We are one – Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 2025

15 October 2025

Post originally written in: Deutsch

When Innsbruck is bathed in autumnal colors in October and the turquoise-blue Inn River glistens in the sunlight, the city forms the perfect backdrop for the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival. It took place for the 24th time this year - a sign of stability in times of change and upheaval. Between October 8 and 12, the Metropol Cinema was transformed into a center for nature, the environment, climate and sustainability. From over 450 submissions, 68 international films were carefully selected - an impressive program that impressively brought the diversity and vulnerability of our world to the screen.

More than cinema: INFF all over the city

I've already had the pleasure of reporting on INFF twice - and each time I'm thrilled anew: by the carefully curated films, the perfect organization and the many lovingly designed side events. The festival didn't just take place in the movie theater, but throughout the city. For example, selected restaurants offered special dishes prepared from 100% seasonal and regional ingredients. The cooperation between the University of Innsbruck and INFF also played an important role again this year: employees of the university contributed their professional expertise to the juries and enriched the festival program with scientific input in the popular Science Glimpses. Another special highlight were the so-called Experiences - workshops and excursions for all age groups, which combine nature, research and experience in an inspiring way.

Creating awareness

The films at INFF open up new perspectives, encourage people to think and invite them to question their own behavior. That's how I felt about the movie Requiem in Weißwhich deals with the dramatic loss of glaciers. The filmmaker Harry Putz allows scientists, alpinists and tourism experts to have their say - objectively, calmly and without moralizing. It is precisely this restraint that makes the film so compelling: you can make up your own mind - and believe me, it's a frightening one. If the world carries on as before, our glaciers will be in a bad way. But not only the films, but also the side events play an important role: they deepen public commitment to nature, create awareness for sustainable action and promote intergenerational learning.

INFF to join in: side events and workshops for young and old

I am sure that every single one of the Experiences was a highlight - whether it was the SAAC climbing workshop, birdwatching or the tour "High above Innsbruck", which led from the Hafelekar mountain station to the legendary Geierwally hut, to name just a few.
I would have loved to take part in all of them! As this was unfortunately not possible, in this article I would like to talk about three side events that were organized in collaboration with the FH Kufstein Tirol and in particular Beat the Trashan interactive workshop that I was able to attend with my children.

Innovation meets sustainability - the side events of the FH Kufstein

As part of a two-semester practical project, six students from the Master's degree program in Sport, Culture and Event Management at FH Kufstein Tirol developed three innovative side events in collaboration with Innsbruck Tourism and the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival three innovative side events. The task was challenging: there had to be something for every age group, elements of art, literature and music had to be incorporated - and of course a well thought-out communication concept also had to be taken into account. Before the final formats were finalized, numerous ideas were developed, discussed and refined. After a careful selection process, Innsbruck Tourismus and INFF finally decided on three events:

Beat the Trash

And last but not least: Beat the Trash! In this interactive workshop, children were able to make their own instruments out of old milk cartons, bottle caps or Pringles cans. Afterwards, the creative works were proudly presented in a small concert. Parents were actually only invited to the performance - but I was lucky enough to be there during the crafting and can therefore tell you a bit about it.

Teach them young

In short: the workshop was great! Even the location - the workshop couch -, the good organization and the friendly workshop leader Selina Zwick were convincing. And of course the children, who were so enthusiastic. We started off with a little guessing game: How long does it take for a Apfelbutzen (= the core of an eaten apple) to rot? A cardboard box? Plastic? Or glass? It quickly became clear that some things take forever to disappear. Some things rot in a few weeks, some in a few months - but plastic? That lasts for hundreds of years. And glass? Almost for eternity. Moments like these are important - they make it clear why environmental awareness matters. I don't want to sound pathetic, but it's simply true: children are our future. The values and experiences we give them today will shape what is important to them tomorrow. And workshops like this one show that learning can also be fun.

Musical upcycling

After the introduction, the children got busy making things: Guitars were made from milk cartons, rain pipes from Pringles cans and small bells from crown caps. So garbage doesn't always have to rot - sometimes you can breathe new life into it and make something really cool out of it. The children really enjoyed it. As I said, this was down to the professional organization of the students and, of course, Selina. Even my older son, who was skeptical at the beginning, was enthusiastic in the end.

A big thank you and see you next year

In conclusion, all that remains for me to say is: As always, INFF was a huge success again this year! A big thank you to the team around Festival Director Johannes Kostenzer, Executive Director Elisabeth Stark, Film Curator Katja Trippel, the wonderful moderator Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi, the students of FH Kufstein and every single person who helped to put on such a great film festival. I'm really looking forward to next year, when INFF turns a quarter of a century old.

Winner:inside the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival 2025

Best Green Fiction Feature - Through Rocks and Clouds - Franco García Becerra
Best Biodiversity Film - Secrets of the Penguins - Serena Davis
Wild Women Award - Oceania: Journey to the Center - Natalie Zimmermann
Best Soil Film - Soil: The World at Our Feet - Radford Nicholls
Best Glacier Film - Greenland: Feeling the Heat - Lars Pfeiffer
Best Film on the Topic of Quality of Life in the Alps - Requiem in White - Harry Putz
Best Environmental Documentary - Searching for Amani - Nicole Gormley & Debra Aroko
Best Short Green Fiction - Taxidermist - Behzad Alavi & Sousan Salamat
Best Nature Documentary - Birdsong - Kathleen Harris
Special Nature Jury Award - Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite - Lorenzo Hagerman
Christian Berger Cinematography Award - Iron Winter - Kasimir Burgess & Benjamin Bryan
Best Short Documentary Film - Tiger Eyes - Martina Trepczyk
Best Animation Short - Blake Tide - Kim Yip Tong
Green Film Network Award: Best Green Short - Soleil Gris - Camille Monnier
Green Film Network Award: Best Feature Green Film - Una Canción para mi Tierra - Mauricio Albornoz Iniesta
Best Short Film for Kids - Seeotter - Tierische Klimaschützer - Hendrik & Claudia Schmitt