Austria’s Green Filming & Funding Network integrates sustainability into filmmaking by applying a profound system that combines mandatory regulations and national law, professional training and further-development as well as national and transnational cooperation and harmonization. The Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI) and Evergreen Prisma — Competence Center for Green Filming Europe both play a central role in enforcing standards and ensuring expertise and innovation for green production practices.
The new Austrian Film Location Act 2023, together with the amendment to the Film Funding Act 2023, serves to strengthen Austria as a film location and aims for promoting international films and series as well as Austrian TV and streaming productions and cinema feature films.
Therefore, the Film Location Act 2023 (FISA+) was enacted and the Film Funding Act 2023 (ÖFI) was amended to that effect. Article 1(2) of the Film Location Austria (FISA+) refers to the creation of incentives for ecological film production as one of its objectives and Article 2(1)(h) of the Film Funding Act (ÖFI), as amended in 2023, adds a reference to the role of ÖFI to create incentives for ecologically sustainable film production.
Film Location Austria FISA+, the funding system for films of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy, is responsible for Austrian TV, streaming productions and service productions.
The Austrian Film Institute (Österreichisches Filminstitut, ÖFI) as federal film funding institution, is funding the production, distribution and promotion of national cinema films and co-productions as cultural assets and art forms, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the Austrian film industry, of Austria as a film location and of the creative-artistic quality of Austrian films as a prerequisite for their transnational success (Article 1 of the Film Funding Act 2023). It plays a pivotal role in nurturing the Austrian film industry through both selective and automatic funding (including reference funding and ÖFI+) mechanisms, ensuring that a wide range of genres receive the necessary backing as a legal entity under public law.
The ÖFI actively integrates green producing, cultural diversity and gender equality, and elevates the international profile of Austrian cinema through strategic partnerships like participation in global festivals. Its funding programs are designed to support both established filmmakers and emerging talent, ensuring the growth and sustainability of the national film landscape. The ÖFI created an elaborated incentive system for green filming and to enhance gender balance.
The ÖFI is closely related to the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sports (Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Kunst, Kultur, Median und Sport, BMWKMS).
With reference to the provisions of the same federal act, the ÖFI, in cooperation with EVERGREEN PRISMA – Competence Center for Green Filming Europe, which was established by the Lower Austrian Film Commission (LAFC), and the Association of Green Film Consultants Austria (VGFCA), has developed the Catalogue of Criteria for Minimum Ecological Standards for Austrian Cinema Film Productions ÖFI/ÖFI+, which FISA+ has later adopted in its funding-regulations.
Since 2018, the continuous implementation of sustainable filmmaking in Austria has been based on the ‘Synergy Model for Green Filming and Funding’ created by Evergreen Prisma, which enables institutions and filmmakers to work hand in hand via a system of interlocking essential and professional instruments. EVERGREEN PRISMA – Competence Center for Green Filming Europe first established a cooperative and active base: developing its ‘intelligent swarm’ since 2018, it empowered cooperative partners by knowledge transfer, supported talents, defined roles and needs. That systemic and systematic approach led to innovative, complementing structures of joint forces for a practicable, high-quality standard for green filming and funding. By now, the existing synergy system for green filming and funding in Austria consists of five components, built up by the Evergreen Prisma’s Joint Network:
The visionary work and tools of EVERGREEN PRISMA, along with the collaboration of all stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Austrian Film Institute, since 2020, paved the way for the introduction of financial ‘green funding’ from 2023 onwards. This was made possible by the amendments to the Film Funding Act and the Film Location Act in 2023.
An incentive for sustainable film productions was created by important stakeholders, ministries and industry representatives, granting an 30% automatic grant and additional 5 % Green Bonus when fulfilling mandatory regulations.
In cooperation with EVERGREEN PRISMA, the ÖFI has implemented Green Filming in their funding regulations since 2021. In the beginning of the development (Level 1), the ÖFI has been implementing a mandatory ‘Final Green Report’ for every funded project in production and regulations for funded films in development. The guidelines and regulations were based on the Guideline of the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Producing in Film and Television (UZ76).
The further development of the ÖFI Catalogue of Criteria (Level 1), based on the UZ76 of the Austrian Ecolabel, was made necessary by the rapid developments and introduction of the Film Funding Act 2023 including the Green Bonus 5% regulations of the additional automatic scheme ÖFI+ in 2023.
The first steps towards transnational harmonization were taken in the creation and development of the Catalogue of Criteria for the Minimum Ecological Standards for Austrian Cinema Film Productions ÖFI/ÖFI+ (Level 2) with a view to future transnational coordination.
In addition to the implementation and harmonization of a catalogue of mandatory criteria and a mandatory Final Green Report, the involvement of a Green Film Consultant in the specific project is mandatory. Since 2021, the ÖFI has also implemented that the calculation and the eligibility of additional costs is possible for all Austrian funded films. This is also harmonised with other Austrian funding institutions, like FISA+, Film Fund Vienna (Filmfonds Wien, FFW), the film department of Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Public Service and Sport (BMWKMS) and the ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk, Austrian Broadcasting Cooperation).
A certification can also be obtained for a specific film project. The Austrian Ecolabel agency set out guidelines for ‘Green Producing in Film and Television’ (UZ76). It is a product certification for which film production companies can become licence holders. Funded film projects can decide if they want to get certified. The costs are eligible.
In addition to all these harmonized regulations, the ÖFI has also developed a specific Criteria Catalogue of Minimum Ecological Standards for the Austrian Distribution Funding for Cinema Releases ÖFI+, because also the distributors can be given a 5% Green Bonus for an ecologically sustainable cinema release.
On 1 January 2025, the ÖFI released the Catalogue of Criteria of Ecological Minimum Standards for Austrian Cinema Film Productions ÖFI/ÖFI+ for Animation Films, being mentioned for the first time in a legal act (ÖFI’s funding regulations and the ÖFI+ automatic funding scheme).
The Film Department in the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, which focuses on the funding of avant-garde and experimental films as well as innovative animation, documentaries and feature films, recommends considering the production requirements established in UZ76. For films that are funded together with the ÖFI+ automatic funding scheme, the rules for green filming of the ÖFI apply.
For sustainable film productions:
Evergreen Prisma’s combination of vertical, practice-oriented, knowledge transfer with a holistic approach makes it a unique institution and an excellent example of collaboration in the sector.
Evergreen Prisma started as an initiative called Evergreen in 2018 and has grown to become the Competence Center for Green Filming Europe with an agile transformatory impact, also shown by numerous transformed green filming and funding projects. Anchored as an innovative, bilingual, public institution for art and culture with a strong digital character, it combines an interdisciplinary knowledge transfer with a unique film specific practice focus. Since 2020, its digital platform alone counted about 950.000 page views and 240.000 users from 135 countries around the globe.
From 2021 to 2024, in the framework of the Evergreen Prisma Academy, eight generations of professional Green Film Consultants – about 90 filmmakers, 63% of whom are women – have been trained, certified and supported. The Evergreen Prisma Academy also offers other specific trainings. The ‘Intelligent Swarm of Evergreen Prisma’ of professional green consultants for Film & TV operates with competence from within, from outside and inside institutions.
Since 2021, yearly Evergreen Prisma Pilot Projects have been dedicated to future aspects of green filming to foster innovation in the field, as well as numerous Evergreen Prisma Creative Labs for young talents have been mounted. In adequation with its practice-oriented approach, Evergreen Prisma interlinks its knowledge-transfer with digital instruments such as the comprehensive Green Practice Kit and the Carbon Calculator for Film & TV Austria by KlimAktiv. Furthermore, Evergreen Prisma has offered a multitude of versatile resources on film specific as well as interdisciplinary sustainability topics since 2020, including the European Map of Green Incentives. By means of mentoring and lecturing and the continuous launch of its pilot projects and creative labs, Evergreen Prisma has been fostering the further implementation of sustainable filmmaking in numerous European countries.
It is also a member and partly founder of the following (inter)national associations and working groups: EUFCN, AFCI, CineRegio Green, Green Co/Pro Europe (founder), Sustainability Study Group of Eurimages, European Film Academy, AFC&F, VGFCA (co-founder), FC GLORIA.
Evergreen Prisma has received the following awards and nominations: 2020 Makers & Shakers Award, 2021 European Cultural Brand Award, 2022 Liese Prokop Women Prize for Art, Culture and Media, Finalist Global Production Awards 2023, Double Finalist Global Production Awards 2024, Double Finalist Global Production Awards 2025.
Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI):
FISAplus:
Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI):
As a nationwide film funding agency, the Austrian Film Institute is generally responsible for auditing projects. Specifically for green filming, the Green Filming Department has been set up to audit projects in accordance with the applicable regulations and contractual agreements.
FISAplus:
The film projects applying for funding by FISA+ including a Green Bonus or Green Bonus and a certification with the Austrian Ecolabel (UZ76) are checked by the advisors and auditors of the Austrian Ecolabel.
EVERGREEN PRISMA – Competence Center for Green Filming Europe
EVERGREEN PRISMA Carbon Calculator for Film & TV Austria
GREEN FILMING DEPARTMENT – AUSTRIAN FILMINSTITUTE
Every film project has the possibility to decide upon if they want to get certified or not.
The Austrian Ecolabel agency set out guidelines for ‘Green Producing in Film and Television’ (UZ76). It is a product certification for which film production companies can become licence holders. The costs for the certification and the advisor and auditor of the Ecolabel are eligible for funded film projects.
Federal- and regional film funds accept potential green production additional costs as eligible expenses including the fee of the Green Film Consultant. This applies to the Austrian Film Institute, FISA+, the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport and Filmfund Vienna.
In the framework of the EVERGREEN PRISMA ACADEMY and its versatile program for knowledge transfer, Evergreen Prisma together with Philip Gassmann and additional experts, has been educating filmmakers to become professional Green Consultants for Film & TV since 2021 as one of its educational formats.
Besides, also other educational formats for green filming knowledge transfer and specific target groups have been designed and imparted.
As of 2024, about 90 persons (63% of whom are women) have successfully completed the professional training on this new film profession and were certified as specialists.
The Green Film Consultant Austria (GFCA) training of the Evergreen Prisma Academy is complex and country-specific with a strong international focus and employs Evergreen Prisma´s Premium Toolbox.
In 2021, the Association of the Green Film Consultants Austria (VGFCA) was founded.
In 2023, a specific practice-transfer was launched especially for professional Green Film Consultants of the Evergreen Prisma Academy. Evergreen Prisma continuously launches yearly pilot projects and organises creative labs for up-and-coming-talents.
The work of the trained Green Film Consultants is essential in the Austrian Synergy System for Green Filming and Funding. Due to the in-depth training by Evergreen Prisma and its (inter)national network, they are enabled to competently align film productions in Austria and abroad in a sustainable way, and to accompany their implementation with effective measures and work in institutions as green funding experts.
National:
In November 2019 a working group of regional and national film funding bodies was established to collaboratively create a uniform and practicable incentive model for green filming in Austria. The Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport initially took the chair, eventually handing it over to the Austrian Film Institute in 2022. From a long-term perspective, it was about integrating ecologically sustainable criteria as quality standards into national and regional film funding guidelines.
Strategic considerations were:
The Austrian Film Institute collaborates with all national and regional film funds in Austria, like the Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, FISA+, Filmfonds Vienna, ORF Austrian Broadcaster and representatives of the film industry.
Transnational:
In 2022, Evergreen Prisma founded the working group CO/PRO-EUROPE for transnational harmonization with countries that have already implemented high-quality regulations and use similar instruments, thereby aiming to give film production companies more of a planning security. The ÖFI is part of this working group since the beginning, as it considers pan-European cooperation to be the most important topic for co-productions.
The formulation of the Catalogue of Criteria for the Minimum Ecological Standards for Austrian Cinema Film Productions ÖFI/ÖFI+ sets Austria-specific priorities, while the clear structure of the mandatory and target criteria shows an initial transnational harmonisation strategy for co-productions – together with Germany`s Ecological Standards for German Cinema, TV and Online/VoD productions, with South Tyrol´s Guidelines and, in the meantime since September 2025, also with the Nordics, a group of several Scandinavian partners that have developed a common Nordic Ecological Standard (NES) for sustainable production on a country-specific, still harmonized basis.
The introduction of nationally binding film funding regulations in Germany and Austria as a uniform standard for the realisation of film projects has made it necessary to find cross-border solutions for joint co-productions and to work hand in hand also in a transnational context.
In line with its prooven Synergy System for Green Filming and Green Funding, ÖFI and EVERGREEN PRISMA have been working with the German Federal Film Board (FFA) on cross-border solutions, in an appreciative cooperation and with forward-looking vision.
This effective interworking of the named institutions is already reflected in several areas of green filming and funding, also the expansion of approved bridging instruments to support the practical implementation has been successful :
Evergreen Prisma´s digital service includes an innovative feature named TOPICALS, which provides an overview of information on topics that relate to social sustainability.
With this module as part of the digital service, Evergreen Prisma targetly supports and strengthens the practical implementation into film productions. The content of the TOPICALS is in continuous expansion. Its spectrum ranges around the following topics and offers actual and interlinked information: Filming with Children, Drones, Filming with Animals, Fairpay/Fairplay, Code of Ethics, We_Do! Advice Center, Intimacy Coordination, Workplace Safety, Sensitive Film Locations, Protected & Restricted Areas, Sustainable Radius Search,Traffic – Public Routes.
EVERGREEN PRISMA LAFC – Topicals
Code of Ethics
All funding institutions in Austria are committed to binding guidelines for professional conduct during the production of funded films.
This Code of Ethics contains regulations for all funded productions on the following topics:
Anti-discrimination
Respectful treatment
Prohibition of harassment and exclusionary behaviour
The producers must inform all employees involved in the production about compliance with these obligations (e.g. in the form of training courses) and ensure (in individual contracts) that they are complied with. Furthermore, they must create the opportunity for those affected to contact internal or external confidants.
The professional Help and Advice Centre against discrimination and unequal treatment, abuse of power, sexual assault and violations of labour law, for everyone working in the Austrian film and television industry offers support.
https://we-do.filmschaffende.at/ or https://vera-vertrauensstelle.at/
KIWOK – Child Welfare Concept for the Austrian Film Industry
The Child Welfare Concept came into force on January 1 2025. In the case of the participation of children and young people, a project-specific ‘Child Participation Plan’ based on the ‘KIWOK – Child Welfare Concept for the Austrian Film Industry’ is applicable at the time of application must be submitted and complied with for the project to be funded.
Child protection is a key requirement in the production of subsidised films. The producer must ensure the greatest possible safety in the form of measures such as the continuous provision of suitable and trained carers for this particularly vulnerable group on set, regardless of whether filming takes place in the United Kingdom or abroad. In addition, legal guardians and minors must be informed about their rights and obligations, working hours and conditions, and the content of the film.
KIWOK – Child welfare concept for the Austrian film industry
Working time regulations:
Labour laws set limits on working time and ensure equal treatment. Collective agreements in the audiovisual sector may include additional provisions. Training time can be counted as working time. Standard limit of eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, with a maximum including overtime of 12 hours per day and 60 per week, averaged to 48 hours over 17 weeks.
Filming in protected areas requires permits from local authorities or site managers. Large-scale sets or infrastructure works may trigger environmental impact assessments under UVP-G.
Generators and mobile batteries
Urban and studio locations allow for grid connection as the primary power source. Mobile battery systems and hybrid or HVO generators are available (currently in small quantities) through specialised suppliers.
Grid connection and energy mix
Austria’s location-based energy mix is strongly shaped by renewable sources. In 2023, 85% of electricity generation came from renewables, while 15% originated from fossil-based sources. The detailed composition was as follows: Hydropower: 61.65%, Wind energy: 12.15%, Solid or liquid biomass: 4.47%, Solar energy: 5.06%, Renewable gases: 1.29%, Geothermal energy: 0.10%, Oil and petroleum products: 0.00%, Natural gas: 15.08%, Coal: 0.14%, Other: 0.05%, Nuclear energy: 0.00%.
Local film commissions can support productions in securing temporary electricity connections (construction power supply) for filming locations.
Separate collection is mandatory for bio-waste, paper and cardboard, glass, metals, plastics, and composite packaging. Municipalities provide collection points and hazardous waste must follow dedicated, region-specific disposal routes.
From 1 January 2025, a new deposit system for plastic bottles and beverage cans will be introduced in Austria to increase the recycling rate and protect the environment.
Austria has a dense, mostly electrified rail network operated by ÖBB and WestBahn, with frequent national and cross-border connections, including night trains. This allows for low-carbon transport between production sites and neighbouring countries.
By 2024, Austria had around 19,500 public AC charging points, 3,800 fast DC chargers, and over 1,300 high-power chargers. Battery-electric vehicle registrations exceeded 200,000 units.
Here you find case studies as well as portraits of sustainably transformed projects from recent years that have been implemented according to proven sustainable criteria:
EVERGREEN PRISMA – Green Filming Practice
The Green Filming Department of the Austrian Filminstitute is collecting all specific data of all their funded sustainable projects since 2021 with key topics like: Additional costs, Co2eq – Emissions and increased success rates since introduction in 2021. A report of all this data will be published soon. The report will be available here: Green Filming annual reports – Österreichisches Filminstitut
Film commissions and film funding institutions in Austria collaborate with numerous regional, national and European networks to share resources and best practices, in the meantime also on sustainable production.
In the frame of the Evergreen Prisma Academy the following institutional green film consultants have been trained since 2021:
Austrian Film Institute/ÖFI (2)
Cine Tirol (2)
Federal Ministry of Housing, Art, Culture, Media and Sport (1)
Film Fund Vienna/FFW (1)
Film in Austria (1)
Fisa+ (1)
LAFC (3)
With GREEN FILMING AUSTRIA a national working group for sustainable filming was established in 2019, it is chaired by the Green Filming Department of the Austrian Film Institute.
Other calculators and tools are available. Their list can be consulted
on our partner‘s website Green Toolkit Film&TV.
Country’s decarbonization strategy
Austria aims to achive climate neutrality by 2040.
The Renewable Energy Expansion Act sets the target of 100% renewable electricity on an annual balance by 2030. In 2024, renewables accounted for 87,5 % of Austrias electricity mix. The Mobility Master Plan 2030 provides the framework for decarbonising transport in line with national climate goals.
Austria ranked at the 6th worldwide (out of 193 UN Member States) in overall progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, Austria’s 2030 Mobility Master Plan
This document was produced with the contribution of Evergreen Prisma & the Austrian Film Institute/Green Filming Department.
