The semi-final round of judging took place at the invitation of ORF-Enterprise and IMZ International Music + Media Centre and was held as a digital event on June 14, 2021. Jurors from 15 countries evaluated TV productions in the categories "Arts Programming" and "Documentary".

Vienna – Already for the seventh time, ORF-Enterprise and IMZ International Music + Media Centre jointly hosted the semi-final round of judging of the "Oscars of Television". Thereby, the two Austrian hosts ensure international exchange from which the domestic production and media location benefits, such as through co-productions. The 49^th International Emmy Awards honor the best television productions in the world and will be presented in New York City (USA) on November 22, 2021. Due to the pandemic, the semi-final round judging took place as a digital event at which international industry experts evaluated productions from different continents. The jury process under the strict regulations of the International Emmy Academy ensures maximum transparency and impartiality.

Global networking brings Austrian films, series and documentaries to screens around the world

This year, the semifinal judging event has a special significance for ORF-Enterprise and IMZ International Music + Media Centre, especially since there is an increasing demand for high-quality productions due to the pandemic. Recently, the Content Sales International team at ORF-Enterprise successfully placed numerous fictional productions, such as the popular "Soko Kitzbuehel", on the international market. In the course of the International Emmy Awards, the quality of high-grade productions from Austria can be optimally communicated and the film industry location can be presented to decision-makers from the international film and television industry.

“Good international contacts and networking are the foundation that helps Austrian productions to achieve worldwide success. The International Emmy Awards are a unique opportunity to make the high quality of Austrian television content known beyond national borders”, emphasizes Armin Luttenberger, Head of Content Sales International at ORF-Enterprise.

The IMZ International Music + Media Centre makes performing arts in audiovisual media accessible and secures them for a sustainable future in the digital age. As an innovation driver for the cultural film industry, and on the occasion of its 60^th anniversary, a digital search engine and a B2B marketplace for film license trading with its members and partners will launch already in September 2021.

IMZ Secretary General Katharina Jeschke is convinced that, “The past year brought to light the enormous relevance of art and cultural films. For our 60^th anniversary, it is particularly important for us to organize the category 'Arts Programming' together with the expertise of our entire cultural film network.”

Jurors from 15 countries

In the categories “Arts Programming” and “Documentary”, the submissions that have now advanced one step further to the award show in New York City were evaluated by experts from Arte (France), BBC Music (United Kingdom), C Major Entertainment (Germany), Centurioni Images (Austria), Euro Arts Music International (Germany), Gartenbau Kino (Austria), Golden Prague Festival (Czech Republic), IMZ International Music + Media Centre (Austria), LRT (Latvia), Magic Entertainment (Austria), Mara Media (United Kingdom), Master of Art Film Festival (Bulgaria), Mercury Studios (United Kingdom), MTVA (Hungary), NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation (Japan), NRK Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (Norway), Riddle Films (Canada), ServusTV (Austria), Sky (United Kingdom), SVT (Sweden), Telemondis Distribution (France), TG4 (Ireland), TVP (Poland), Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (Austria), Viasat World Limited (United Kingdom), YLE (Finland), and ZDF (Germany).

About ORF-Enterprise

As a marketing subsidiary of ORF, ORF-Enterprise is exclusively responsible for marketing the leading Austrian media group’s entire national media output. The portfolio includes four television stations (ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III Kultur und Information, ORF SPORT +), three national radio stations (Ö1, Hitradio Ö3, radio FM4), the print magazine ORF nachlese, the entire digital output on ORF.at, ORF-TVthek and ORF-Radiothek as well as ORF TELETEXT. The Content Sales International and Licensing and Media Cooperations division licences ORF content and brands worldwide. ORF-Enterprise operates its own music publishing house ORF-Enterprise Musikverlag as well as its own record label. The company is the national representative of leading international creative festivals such as Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and organiser of national advertising prizes such as ORF-TOP SPOT, ORF-WERBEHAHN and ORF-ONWARD. The management consists of Oliver Böhm (CEO, advertising marketing, content exploitation) and Heinz Mosser (finance and administration, music publishing & label, sound & vision, ORF nachlese). ORF-Enterprise is a 100 percent subsidiary of the ORF media group. More information at https://enterprise.ORF.at, https://contentsales.ORF.at and https://musikverlag.ORF.at

About IMZ International Music + Media Centre

Founded in 1961 under the aegis of UNESCO, the Vienna-based IMZ International Music + Media Centre is an internationally active non-profit network of leading producers of cultural programs as well as television and radio broadcasters, opera houses, festivals, cultural and educational institutions, record labels, publishers, video-on-demand platforms, streaming platforms, film producers, artists' agencies as well as composers, musicians, singers and choreographers. The goal of IMZ is to promote and disseminate the performing arts through audiovisual media in order to bring more and more people around the globe into contact with music and dance. IMZ offers its approximately 150 Member Organizations, which together represent the majority of all international production and distribution companies as well as public, private and online broadcasters in the cultural segment, optimal business conditions and new sales and co-production opportunities through specific membership services and a series of B2B events. IMZ also acts as a mediator between the diverse interests within the music industry and the media and organizes the Avant Première - the most important trade fair for international cultural television.

For further information, please visit http://www.imz.at

If you no longer wish to receive our press releases, please unsubscribe here.