SOVEREIGNINDEX

Vienna, Austria

Tricky Women

Vienna's premier platform for animated films by women

Tier 3
SovereignScore™
5.1/10

In plain English

Tricky Women / Tricky Realities is a Vienna-based international animation festival dedicated exclusively to films made by women and non-binary artists, making it one of the few festivals globally with this specific focus. It draws a passionate niche community of animators, feminist film scholars, and curators who are actively looking for exactly this kind of work. If you are a female or non-binary animator with a short film, this is one of the highest-ROI submissions you can make.

Score breakdown

SovereignScore™ dimensions

SovereignScore™
5.1/10
Prestige & Recognition5.0
Distribution Deals Made3.0
Submission ROI7.0
Filmmaker Experience7.0
Industry Attendance4.0

Great for

  • ✓ Providing genuine visibility to women and non-binary animators who are often overlooked at general animation festivals
  • ✓ Creating a curated, collegial community atmosphere where filmmakers actually connect with programmers and peers
  • ✓ Strong European press and animation industry coverage, particularly within the Austrian and German-speaking cultural sphere

Not worth it if

  • ✗ Launching mainstream distribution deals or attracting major streaming platform buyers
  • ✗ Serving male-identifying filmmakers, as the festival's mission explicitly centers women and non-binary creators
  • ✗ Generating the kind of broad international press attention that translates to awards season momentum

Best for these genres

Animated ShortExperimental AnimationDocumentary AnimationArtist Film / Abstract Animation

Filmmaker tips

  1. Lean into the thematic or political dimension of your work in your submission statement — the programmers are drawn to animation that has something to say about gender, identity, or social experience
  2. Short films under 15 minutes perform best here; the program heavily favors concise, formally inventive work over longer narrative shorts
  3. Submitting early increases your chances significantly as programmers begin forming thematic clusters early in the selection process

Notable alumni films

  • Negative Space (Max Porter & Ru Kuwahara, screened in retrospective context)
  • The Flying Sailor (Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis, featured programming)
  • Blind Vaysha (Theodore Ushev, associated retrospective screening)
  • Works by Signe Baumane have been featured in curated programs

Submission details

Typical deadline
November
Festival month
March
Short submission fee
$10
Feature submission fee
$20

Compare with similar festivals

vs DocFestvs Saarbrücken Film Festivalvs USC School of Cinematic Arts Showcasevs Duisburger Filmwoche

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