Film Bund
The Filmbund was an "association of all Austria involved in film" that existed from 1922 to 1934 . It united the interest groups of the individual professional groups of Austrian film that had been set up in the years before , which were brought into being due to difficult economic conditions, insufficient recognition of the filmmakers on the part of politics and restrictions. The Filmbund was a model for a similar foundation in Germany.
history
The Filmbund was founded on December 31, 1922 in Vienna. Founding members were the "Union of the Stage and Cinema Personnel" founded in 1918, the "Association of Film Directors of Vienna" founded in 1919 under Heinz Hanus and Robert Wiene , and the interest groups "Association of Operateurs" (cameramen) founded in the same year under Hans Theyer and Ludwig Schaschek and the "Association of Film Actors" under Willy Schmidt and Gustav Stolberg . The Filmbund also included: Cinema Association, Austrian Stage Association and international artist organizations.
Achievement of the import restriction in 1926
In 1926 the Filmbund managed to have foreign films allocated. This was necessary because, due to the glut of American films with the entire European film industry, the Austrian film industry was on the verge of extinction. Because in 1921 and 1922 around 75 feature films and 50 to 60 short films were produced annually, in 1925 there were only five films. At the same time US film production increased enormously, so that in 1925 1200 films passed the Austrian film censorship for approval. The actual demand, however, was between 300 and 350 films for all 750 cinemas in Austria. The result was unemployment of around 3,000 filmmakers and the closure of most of the domestic film production companies . From 20 manufacturers only three were still active after 1925. At the same time, however, the number of film dealers rose to 70.
Therefore, the Filmbund called for a demonstration at the beginning of May, which around 3,000 artists, musicians, performers, workers and employees as well as tradespeople in the film industry joined. Including greats such as Sascha Kolowrat-Krakowsky , Jacob and Luise Fleck , Walter Reisch , Magda Sonja , Michael Kertész , Hans Theyer and many others. This drew the federal government's attention to the threat to the existence of the Austrian film industry, and a film quota law came into force on May 19.
resolution
The Filmbund was dissolved in 1934 by the Dollfuss regime.
Personnel composition
The director was Heinz Hanus, the vice-presidents were Julius Strobl and Julius Herzka . Board members were Michael Kertész , Max Neufeld , Ladislaus Tuszyński , Viktor Schaschek , Hans Theyer, Hans Berger , Miklos Györgyfalvy , Arthur Gottlein , Richard Metzel , Jacques Bachrach , Louis Nerz , Hans Hönig , Viktor Franz and Robert Valberg . The auditors were Ida Jenbach and Willy Beyer . Alfons Bolz-Feigl , the founder of the Austrian stage association, acted as secretary .
Tasks and activities
The members were offered legal assistance in the event of differences with their employers and free medical treatment. A support fund for unemployed colleagues in need has been set up. Furthermore, normal contracts were enforced, which ensured minimum wages. Job opportunities abroad were also arranged.
Lectures, demonstrations and discussion evenings with film scholars contributed to intellectual development. The Filmbund also contributed to the creation of the first encyclopedic work on the entire film world, "The World of Films". This came from L'Éstrange Fawcette and was translated into German, as well as significantly supplemented by SW Fischer and C. Zell .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Isabella Palfy: Cinema and Film in the First Austrian Republic. The film journalism of the sound film era from 1929-1938. Dissertation, Faculty of Basic and Integrative Sciences, University of Vienna, 1993, p. 77