Program Overview
International Competition
TERMS OF PROXIMITY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 1
6 Films72 MinFLUID AFFAIRS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2
6 Films63 MinIS THIS PARADISE? INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 3
7 Films67 Min
Whose Woods Are These
Paradaïz
Betrayer
The Death of the Fish
走 (zǒu)
Tears
This is not your Garden
Whose Woods Are These
Paradaïz
Betrayer
The Death of the Fish
走 (zǒu)
Tears
This is not your Garden
STRING FIGURES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 4
7 Films68 Min
Up & Coming
Austrian Panorama
Out of Competition Film Programs
SKIN DEEP
8 Films63 Min
Radix
Once in a body
I'm not sure
Vinegar Mother
Stereoton
The Shadow
As If the Earth had Swallowed Them Up
a body without a horse?
Radix
Once in a body
I'm not sure
Vinegar Mother
Stereoton
The Shadow
As If the Earth had Swallowed Them Up
a body without a horse?
IN TRANSMISSION
10 Films64 MinWORK, WORK, WORK
9 Films74 MinLET'S GET CARRIED AWAY!
11 Films71 MinCRAWLIES
7 Films67 Min(THINGS THAT) MATTER
9 Films56 Min
Anniversary Programs
UNRAVEL ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM 1
9 Films65 Min
Black Doll
Two Sisters
The Debutante
Bloomers
Steakhouse
Woolly Wolf
Teat Beat of Sex: Trouble
Bergamot
The Last Knit
Black Doll
Two Sisters
The Debutante
Bloomers
Steakhouse
Woolly Wolf
Teat Beat of Sex: Trouble
Bergamot
The Last Knit
FLICKERING SELVES ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM 2
10 Films65 Min(IM)POSSIBLE FUTURES ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM 3
7 Films75 Min
Talks & Events
International Forum Repositories Of Resistance
International Forum Repositories Of Resistance
// Please note: The conversation with Caroline Leaf was rescheduled to TUE 10.03, 8 PM at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Animation Lab, 1st Floor, Lehárgasse 8, 1060 Vienna). // Who makes history, whose stories are historicized? For 25 years, Tricky Women Tricky Realities has actively created counter-histories: animation created by and perceived from female and/or queer standpoints. In 2026, the International Forum continues this practice by focusing on strategies and ges tures of feminist historicization. Addressing questions of archival absence, erasures, coun ter-archiving, and re-circulation, we move from “an archive of longings” (Susan Sontag) to repositories of resistance. 12:00 – 12:50 UNMAKING THE CANON: WHO GETS TO BE REMEMBERED? Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre When we tell the story of animation, whose work be comes “history” and whose work quietly disappears? We often explain women’s absence from animation history as if their films were missing. But many works are not missing at all: they are simply harder to find, harder to cite, and easier to overlook. Archives and institutions do more than preserve: they select, label, credit and circulate. In dialogue with Tricky Women’s long-standing work, the talk argues that changing the canon is not only about recognition, but also about building the conditions that make women’s animation impossible to erase. Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre is an internationally recognized filmmaker and an associate professor at Université Laval (Art and Science of Animation). Her research advances feminist research-creation in animation, with a sustained focus on animated documentary, archival practices and the politics of representation. She is the author of Women and Film Animation: A Feminist Corpus at the National Film Board of Canada, 1939–1989 (2024). Her work examines animation as a critical, situated mode of knowledge production, attentive to women’s experiences and labour. 13:00 – 13:50 WOMEN'S ANIMATION HISTORIES: DO THEY NEED A ROOM OF THEIR OWN? Jayne Pilling What issues and problems affect the creation of his torical accounts and analyses of the work of women involved in animation? What role can a festival play in this process? Are art and agit-prop antithetical? A short presentation by Jayne Pilling, followed by a discussion with festival co-directress Waltraud Graus gruber and film critic Amanda Barbour, with particular reference to animation residencies. Jayne Pilling is an animation programme curator/historian/ teacher. Founded the British Animation Awards. Produced and distributed over 20 DVD collections of UK and international independent animation. Books include: Women and Animation; Animating the Unconscious, Desire & Sexuality in Animation. Awarded the Zagreb International Festival's 2019 Award for Contribution to Animation Studies Amanda Barbour is an award-winning film critic and President of Australia's oldest online film journal, Senses of Cinema. With a background in politics, she served as media adviser to the first Aboriginal Senator for Victoria in the Australian parliament. Her work revolves around undermining asymmetrical power dynamics, as the nexus of art and politics is theory and practice. BREAK 14:15 – 15:05 PM CRUISING THE ARCHIVE: CRITICAL FABULATION, ARCHIVAL ABSENCE, AND QUEER WORKING-CLASS HISTORIES IN VIOLETT Laura Nitsch Drawing on Saidiya Hartman’s concept of critical fabu lation and the practice of “cruising the archive,” Laura Nitsch discusses her film Violett and its engagement with erased histories of queer working-class women in (Red) Vienna. The talk reflects on archival absence, le gal repression, and historical invisibility, and asks how animation as a speculative tool can approach frag ments and silences without resolving them. Laura Nitsch follows traces of the disobedient, the stubborn and the unexpectedly witty in queer desire and working-class experience. Drawn to stories that refuse to disappear, she works with film, writing and scraps of memory. Her practice moves between observation and speculation, tracing how resistance takes form and how other kinds of economies and relations might emerge.
Artist Talk From Where They Stood
Artist Talk From Where They Stood
This year’s Tricky Women Tricky Realities Artist Talk brings together selected animated works featured in the festival program that all negotiate “terms of proximity” as in exploring proximity and distance in relation to (auto)biographical experiences and stories. The featured filmmakers center narrative and visual strategies that approach the fine line between the private and public from a feminist standpoint. By doing so, personal experience is approached not only as a basis for narrative or visual storytelling, but also as something that is emotionally affected by what is close: memories, bodies, body parts, community, kin. By exploring both the film’s (auto-)biographical aspects and the experiences of the filmmakers engaging with them, questions arise: What “terms of proximity” exist in (auto-)biographical or autofictional storytelling? How is closeness and distance negotiated when it comes to biographical or autobiographical stories? Under what circumstances can intimate spaces, memories and testimonies be translated into public spheres? What is the potential of animation to hold space for the personal, the private, the intimate – the "unfolded" person? The artist talk will begin with an input by writer Eddie van Gemmern. Eddie van Gemmern works at the queer-feminist bookstore ChickLit and in the Department of Transcultural Studies at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Eddie reads, writes, and curates at the intersections of trans theory, queer-feminist narratives, and literature. He studied Creative Writing in Leipzig as well as Studies in Art and Culture in Vienna and has published literary texts in journals and magazines.
Party
Party
The international animation film festival Tricky Women Tricky Realities is turning 25 and wants to celebrate this anniversary loudly and joyfully! As part of the 2026 festival edition, you are warmly invited to the anniversary celebration at Rote Bar at Vienna’s Volkstheater. The dance floor opens at 10:00 p.m., after a first DJ set, Tricky Women Tricky Realities will present a small midnight concert by Jopa, die sehr gute Band, at witching hour. Followed by a DJ Set by JOIE DE F:LLE. Jopa, die sehr gute Band It is said: “Jopa, the very good band, takes you by the hand and leads you into the deep sea — we are all the Deep Sea Community. Jopa is a supergroup made up of all the projects that the Viennese music scene has produced so far.” As musicians, Lilian Kaufmann and Elena Ulrich are currently also, among other things, creating the music for the play Elisabeth! by Mareike Fallwickl. JOIE DE F:LLE L‘enfant terrible of the underground, music & art scenes, JOIE DE F:LLE (*) has been turning Vienna upside down for more than a decade now. DJ, producer & host of the event series GRAVITÉ / Abidik Gubidik Twist / #wagashishisbubble JOIE DE F:LLE is well known for their/her genre eclectic sets & would serve any party exactly what it needs under any circumstances. (*) Hicran Ergen (aka. @studio_wagashishi_xoxo) is a transdisciplinary visual artist, painter, musician, improviser, poet, experimental filmmaker, archivist & social media phenomenon 👉🏽 @wagashishi Tickets via volkstheater.at
Workshop with Mary Martins
Workshop with Mary Martins
In the workshop, participants will explore methodological approaches to animated documentary filmmaking, with a focus on exploring new decolonial approaches that reevaluate the history of conventional archives. Creating a collage of animation that can align with fieldwork, oral histories, personal memories and indigenous knowledge systems. This is to widen discussions around the past, present and future in relation to underrepresented histories. Participants will be introduced to an animation technique of rotoscoping, animating over archival photographs and footage that have been extracted from traditional and personal archives. Participants will create a collage of animation using a range of different materials, such as oil and chalk pastels, marker pens, tissue paper and paints. They will explore the ways that animation can be used as a living archive that confronts the legacies of colonial history. The afternoon will take the form of a collaborative and co-created short animation, produced alongside discussions around themes of migration, colonial archives, community-building and decolonisation. Participation is free. Registration open until 2 March under community@gewaechshaus.network For creatives from the Global Majority and the CESEE region (Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe)
Workshop with Caroline Leaf
Workshop with Caroline Leaf
Working in pairs of two at one animation station, you will develop and animate a short film illustrating cooperation – sparked by a concrete image or personal story from your life. This workshop will be lead by Caroline Leaf, a pioneer of sand animation, paint-on-glass and scratch on 70mm film (Oscar-nominated for The Street, 1977). Leaf’s animated storytelling films are renowned for their emotional content and graphic style, closely tied to the innovative direct animation techniques she developed. Prior animation experience is welcome but not required (share 1-2 sentences about your experience when registering). Registration open until 20 February under guests@trickywomen.at In cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and ASIFA Austria
Workshop with Maya Yonesho
Workshop with Maya Yonesho
Daumenreise is an experimental project by Maya Yonesho that began in Vienna and marks its 20th anniversary this year. Over two days, participants work together on a collectively created animation: Daumenreise Vienna III. Discover hidden tales and places in Vienna through observation, drawing, and filming. No animation experience is needed — just bring your curiosity, things you’ve noticed or found, or any research you’d like to share. As we create together, perspectives shaped by women come to light. 28 February 10 AM – 7 PM & 1 March: 10 AM - 5 PM Cost: €150 Registration open until 20 February under guests@trickywomen.at
AR Intervention Remembering a Pioneer
AR Intervention Remembering a Pioneer
Augmented reality installations form a digital monument honoring Johanna Dohnal (1939–2010) – Austria's first Minister for Women's Affairs and a symbol of the struggle for equality – and serve as a publicly visible sign of feminist remembrance culture. Johanna Dohnal’s political achievements have profoundly changed Austrian society, from the reform of family law to the protection of women against violence. Their impact is still felt today, and in times of growing anti-feminist, anti-queer and anti-democratic sentiment they are more important than ever. The installation at Johanna-Dohnal-Platz invites visitors to learn more about Johanna Dohnal’s achievements and her historical significance through art. The artistically diverse, animated contributions bring the location to life virtually, transforming it into a place of democratic action and reflection on social and political conditions. Eni Brandner, Kris Hofmann, Susi Jirkuff, Nayeun Park, Veronika Schubert and Anna Vasof have created six virtual sculptures that relate to Johanna Dohnal and relevant socio-political debates in both a historical and a current context. Combining animation, video, drawing, sound and voice, their works feature texts, quotes, archive material and original recordings. With backgrounds in animation and fine arts, the participating artists all have their own distinct style and innovative approach. The individual works are called Sprechstunde (Consultation Hours), Johanna Dohnal – The Programmer, Feminism/Role Models/Self-Definition, Substantial Quantum Leaps, A Protesting Vase II, and Portraits of Progress. The works can also be experienced online at artificialmuseum.com Augmented reality (AR) uses a modern digital technology to connect digital content – such as moving images, photos, virtual sculptures, texts, or sounds – with the physical world. All you need is a mobile device – no app, no special glasses, you just scan a QR code. In collaboration with Artificial Museum, Mariahilf district’s council, Johanna Dohnal Archiv, AHS Rahlgasse and Top Kino. Made possible by KÖR Vienna and supported by ZukunftsFonds of the Republic of Austria THE AR INSTALLATIONS Substantial Quantum Leaps by Eni Brandner Johanna Dohnal is considered a pioneer of women’s politics in Austria. She spoke openly about many issues that had previously been silently accepted. She made injustices visible and did not mince her words when criticizing patriarchal social structures and challenging entrenched systems. With these thoughts in mind, I created an AR object that attempts to make this process of breaking through tangible. An invisible barrier becomes visible, and only by actively stepping into its interior does it begin to break apart. The work thus translates a social experience into a spatial and physical perception. It reminds us that the “glass ceiling” is not merely a metaphor, but a real—though often invisible—boundary, and that breaking through it requires movement, presence, and action. Source reference: Origin archive audio recording: “Austrian Mediathek / Technisches Museum Wien” http://www.enimation.at/enimation/biography.html Portraits of Progress by Kris Hofmann The centerpiece of the installation consists of portraits of women whose lives—directly or indirectly—have been touched by Johanna Dohnal’s work. The portraits depict different women, including academics, workers, and musicians. The picture frames are arranged on a fantastical, physically impossible structure that rotates 90 degrees every five to eight seconds, creating a subtly surreal movement. https://krishofmann.co.uk/ Sprechstunde by Susi Jirkuff In the AR installation, a 3D office desk appears with a sign reading “Consultation Hours” — known from a press photograph of Johanna Dohnal. Behind it sits Johanna Dohnal as an animated figure. An animation of her head and upper body was created from a series of archival photographs in which she can be seen gesturing while speaking. The entire scene forms a 3D table object that the audience can walk around. The sign is visible from the front, side, and back, while the animation of Johanna Dohnal appears at the front or can be seen as a silhouette from behind. https://susijirkuff.com/ A Protesting Vase II by Nayeun Park The installation consists of a video and a 3D sculpture. The sculpture functions like a “projection surface” for the video, in which garments associated with “femininity” are destroyed, sewn back together, and ultimately transformed into a sculpture. A spoken text accompanies the images and reflects on violence against women, gender roles, and patriarchal structures, drawing on the ideas and positions of Johanna Dohnal. https://www.nayeunpark.com/ GRUNDSÄTZE by Veronika Schubert I found the following quote in the Austrian newspaper Falter, which for me expresses the idea perfectly: “I think it is time to remember: the vision of feminism is not a ‘female future.’ It is a human future. Without role constraints, without power and violence structures, without male alliances and the obsession with femininity.” — Johanna Dohnal I enjoy working with newspaper material. For me, it is a form of quoting, but also a personal way of commenting. The media—or more precisely WHAT and especially HOW something is communicated publicly—strongly shapes public perception and the general mood within society. AND: it also has a lasting influence on our own worldview, whether we want it to or not. For this AR installation, I use sentences that Johanna Dohnal could have said. At the same time, they are meant to be sentences with which viewers can identify, or at least that encourage reflection. All sentences begin with “I” and relate to role models, self-perception, external perception, expectations, desires, attributions, and self-definition. https://veronika-schubert.at/ Johanna Dohnal – The ProgramMer by Anna Vasof In the Virtual Monument of Johanna Dohnal, an animated text appears in her glasses. It is written in a programming-like language and describes the laws she fought for and succeeded in implementing. The typing animation emphasizes that Johanna Dohnal herself was a kind of “programmer” of social rules. The virtual head is based on a real plaster head that I sculpted and painted myself. This physical head was then scanned and integrated into the AR installation. https://annavasof.net/
VR Talk
VR Talk
Talk & Discussion with Flavia Mazzanti The session focuses on the evolving role of immersive technologies in animation and their potential to reshape perception and narrative at the intersection of film and immersive media.
Exhibitions
VR
4 Films67 MinExhibition Lea Vidaković
Exhibition Lea Vidaković
This year, Bildraum 07 gallery and Tricky Women Tricky Realities present works by the Serbian-Croatian animation artist Lea Vidaković. The focus is on Sisters, an animated triptych whose sequence is chosen by the viewers. Through the story of three sisters it explores the relationship between humans and space, as well as themes of melancholy and loss. Additional puppets and props help to bring Vidaković’s miniature world into the real space. Opening: THU 12 March 2026, 6 PM Lea Vidaković in conversation with FH-Prof. Mag. Mag. Dr. Franziska Proska Exhibition: 13 March – 8 April 2026
Double Takes Combo drawings by Caroline Leaf and Lynn Smith
Double Takes Combo drawings by Caroline Leaf and Lynn Smith
When the isolation of Covid lockdown began to bite, Caroline Leaf and Lynn Smith started to make combo drawings… two artist/animators making one drawing. We live in London UK and Montreal Canada. It was a lively dialogue across the miles via email. Our subjects were what we saw outside our windows – a street scene, for example – or objects inside our homes … a shoe, the kitchen sink, a wine glass, ourselves. We put the two halves together in Photoshop. It was always a happy surprise when the two parts clicked into place and made a new coherent image.
