Howard Nightingall

Discover the incredible story of a group of dedicated people working to protect one of the planet’s last refuges for Africa's iconic wildlife.

A Kellergasse – the cellar lane – is one of the distinguishing cultural and physical features of the winegrowing region Niederösterreich – Lower Austria. There are more than a thousand of them. Until recently, wine was not only stored in the Kellergasse, but pressed and fermented there as well. Today, the Kellergassen have less to do with occupation and more with recreation. A documentary by Georg Riha follows a year in the life of this valuable cultural legacy.

The Habsburg Dynasty had ruled large parts of Europe and the world for 650 years. During World War I, however, the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire sowed the seeds of its own demise. At the height of World War I, the world of the Habsburgs was on the brink of collapse. Almost exactly 100 years ago to the day, in April 1918, the most sensitive diplomatic mission of the First World War became a Europe-wide scandal: the so-called "Sixtus Affair". Secret negotiations between the Austrian imperial family and France were supposed to bring peace to the Danube monarchy – and their failure caused the war to escalate and the Habsburgs to fall.

The film deals with questions that have long tormented us: Who was the first civil servant? How has the civil service developed over the course of history? What did Mr. Weber, Engineer Breitfuß, Ms. Knackal, and Mr. Claus do before MA 2412 existed? How did they meet? Why was MA 2412 actually founded? What if the EU decides to introduce a Europe-wide Christmas department? And what is the point of it all?

Once upon a time... There were four young men of different nationalities: Spanish, Italian, Swedish and British, a one-pound business deal that ends up becoming a one-hundred-thousand pound business deal, and a legend: The Legend of David Pilgrim. This is the basic idea behind The Pilgrim Factor, a story half-way between a comedy and a tale, about anonymous characters who accidentally happen to come across something that could prove doubtful the authenticity of the world's most famous rock group. All this takes place right in the centre of "Chicken Town"... a city where everything is possible... even a story like this one.

Paris, 1950. Jürgen is sent to Paris as a reporter to cover the preliminary negotiations for the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, where he unexpectedly meets Marie again. During the war, Jürgen, a Wehrmacht officer, was stationed in Marie's village. At that time, the two were involved in a passionate love affair that they had to keep strictly secret. Now Marie wants nothing more to do with Jürgen. Because she is hiding a secret. Not even her best friends know that Pierre is Jürgen's son. Everyone believes that Marie was raped during the war. Only her parents and brother had noticed Marie's love for a German at the time, disowned her from the family, and chased her out of the village.

Using historical film footage, movie scenes, and dramatic recreations, this film not only depicts the rise and fall of "Scarface," but also looks behind the myths at the private family man. Interviews with Capone's nephew Harry Hart, and with Capone experts John Binder, Dennis Hoffman and William Balsamo all help to illuminate the social and economic milieu of the '20s and '30s that led to the rise of the "Mafia."

The true story of Catherine Dunbar's struggle with anorexia, that began when she was 15.

The Zambezi is one of the world's great rivers, yet apart from the spectacular Victoria Falls, large parts of its course are virtually unknown. Never before has this mighty river been portrayed so comprehensively on film as in this two-part series. The Zambezi flows through the continent's most magnificent ecosystems and offers a glimpse of all the classic African animal species. It forms a lifeline through Africa's most impressive landscapes and determines the fate of the indigenous people and all other forms of life.

Although it crosses six countries and is over 3,500 kilometers long, the Zambezi is one of the least known rivers in the world. So it's time to take to the water and discover this mystical, ever-changing river, whose mood changes from day to day, kilometer to kilometer, and which is the very essence of life for millions of animals and people in this often drought-stricken, water-scarce region!

A Film by Roland Wehap is a sharp, self-aware satire that blurs the line between fiction and autobiography. In this audacious "one-man show," filmmaker Roland Wehap sets out to answer a radical question: Can you make a feature film entirely on your own and with almost no budget? With biting humor and raw honesty, the film chronicles the trials of a fiercely independent artist chasing recognition, glory - and maybe even a touch of immortality - through his uncompromising vision. Along the way, he crafts a film about his sleeping cat, launches his own film festival after rejections pile up, and briefly grabs the spotlight on the international stage. But behind the absurdity lies a sobering truth: success in the spotlight doesn't always pay the bills. Ultimately, A Film by Roland Wehap is both a satire and a love letter to filmmaking itself - a testament to creative persistence, no matter the odds.

The climate is changing, global temperature is rising. The impacts are already apparent, especially in the mountains but also in the lowlands. The permafrost zone is shifting higher up and the masses of snow melt whooshing from the glaciers to the valleys are already increasing incessantly. Rivers are going to rise up to powerful floods and dwindle down to extremely low waters the next second.

In no other province have as many cultural buildings been erected in the last two decades as in Lower Austria.The documentary Building for the Arts presents a few outstanding examples of this cultural development.Starting with St. Pölten’s cultural district and the “Art Mile” in Krems, we show how contemporary architecture has uniformly established itself - from the revitalization of historic sites, including monasteries and castles, to the construction of sensational new buildings. The viewer will be led through the broad spectrum of exceptional building culture in Lower Austria, a culture which provides art, theater and music with the plentiful and spectacular stages it deserves.

Merlin, the immortal son of the bard Taliesin and Atlantean Princess Charis, is followed through his tragic upbringing, descent into madness, and shocking disappearance, leading to the legend that surrounds him. Set before King Arthur's birth, Merlin, assumed dead or a myth, reemerges in sub-Roman Britain to unite the fractured kingdoms under threat from Saxon invaders.

Travel from the steamy delta beyond New Orleans, upstream to headwaters in great northern swamps, and along the Mississippi's greatest tributary, the Missouri. The crew encounter a wealth of wildlife, from tropical manatees to ancient horseshoe crabs, primitive giant fish, colorful herons, industrious beavers, deadly rattlesnakes, herds of buffalo, and prairie dog colonies. Dramatic reconstructions illustrate what the river was like when the first explorers encountered it, meeting Indian tribes and witnessing new wildlife spectacles.

From mighty peaks, formed by powerful natural forces, to one of the last largely intact floodplain landscapes in central Europe; from vast, sunbaked plains that provide refuge for innumerable creatures have only recently returned to the ravines of the border regions – Austria’s national parks were created to protect some of the most diverse, captivating landscapes and fascinating species at the heart of the European continent.