on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Eric Pleskow (1924-2019)

On April 24 next year, the long-time president of the Viennale, Eric Pleskow, would have celebrated his 100th birthday. The Viennale will honor this with a gala screening of the film AMADEUS.

In this ceremonial setting, the Oscar awarded in 1985 for AMADEUS in the category "Best Film" will be presented to the Viennale in the presence of Eric Pleskow's family. Born in Vienna in April 1924, Eric Pleskow fled to the USA with his family three days before the outbreak of war. A coincidence brought him to film, and World War II brought the 21-year-old to Munich as a U.S. soldier, where he was put in charge of the Bavaria Film Studios. He subsequently worked his way up from European sales chief to president of United Artists, running the renowned studio very successfully from 1973 to 1978. After its takeover by Transamerica, he founded Orion Pictures - and eventually became one of the most respected figures in the U.S. film industry.

Eric Pleskow became Viennale president in 1998, and he filled this position with verve and great passion until the end. Since 2007 he was an honorary citizen of the city of Vienna, and a screening room is dedicated to him at the Metro Kinokulturhaus. In 2019, the tireless filmmaker passed away in Westport, Connecticut, at the age of 95.

AMADEUS

R: Miloš Forman, US/France 1984, 180 min, OV
Mon October 30, 7 pm, Gartenbaukino

In 1984 Miloš Forman broke the genre boundaries of the classic biopic between fact and fiction with AMADEUS. Awarded eight Oscars, the brilliant (also musical) film derails the star cult of Viennese classical music as a modern pop phenomenon between fame, intoxication and rivalry. Far ahead of its time, AMADEUS is as much a sumptuously appointed and opulently sounding feast for the senses as it is an almost mythical tale of ambition, obsession, jealousy - and true greatness.

Tickets available online, by phone and at all Viennale box offices.