ORF wins more awards and makes its mark on the European crime drama scene

Armin Luttenberger, Head of Content Sales International at ORF-Enterprise.

ORF productions made a strong showing at the 2026 German Crime Television Festival, where they won three awards and cemented their place on the European crime drama scene.

The Grand Prize went to Eight, a film written and directed by Marie Kreutzer. The jury praised its solid narrative and its ability to address current issues such as conspiracy theories and masculinity through a dramatic lens that resonates with audiences.

Additionally, the film received a Special Acting Award for Regina Fritsch and Thomas Prenn, whose performances were highlighted for their intensity and precision, successfully conveying constant tension with minimal resources.

Meanwhile, Daniel Prochaska’s The Easter Egg Plot was recognized with a Special Prize for its innovative approach. The jury highlighted the combination of political humor and classic elements of the crime genre, alongside high-level technical and acting work.

In Eight, an investigation into a rural murder exposes links to extremist ideologies and conspiracy networks, in a plot that combines social tension and psychological depth.

Listing

The Red Sea – Evolution’s Magic Garden

45 min., 52 min. UNIVERSUM Nature

The film explores the Red Sea, highlighting its high salinity and warmth, yet thriving coral reefs and diverse marine life. The surrounding land hosts unique plant species, like the Socotra desert rose. Despite its harsh conditions, the region’s cultures have intersected for centuries. As global temperatures rise, the Red Sea’s resilient flora and fauna attract increased interest, potentially serving as a refuge for species lost elsewhere.

Austria’s Greatest Mountain – The Grossglockner

UNIVERSUM Nature 45 min., 52 min.

This documentary explores the breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife of the eastern Alps. From glaciers and snowy summits to waterfalls and sandy peaks, it reveals how climate change is transforming these high-altitude habitats. As temperatures rise, animals such as ibex, eagles, marmots, alpine bumblebees and other mountain specialists face increasing challenges, forcing both wildlife and humans to adapt to a rapidly changing environment more than 3,000 metres above sea level.

Superfish – Wild Salmon

UNIVERSUM Nature – 52 min.

This documentary follows marine biologist and filmmaker Rick Rosenthal as he investigates the vital role of wild salmon in global ecosystems. Beginning with Alaska’s spectacular pink salmon run, the film contrasts local abundance with the dramatic worldwide decline of wild salmon, driven by climate change and human impact. Travelling to salmon strongholds, Rosenthal uncovers surprising signs of resilience and adaptation. The documentary explores why salmon matter – not only to wildlife, but to people and the planet – and whether these “pioneers” can secure the species’ future.

Archduchess Sophie – The Power Behind the Habsburg Throne

52 min. – UNIVERSUM History

The film highlights the life of Archduchess Sophie, the 19th-century Viennese court’s most powerful woman, who ensures that her son Franz Joseph rises to the throne with
Empress Sisi. Despite Sisi’s popularity, true power lies with Sophie, straining their relationship. Seen as the force behind the Habsburg monarchy, Sophie is often misunderstood due to her portrayal as the “evil mother-in-law” in 1950s Sisi films.

From Paradise to Hell – Black People under the Nazi Regime

UNIVERSUM History – 45 min., 52 min.

Set in 1940, this powerful docudrama follows Lionel, a young man from Saint Martin who leaves the Caribbean in search of adventure and opportunity. Unknowingly bound for war-torn Europe, his journey turns into a harrowing odyssey when his cargo ship strikes a mine and he is captured by Italian forces allied with Nazi Germany. Confronted with brutal racism and forced labour, Lionel is eventually sent to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, where his survival hinges on skill, language ability and sheer luck. The film weaves together youthful audacity, extraordinary twists of fate and the enduring legacy of European racism rooted in colonial history.

Lady Mitsuko – Rising Sun, Turning Tides

UNIVERSUM History – 25 min., 45 min., 52 min.

This documentary tells the extraordinary story of Mitsuko Aoyama, one of the first Japanese immigrants to Europe, who arrived in Austria-Hungary in the 1890s with her diplomat husband, Heinrich von Coudenhove-Kalergi. Revered in Japan as a symbol of female emancipation, Mitsuko’s life bridges cultures and eras, embodying resilience, dignity and the pioneering spirit of East–West exchange.

JONES

Crime – 6 × 45 min.

A family gathers at a lavish estate in Sintra to celebrate an engagement. Everything seems perfect until the party ends in murder. Inspector Oliver Jones, who can communicate with the dead, teams up with the sarcastic and sharp-witted victim, Júlia, to uncover the killer. Amid family secrets, betrayals, and an agoraphobic actress dreaming of being Sherlock Holmes, can the dead truly help reveal the truth?

Days That Never Were

16 × 48 min. Drama

The story follows four women – Miriam, Doris, Inès, and Christiane – whose friendship from their school days at the elite Sophianum is tested by secrets, family conflicts, and personal loss. Their bond faces a murder investigation after an accident. In Season 2, new student Emily’s arrival and a body’s discovery reignite suspicions, testing their loyalty and revealing hidden tensions.

School of Champions

6 × 45 min. Drama

At Austria’s elite ski academy, young athletes face intense training, fierce rivalry, and personal drama as they chase glory on the slopes and balance ambition with identity. Love, betrayal, pressure and politics collide in a high-adrenaline world where every turn counts on the ski trail and in life.

ORF Enterprise

ORF-Enterprise GmbH & Co KG,

Hugo-Portisch-Gasse 1, 1136 Wien, Austria

+43(0)1/87878-13030

E-mail: contentsales@orf.at

website: http://contentsales.ORF.at

ORF-Enterprise’s Content Sales International serves as preferred partner for broadcasters and platforms around the world as a one-stop-shop for high quality content offering a wide range of titles from all genres: Blue-Chip Documentaries, TV-Series and Movies, Children’s Programs, Music as well as scripted and non-scripted Formats.

ORF-Enterprise is the Austrian Public Broadcaster’s exclusive marketer for advertising in all ORF media. The portfolio comprises four national television stations, three national radio stations, Austria’s leading website ORF.at and the On-Demand Service ORF-TVthek as well as the magazine ORF nachlese and ORF TELETEXT. ORF-Enterprise’s activities also include a music library and publishing house.

The program catalog targets the international television and media industry, comprising TV, VOD, DVD and ancillary rights of ORF’s documentaries, TV series and movies, children’s shows and music programs. A powerful presence at the annual well-known fairs MIPTV, MIPCOM, Sunny Side of the Doc, NATPE Budapest and Avant Première is part of our daily routine. The whole selection of the programs distributed by ORF-Enterprise can be found easily on our website. Here you get detailed information such as cast, synopsis, awards as well as important technical details at any time.