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29 Jan – 8 Feb 2026

Kurt Kren

Kurt KREN (1929–1998, Austria) is an experimental filmmaker widely known for work with the Austrian “Aktionist” group. He was born to a Jewish-Austrian father and German mother in Austria and transported to Rotterdam by the British Refugee Children Movement as a 10-year-old child in 1939. He began working with 8mm film in 1955 and later with 16mm. He was considered to be a key influence on structural filmmaking. Between 1964 and 1966 his work centred on the performance art of Otto Muehl and Günter Brus, in particular. He also co-founded the Vienna Institute of Direct Art (1966) and of the Austria Filmmakers Cooperative (1968). His films were confiscated following the “Kunst und Revolution” (“Art and Revolution”) event at the University of Vienna in 1968. While living and working abroad in the US and Europe, Kren exhibited in London at the International Underground Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival in 1971. He continued to make and exhibit work up until his death in 1998.

More info: Wikipedia, Kurt Kren

Filmography

(all short, selection) 1/57, Versuch mit synthetischem Ton (1957), 3/60 Baume im Herbst (1960), Fenstergucker (1962), 6/64 Mama und Papa (1964), 7/64 Leda und der Schwan (1964), 10/65 Selbstverstummelung (1965), 11/65 Bild Helga Philipp (1965), 12/66 Cosinus Alpha (1966), 15/67 TV (1967), 20/68 Schatzi (1968), 23/69 Underground Explosion (1969), 22/69 Happy End (1969), 26/71 Zeichenfilm oder Balzac und das Auge Gottes (1971), 30/73 Coop Cinema Amsterdam (1973), 31/75 Asyl (1975), 33/77 Keine Donau (1977), 37/78 Tree Again (1978), 40/81 Breakfast im Grauen (1981), 41/82 Getting Warm (1982), 43/84 1984 (1984), 46/90 Falter 2 (1990), 47/91 Ein Fest (1991), 48/94 Fragment (1994), 48/95 Tausendjahrekino (1995)

Kurt Kren at IFFR