touching and entertaining shots of the Tirol.

One great concern of the Cine Tirol team has always been the touristic exploitation of the film productions in the Tirol. 27 % of those surveyed by a Halifax Travel Insurance study said that when choosing a holiday destination they had been inspired by cinema and TV-films; and the Travelsat study found that in 2012 more than 40 million tourists chose their holiday destination because of a film. The dedicated efforts by those responsible for tourism range from the Cine Tirol movie map on the home page of Cine Tirol and the references to “Tirollywood – Tirolean film regions introduce themselves” on www.tirol.at/tirollywood, to premiere events on the spot, regular preview guest information, first showings, the exhibition “Thiersee and its film history” or the “Bergdoktor” cycling trail in Wildermieming. Meanwhile various regional programmes have taken shape under the motto “On the trail of film productions”. The Wilder Kaiser Tourist Office started a highly successful promotion in conjunction with the TV series “Der Bergdoktor”: fans of this popular series can take part in guided walks and “Meet & Greet” events with the “Bergdoktor” Martin Gruber alias Hans Sigl.

Cine Tirol has also contributed to the development of film festivals in the Tirol, supporting the International Film Festival Innsbruck (IFFI), the Filmfest St. Anton am Arlberg, the International Film Festival Kitzbühel (FFKB) and the Innsbruck Nature Festival FILM (INFF) and the Diametrale.

All these efforts are rooted in the awareness and enthusiasm of the Cine Tirol team and its partners and the knowledge that the Tirol possesses the top requirements for a film land and that the positive effects for the Tirol trademark and the individual regions are enormous in all respects.

Thus the Tirol has become a very well-known and popular location. The “Land in the mountains” is set to remain the leading film land in the Alps, attracting film makers from all over the world to the “Heart of the Alps” so that here – between the East Tirolean Villgratental and Bschlabs in the Außerfern, between St. Christoph am Arlberg and the Kitzbüheler Alpen, between the Kaunertal glacier and the old town of Hall, between the futuristic cableway architecture in the Sölden skiing areas and Schloss Ambras, between the last wild river in Europe in the Lechtal and the Tirolean fiord on the Achensee, between the farmhouse museum in Kramsach and the ski jump on Bergisel in Innsbruck or other fascinating locations in the Tirol – they can realize their film aspirations.