Biography

Born in Salzburg on May 16, 1967, and grows up in a 500-year-old house on the Mönchsberg. Neighbor of Peter Handke; Wim Wenders is a frequent visitor.

On September 22, 1977, Maria Lassnig is shooting a part of her film "Fairy Tale" at the house Mönchsberg 17 in Salzburg. Together with the sisters Mechtild and Theresa performer with a suit of armor.

Aged 12, finally given his first Super-8 camera, a Revue Cockpit S8L, and shoots his first three films that same year.

"My Homelife", a documentary about his parent's old house is shot and finished in Spring.

Filming of the documentary "Gusti Kupelwieser", about the grandmother of the director (1907-1987).

"Gebratenes Fleisch", a story of crime and cannibalism inspired by Roald Dahl, is shot in Summer.

In Autumn a portrait of the Carinthian "mirror artist" Arnulf Komposch entitled "3 x Ulf" is made. From September 2^nd to 4^th 1980, Shooting takes place in his workshop and living quarters in Klagenfurt, Tarviserstraße 4H.

A first test for a longer animated film: between 3 and 8.12.1980 an animation is created about a small man that failed to open a refrigerator. Length: 17 seconds.

Watching a documentary on Walt Disney on television, he starts working on his own animated film. Within five months between 23.12.1980 and 2.5.1981, the animated film Auch Farbe kann träumen" ("Color can dream") is produced from more than 1,000 cut-up overhead transparencies.

Gets his first Super-8 movie camera with sound, a Braun Nizo 3056 in the fall.

Production of his first film with real actors at age 15. Libgart Schwarz, star of the Berliner Schaubühne, plays a role in a Godzilla-inspired science-fiction film entitled "Monster in Salzburg." Models are built of a number of Salzburg's streets for this work. The monster is a 30-cm wooden doll with yarn hair, which is brought to life by means of stop-motion. His study of film theory begins this year with the purchase of numerous relevant books and the analysis of screenplays.

Creates on 21.8.1982 a 17-minute documentation of the performance of "Everyman for Children" In the garden of the neighbors.

After lengthy preparations, work begins on his first full-length feature film, "Vom Geist der Zeit." ("The Spirit of Time") While his grades drop, a 14-months’ shooting produces an 112-minute genre cross-over mixing action, horror and science fiction in the past, present and future. Peter Handke plays a guest role as an excited passer-by and lay actors from his school play the other parts. The living room in his parents’ house is closed for a period of almost two years due to filming.

Work as an extra and then property man for the Salzburg Festival for productions by Jean-Pierre Ponelle, Michael Hampe, Gernot Friedel, Johannes Schaaf and Herbert von Karajan to raise the Schilling 70,000 (today about Euro 5.000) budget for "Vom Geist der Zeit."

Premiere of "Vom Geist der Zeit" in the Mozart-Kino in Salzburg.

"Vom Geist der Zeit" is screened at the Austrian Film Days in Wels. The film consists of over 1.000 shots, some of which were exposed over 20 times in the camera. Horst Christoph wrote the following comment in Profil: "Two hours of cinematic fireworks!"

At age 18, his first public speech (on "Vom Geist der Zeit" at the invitation of the Academy of Design in Linz).

A science-fiction film which takes place in a microcosm is planned, but not realised.

For the US TV series "War and Remembrance" one night long extra at Heldenplatz (which stood for the destroyed Berlin).

Classic Films, a film distribution company specializing in art films, is founded in May 1987. Distribution of Drowning by Numbers marks the beginning of long-term contact with Peter Greenaway.

From 3.6. to 7.6.1987 Classic Films invites Michael J. Weldon (author of Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film) to Vienna to present a retrospective of B-movies in "Movie - das Kino". The show includes Hideous Sun Demon (1959), Robot Monster (1953), Carnival of Souls (1962) und Dementia/Daughter of Horror (1955).

Shooting of the signature for "Classic Films" with letters and light.

Classic Films' re-release of films by Andy Warhol and Max Fleischer as part of retrospectives. Distribution of all works of Wim Wenders in Austria begins.

Participation in planning a retrospective of Laurel & Hardy films, which were presented in the uncut original version for the first time. This successful project toured Austria and was later shown in theatres in Germany.

The precarious situations experienced by art cinemas in Vienna begin to affect "Classic Films." The distributor is sold to one of the partners and reduces the extent of its activities.

Six months of work on Peter Greenaway’s internationally acclaimed exhibit "100 Objects to represent the world" in Vienna’s Hofburg, the Semper Depot and the Academy of Fine Arts.

First artistic cooperation on a short film by Peter Greenaway, "The falls remake," which was not completed after a few shooting days in Vienna (5.11. to 12.11.1992).

In March, work begins on a total overhaul of the Diagonale, the new "Festival of Austrian Film." The foundation of the new festival is put into place together with Martin Schweighofer and Peter Tscherkassky: programming, organisation, infrastructure, sponsor acquisition, ticket-sales system, visitor organisation and service, catalogue production, events and marketing for them, and advertising.

Work on the CALSI project for the Vienna Festival exhibit entitled "Der Zerbrochene Spiegel." In this project, the largest computer-generated image in the world, which was entered into the "Guinness Book of Records", is affixed to the outer wall of the Kunsthalle. Curators: Kaspar König, Hans Ulrich Obrist.

From the press release: on the occasion of the Festival exhibition "The Broken Mirror", Ed Ruscha, the American superstar of pop art, visits Austria and designs the two largest posters that Europe has ever seen: 10 by 40 meters at the "Messepalast" and 10 times 54 meters at the "Kunsthalle". This worldwide unique project was only possible through the cooperation of Kunsthalle Wien, Wiener Festwochen, Museum in Progress and ArtBekoCreativ, the inventors of the CALSI technique.

"Der Zerbrochene Spiegel", 26. May to 25. July 1993 Museumsquartier/Messepalast Halle B and Kunsthalle Wien

The second Diagonale is organized in Salzburg with Virgil Widrich as production manager. A film database is created which can be used for automatic layout of the entire catalog of the Austrian Film Commission and the Diagonale in a few minutes (by means of "database publishing").

A database for funding cinemas is created for "hundertjahrekino" (curated by Hans Hurch); comparisons and evaluations of the data from all movie theatres in Austria are now possible. 

Last Diagonale is held in Salzburg with the new director, Heinrich Mis (then ORF's Kunststücke). Parts of the new program is presented on the Internet for the first time under curator Konrad Becker.

First creative work on a CD-ROM: He writes the screenplay and dialogues for "Robbi - Abenteuer auf CD-ROM." The story of a baby seal which flees hunters to a desert island becomes a CD-ROM bestseller for children with sales of 20,000. Virgil Widrich develops for this project an interactive dialogue engine, which gives archetypal characters concrete thoughts and injects new dramatic situations. This invention is met with interest around the world and is presented in lectures in Austria and abroad (e.g. at the Medienlabor München and the University of Vienna‘s Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence).

On behalf of Chocolate Management und Verlag GmbH, concept and production management for the "Salzburg Festival CD-ROM," which includes a database containing the credits from all performances given over the past 75 years. Production manager: Virgil Widrich.

The CD-ROM is established as a medium. On behalf of Chocolate Management und Verlag GmbH Virgil Widrich develops the didactic concepts and the interactive characters and writes the screenplay and dialogues for a four-part mathematics series.

After this excursion into the world of this interactive medium, renewal of work with linear story-telling: The screenplay "Heller als der Mond" ("Brighter than the Moon") is completed. The story of aliens – both domestic and foreign – is awarded Salzburg’s screenplay prize 1997.

A marriage of film and electronics gives birth to the short film entitled "tx-transform," which was created together with Martin Reinhart; this short presents an innovative new technique which transposes the time and space axes in film.

In one of few breaks from regular work, a screenplay is written for a new short film: "Copy Shop." After the shift in time and space, this film describes a shift in the identity of the observer in film and the story of a man who copies himself until he fills up the entire world.

"tx-transform" is presented with 40 other submissions from a group of 1.500 at the "Ars Electronica" in Linz and is acclaimed by the international audience.

Lecture on "tx-transform" together with Martin Reinhart on the "Ars Electronica".
Ars Electronica Center, seminary room, Hauptstraße 2, 4040 Linz, 09.09.1998, 11:30 to 13:00.

A number of tx-transform projects in the areas of film, multimedia and art exhibition are planned in Austria, England, Italy, Switzerland and the USA.

In the course of the refurbishment of the Technisches Museum Wien one hundred different media stations (including four cinemas) are created by a team of 35 specialists under the supervision of Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktions G.m.b.H. These stations give visitors the chance to discover more about the individual themes by means of image and film projection, audio stations, acoustic installations and interactive text, image, music, video, animation and 3D technology applications.

On February 1^st, 1999, the domain www.widrichfilm.com is registered.

In the summer the shooting of the first feature film "Heller als der Mond" ("Brighter than the Moon") starts on a shoestring budget and with a very young team. The movie is produced and directed by Virgil Widrich and stars Piroska Szekely, Christopher Buchholz, Horst Buchholz and Lars Rudolph, among others. The film is finished at the end of the year.

"Heller als der Mond" premieres on 28.1.2000 at the Film Festival Rotterdam, scoops two prizes at the Angers Film Festival and is invited to 30 further film festivals.

Virgil Widrich co-founds filmpipeline GmbH., an Internet film company and subsidiary of webfreetv.com AG, taking on the post of managing director of the new firm.

End of April, the film "Copy Shop" is shot. Johannes Silberschneider plays a total of 280 roles. After 4 months’ editing and a further 4 months' digital postproduction, the film is completed at the end of the year.

In November Virgil Widrich takes part in the DEAF – Dutch Electronic Art Forum in Rotterdam, installing and demonstrating the "tx-transformator" together with Martin Reinhart.

Since 1.1.2001 member of Künstlerhaus, Association of Austrian Artists (Gesellschaft bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler Österreichs).

A new short film, "Fast Film", is written.

Following its foundation filmpipeline GmbH. is sold to the parent company webfreetv.com AG.

On 26.1.2001 at 17:00 "Copy Shop" premieres in Rotterdam's Pathé Schouwburgplein and wins 30 awards at various film festivals in the following months. It is then bought by TV companies in 12 countries and is invited to over 100 international film festivals.

Three media stations are created for the "Museum Ladin" in South Tyrol.

In March, checkpointmedia AG, a joint-stock company, is formed with Stefan Reiter, Stefan Unger and Dieter Göschler, which will be responsible for the multimedia branch in future. The film production company is maintained as an independent firm. The new company's first projects are the planning of the website for the Museumsquartier in Vienna, media stations for the Lower Austrian Regional Exhibition 2001, a DVD for the Museum of Natural History in Vienna and the creation of a database for Centropa on the life of Jews in the 14 countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The "tx-transformator" is exhibited at the Diagonale Film Festival in Graz.

Arte broadcasts Virgil Widrich‘s short "linksrechts" ("leftright") on Saturday, 2.6.2001 at 17:30. Interviews with Bady Minck, Ruth Beckermann, Hans Hurch, Peter Tscherkassky, Florian Flicker, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Michael Kreihsl and Wolfgang Lehner shed light on the policital situation in a twisted land.

On August 6^th 2001, a second film company is founded: Amour Fou Filmproduktionen GmbH, together with Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Alexander Ivanceanu and the Wiener Volksbildungsverein/Polyfilm.
In December Amour Fou Filmproduktion GmbH. and Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktionen G.m.b.H. move into a new office at Lindengasse 32, 1070 Wien.

Amour Fou Filmproduktion GmbH. produces the films by Bady Minck ("Im Anfang war der Blick") and Martin Arnold ("Deanimated – The invisible Ghost").

checkpointmedia moves into the new office at the "Haus der Musik", Seilerstätte 30, 1010 Vienna. The new software "Genesto", which was produced in cooperation with Mensalia Unternehmensberatung, is presented. "Genesto" is a content management system to produce interactive annual reports for the internet.
First clients are DaimlerChrysler, Sanochemia and the Vienna International Airport. Other multimedia projects are: installations for the Giant Ferris Wheel, Kunsthalle Leoben and the Museum SMCA Salzburg.

"Copy Shop" is the first Austrian short film to be nominated for the Oscar in the category "Best Short – Life Action" by the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science". ★

Amour Fou presents the films "Im Anfang war der Blick" (Bady Minck), "Struggle" (Ruth Mader) and "Pas de repos pour les braves" (Alain Guiraudie) at the Cannes Filmfestival. 

After two years of production Virgil Widrich's "Fast Film" is finished in April and premieres at the Cannes Film Festival's competition.

Creation of a projection and a media station for the special exhibition "Archbishop Paris Lodron (1619-1653), Statesman between War and Peace" at the Dommuseum Salzburg.

checkpointmedia continues to grow in 2003: Telekom Austria, RWE and Austrian Airlines are only some of the new clients.

"Fast Film" wins "Best Animated Short" in Toronto and other awards at the Festivals inCURT/Spain and Vila do Conde/Portugal. In July presentation of the short films at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Until the end of 2003 "Fast Film" wins 17 international short film awards.

On behalf of Red Bull checkpointmedia creates expansive Multimedia-Installations for the new Hangar-7 in Salzburg. Opening 22.8.2003.

In December reopening of the "Swarovski Crystal World" with several multimedia installations by checkpointmedia.

Now checkpointmedia staff members Ralph Ortner and Mattias Schnellnberger are equipping the four new halls of the Wiener Musikverein with state-of-the-art media technology. checkpointmedia is assigned to provide the acoustic equipment for the new A1 Flagship store.

Amour Fou is co-producing "Ma Mère" (directed by Christophe Honoré) with Isabelle Huppert, in Cannes, Thomas Woschitz’s "Girls and Cars" is presented.

The success of "Fast Film" continues: 34 international awards and 257 festival invitations.

Production of a film collage about life and work of Hans Moser for the exhibition of the same name at the Austrian Theatre Museum  (21.10.2004 to 16.01.2005).

In the Vienna Museum of Natural History, the light controls for the 4 to 6 metre long and 3 metre high shark cabinet are being installed.

"Copy Shop" is presented at the film festival in Cannes in the series "Tous les cinémas du monde" at "Austrian Day".

Amour Fou finishes "Crash Test Dummies" (director: Jörg Kalt). The shooting for György Pálfi's "Taxidermia" starts in April, autumn will see the shooting for Anja Salomonowitz's "Kurz davor ist es passiert".

The shooting for "Every Seventh Person" (directed by Elke Groen and Ina Ivanceanu) continues in China and will be finished by the end of 2005.

checkpointmedia is commissioned to design and install the multimedia stations and films in the Mozart House Vienna that will open at the start of the Vienna Mozart Year on Jan. 27, 2006.

checkpointmedia finishes the "time/reading glass", a mechanical installation for the "Sattler Panorama" at the Salzburg Museum.

In October the new visitor centre of the Austrian Parliament is opened. checkpointmedia has designed and installed all the multimedia stations there, including a 20 sqm rear-projection wall and 15 other innovative interactive media stations.

Opening of the exhibition about the history of the "Palais Epstein" in Vienna.

On January 27, 2006 the "Mozarthaus Vienna" opens its doors. The audiovisual installations were inspired by the media technology and "Worlds of Wonders" of Mozart's time. The highlight is the multimedia tribute to "The Magic Flute": a stage landscape consisting of sets, projections and lighting effects shows an abridged version of "The Magic Flute" as a "virtual mirrored opera" from 1791 to the present day.

In June the "Museum Arbeitswelt - Steyr: working_world.net" opens. checkpointmedia was responsible for the technical realisation of the media stations.

State Prize Multimedia to checkpointmedia for the Mozarthaus Vienna (category "Culture and Entertainment"). ★

State Prize Multimedia/Category Prize "Public Information and Services" to checkpointmedia for the Austrian parliament's Visitor Centre. ★

The Vienna Film festival premieres "Every Seventh Person" by Ina Ivanceanu and Elke Groen. The film was produced by Amour Fou Film, Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktions G.m.b.H. and Minotaurus Film sàrl (Luxembourg). 

After many years of collecting ideas, work starts on the feature-film screenplay with the title "Die Nacht der 1000 Stunden" ("Night of a 1000 Hours"). Working title: "The Revolution".

There are also changes in the film production company Amour Fou: the managing directors Gabriele Kranzelbinder and Alexander Ivanceanu part company while Thomas Woschitz and Virgil Widrich resign as partners. Alexander Ivanceanu continues the company together with Bady Minck while Gabriele Kranzelbinder founds a new production firm, "KGP - Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production GmbH".

In the middle of the year checkpointmedia is working on over 50 projects, including websites, media installations, concepts for exhibitions, Smart Homes, cabinets of curiosities and many more.

In the autumn of 2007, Virgil Widrich begins his tenure as professor of digital arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

In November reopening of the "Swarovski Crystal World" with several multimedia installations by checkpointmedia.

checkpointmedia opens an innovative company museum for Krones in Germany.

Zaha Hadid wins the competition for the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania, against the star architects Daniel Libeskind and Massimiliano Fuksas. checkpointmedia developed a media concept for the entire building for Zaha Hadid and her team.

checkpointmedia's commissions include creating the website of the Haydn Year 2009 and the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

In June, 13 works by Virgil Widrich's students of "digital Arts" are displayed in the "Essence08" at the MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art in Vienna.

Filmfonds Wien, Österreichisches Filminstitut and Filmfund Luxembourg fund the project development of "Die Nacht der 1000 Stunden" ("Night of a 1000 Hours").

Virgil Widrich takes on the role of the artistic director of the exhibition "Linz. City in Luck" that forms part of that city's year as European Capital of Culture. The exhibition transforms the City of Linz's Nordico Museum into a house with rooms that reflect on aspects of the city and its development over the last three decades.

A project for an exhibition is carried out with students of "digital arts" at the University of Applied Arts: "Alias in Wonderland" runs from 25 June to 12 July 2009 in the Freiraum/quartier 21 in the Museumsquartier in Vienna. The diversity of the class is presented in various media in a single room by means of a "physical browser" which is pushed to different positions.

In June, 10 works by Virgil Widrich's students of "Digital Arts" are displayed at Sterngasse 13, 1010 Vienna with the title "Digital Traces".

Virgil Widrich is appointed art director of the new master course "Art & Science Visualization" at the University of Applied Arts that begins in autumn 2009.

Virgil Widrich is appointed the artistic director of the exhibition "90 Years of the Salzburg Festival" held from 17 June to 26 October 2010 in Salzburg Museum. The centrepiece is a multimedia "meta-exhibition", a compilation of performances from the most important productions of the last nine decades rearranged to create a programme that never actually existed in this form. The stage for this production is an abstract model that represents and reproduces the Festival venues in keeping with Max Reinhardt's motto, "The city as a stage".

Virgil Widrich produces a film entitled "make/real" for the exhibition "Robot Dreams" which is being staged at the Museum Tinguely in Basel (8 June to 12 Sep. 2010) and the Kunsthaus Graz (8 October 2010 to 20 February 2011).

From 24 June to 18 July, 2010 15 students from the "Digital Art" class at the University of the Applied Arts exhibit works at the "Essence10" exhibition under the name "Hyperactive Prototypes" at the Künstlerhaus, Vienna.

As planned, on 30.9.2010 Virgil Widrich finishes the direction of "Digitale Kunst" and from now on is completely devoted to the new master course "Art & Science". Ruth Schnell becomes his successor.

Selected from around 400 submitted projects, in January "Night of a 1000 Hours",  is presented at CineMart 2011 in Rotterdam.

Artistic director for the exhibition "parameter{world} – parameters for every or no thing" of the "Master of Art and Science" at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (30 March to 1 April 2011).

Speaker at "The European Future Technologies Conference and Exhibition (fet11)" in Budapest about "Robots as Companions: What can we Learn from Servants and Companions in Literature, Theater, and Film?" on 5. May 2011.
Other speakers included Zsófia Ruttkay (University of Twente, Netherlands) and Markus Krajewski (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany).

Creation of a found-footage film titled "warning/triangle" for the exhibition "Fetisch Auto. Ich fahre, also bin ich." at the Tinguely Museum Basel (8. June to 9. October 2011) showing a destructive love-triangle between a man, a women and her car.

June, 28^th to July 17^th, 2011, 6 diploma works of the department "Art & Science" at the University of Applied Arts Vienna are shown at the "Essence11" in MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art.

Start of project development for an animated feature film titled "Micromeo".

Co-editor (together with Stefan Reiter and Stefan Unger) of the book "Presentation and new Media: 10 Years checkpointmedia" (Springer Wien, ISBN 978-3709109809).

Together with Valerie Deifel, Juliana Herrero and Bernd Kräftner concept and realisation of the exhibition "Things that talk", which is presented during Vienna Art Week 2011 (14. to 20.11.2011) at the Museum of Natural History Vienna.

Co-editor (together with Valerie Deifel and Bernd Kräftner) of the book "An envelope for arts, sciences, politics and us" (Springer Wien, ISBN 978-3709109892).

"Copy Shop" is part of the film program "Breaking Ground - 60 Years of Austrian Experimental Cinema" by Sixpack Film. After the launch in Vienna the program travels to Ljubljana, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Paris (Centre Georges-Pompidou), Caen, Buenos Aires, València, Zaragoza, Seoul and Moscow (MMOMA – Moscow Museum of Modern Art).

The department "Art & Science" at the  University of Applied Arts Vienna hosts the research project Liquid Things by Roman Kirschner.

Conception and presentation of a program with Austrian short films for the "Mashup Film Festival" at the "Forum des Images" Paris (22. to 24. June 2012). Also a member of the Jury at the same venue.

Writing of a treatment for the feature-length animated film "Micromeo" with Jean-Claude Carrière in Paris and Colombières-sur-Orb.

Presentation of "The Night of the Avant-garde - Film Seen Differently" on 22.10.2012 in ORF 2.

In 2012 checkpointmedia devised a modern method of knowledge communication for the reopening of the meteorite gallery at the Museum of Natural History Vienna. 

Concept (in collaboration with Martin Haselböck and Frank Hoffmann), stage design and film projections for the stage work "Black Cat/New Angels", which premieres on 19.11.2012 at the Théâtre National du Luxembourg. Further performances on 20. and 21.11.2012 and 18., 19. and 20.12.2012

Anniversary celebration event on 1.12.2012 at the Salzburg Mönchsberg No. 17 and publication of the booklet "100 Years Kupelwieser on the Mönchsberg" by Hans Widrich.

Lecture about "tx-transform" at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, 3.12.2012, 17:00.

The movie "make/real" is presented as a video installation in the exhibition "Robots - man and machine?" at Technisches Museum Wien (14.12.2012 to 14.07.2013).

Lecture on "The X-rays and the cinema" at "175 Years of the Medical Society in Vienna" in Billrothhaus on 19.12.2012.

Pre-production of the film "Night of a 1000 Hours" in Vienna and Luxembourg.

Shooting for a first trailer of "Micromeo" for the Cartoon-Forum in Lyon.

End of January 2013, micro exhibition "14/16, on-site research" presenting works by students of the master "Art & Science" at six places in and around Vienna.

On 7.3.2013 presentation of "Micromeo" at the Cartoon-Forum in Lyon.

On April 6th and 7th, 2013, performance of "Black Cat/New Angels" at "MuTh - Konzertsaal der Wiener Sängerknaben" in Vienna.

Artistic conception and realisation of a four-meter-high media sculpture in the entrance area of the newly expanded Raiffeisenhaus Vienna in the Obere Donaustraße.

Working with Jean-Claude Carrière in Paris on the first draft of the screenplay for the animated film "Micromeo".

Project development for "Micromeo", including designs for the mikroskopic world of the film.

June 2^nd to 9^th, participation in the workshop "Light Days/Light Nights" by DOP Christian Berger in Ilovic, Croatia.

From 11. to 14.6.2013, performances of "Black Cat/New Angels" at Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Halle König Ludwig 1/2, Recklinghausen.

On 5.9.2013 lecture at the Ars Electronica within the program "Expanded Animation – Mapping an Unlimited Landscape" at the LENTOS Kunstmuseum. The lecture is titled "in/out - digital/analog".

checkpointmedia plans and implements the "music workshops" at the experimenta Heilbronn. These electronic workshops provide children and grown-ups with the chance to form their own bands and create their own songs.

Test shooting with Christian Berger for "Night of a 1000 Hours", company Juraczka, Eyzinggasse 23, 1110 Vienna.

Working with Jean-Claude Carrière in Paris on the second draft of the screenplay for the animated film "Micromeo".

The Vienna Artweek exhibition "Crucial Experiments" (artistic and scientific direction: Bernd Kräftner and Virgil Widrich) opens on 18.11.2013 at the Ovalhalle/Museumsquartier presenting works of students of the Master "Art & Science".

checkpointmedia developes media stations for the "Polar Dome" in the new Polar Bear World at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Zoo (opening 22. May 2014).

Production of an animated film to mark the 50th anniversary of the Austrian eyewear manufacturer, Silhouette.

On 12 June 2014 appointment as a main member of the Senate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna until 30.9.2016.

On 23 June 2014 the symposium "Biosphere n+1" is held in cooperation between University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, "Art & Science".

From 26 June to 13 July, 2014, 2 students from "Art & Science" at the University of the Applied Arts exhibit works at the "Essence14" exhibition at the Künstlerhaus, Vienna.

Concept and production of the stereoscopic short film "back track". Stop motion shooting takes place between 11 August and 7 September 2014.

The department "Art & Science" at the  University of Applied Arts Vienna hosts the research project "The Future of the Control Room".

Pre-production of the feature film "Night of a 1000 Hours". A first technical test involving rear projections takes place on 6.10.2014 in Utrecht.

In two years time the consortium of checkpointmedia/OMS implements the Funeral Museum at Vienna Central Cemetery as sole contractor, which opens on 8. October 2014.

A second technical test involving rear projections takes place from 26. to 27.11.2014 in Utrecht.

"Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktions G.m.b.H." moves into its new office in Seilerstätte 13, 1010 Vienna.

First day of filming "Night of a 1000 Hours" in Vienna. On the Naschmarkt facades of houses are picked up from a crane for 24 hours in changing light.

January to March: preproduction, 17.3.2015 to 28.5.2015: main shooting of the feature film "Night of a 1000 Hours" in Vienna, Luxembourg and Italy.

The European Union (Horizon 2020) funded project AXIOM develops the first open source film camera. The project is hosted at Art & Science at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

3.5.2015: international premiere of "back track" at the 61. International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. Additional festivals: Diagonale, Zagreb Animafest, Karlovy Vary, Vila do Conde, Wroslaw, Bristol, Sevilla, Cambridge, Milano and Wiesbaden.

From June 26^th to July 13^th, 2015 one student from "Art & Science" at the University of the Applied Arts exhibits her work at the "Essence15" exhibition at the Künstlerhaus, Vienna.

The department "Art & Science" at the  University of Applied Arts Vienna hosts the research project "The Future of the Control Room" for the second year, focussing on "Sound as Source".

For the exhibition "A Rush of Color – Masterpieces of German Expressionism" (9.10.2015 to 11.1.2016 at the Leopold Museum Vienna) Virgil Widrich designs a media installation consisting of a disc, three rings and a projection with shifting perspectives.

Stop motion animation of the film "Vienna table trip" in the studio of "wunderwerk film gmbh", 1050 Vienna.

Creation of a media installation titled "Figaro Parallelo" for Mozarthaus Vienna, which makes connections between seven different Figaro-productions.

Completion of "Night of a 1000 Hours" after a total of 9 years work on 25.5.2016.

Exhibition at Citygate Shopping, Wagramer Strasse 195, 1210 Vienna, with works by the students of Art & Science, the Industrial Design Department as well as by visiting students from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (June 3rd to 13th, 2016).

Editor of the book "Bei den Fischottern in der Ebene und auf den Bergen" by Hans Widrich.

June 1^st to 15^th, 2016, 11 diploma works of the department "Art & Science" at the University of Applied Arts Vienna are shown at the "Essence16" in Alte Post, Dominikanerbastei 11, 1010 Vienna.

Completion of the animated film "Vienna table trip" on 22.7.2016.

On 1 October 2016 beginning of the second term as a main member of the Senate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna until 30.9.2019.

World premiere of "Night of a 1000 Hours" on 10.10.2016 at Busan International Film Festival 2016 – Korea – Category "Flash Forward Audience Award"

European premiere of "Night of a 1000 Hours" at 32. Warsaw International Film Festival 2016 on 13.10.2016

USA Premiere at 52nd Chicago International Film Festival 2016 – World Cinema Program on 21.10.2016.

Busan International Film Festival 2016 – Korea – Winner of "Flash Forward Audience Award" ★

Vienna premiere "Night of a 1000 Hours" at Gartenbaukino on 15.11.2016 at 20:30 in the presence of Virgil Widrich and Christian Berger, and members of the cast, Laurence Rupp, Amira Casar, Barbara Petritsch, Elisabeth Rath, Linde Prelog, Johann Adam Oest, Lukas Miko and Udo Samel.

Theatrical release of "Night of a 1000 Hours" in Austria on 18.11.2016:
Vienna: Admiral Kino, Apollo Kino, CineCenter, Burg Kino Wien (German version with english subtitles), Salzburg: Mozartkino, Graz: Schubert Kino, Innsbruck: Cinematograph, Wulfenia Kino (Klagenfurt) and City Kino (Steyr).

The department "Art & Science" at the  University of Applied Arts Vienna hosts the research project "The Future of the Control Room" for the third year, focussing on "Research and creation of prototypical applications for an interactive control room".

38. Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis Saarbrücken 2017 – "Night of a 1000 Hours" – Opening film

On 1.3.2017, start of the PEEK-funded research project "Data Loam" by Martin Reinhart, which is hosted at the University of Applied Arts / Art & Science.

Jury Presidency at "Austrian American Short Film Festival (AASFF)" of "Austrian Cultural Forum NYC" – Initiated and co-founded by ACFNY Director Christine Moser and curator Stephanie Falkeis. Jury: Marisa Mazria-Katz (journalist/editor), David Schwartz (Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image) and Virgil Widrich.

"Die Nacht der 1000 Stunden" – Beijing International Film Festival – Nomination for Tiantan Award – China

Working with Jean-Claude Carrière in Paris on the third draft of the screenplay for the animated film "Micromeo".

International Tourism Film Festival "Tourfilm Riga" – 1st prize in the category "Culture Tourism" for "Vienna table trip" ★

Arash T. Riahi and Golden Girls Filmproduction & Filmservices GmbH join the project development of "Micromeo" for Amour Fou Film.

On 6.6.2017 opening of "Circuit Training – A foray into the world of the Large Hadron Collider" at das weisse haus Vienna, an exhibition of the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Art & Science and Site-Specific Art) in cooperation with CERN (art@CMS and HEPHY – Institute of High Energy Physics). Concept and development: Brishty Alam, Valerie Deifel, Katrin Hornek, Matilde Igual Capdevila, Bernd Kräftner, Paul Petritsch, Karl Salzmann, Virgil Widrich.

"70 projections for 70 years": Under the artistic direction of Virgil Widrich, a multi-disciplinary team designed the event on 21.6.2017 and a travelling exhibition for the Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH (ERP Fund).

June 28^th to July 11^th, 2017, two diploma works of the department "Art & Science" at the University of Applied Arts Vienna are shown at the "Essence17" in Alte Post, Dominikanerbastei 11, 1010 Vienna.

Filming for the music video "Be my Rebel" with Nena and Dave Stewart end of September 2017 in Hamburg.

On behalf of "Vienna Design Week", media installation "Panzerschrank Potemkin" with projections in the bank vault of the former Zentralsparkasse. 29.9. to 8.10.2017, Sparkassaplatz 4, 1150 Vienna.

Creation of the media installation "Memory Palace" for the exhibition "ANALOG_DIGITAL. Media (Ex) changes" at METRO Kinokulturhaus, Vienna (October 3, 2017 to January 28, 2018).

Conception of the media installation "Side by Side" for the exhibition "ANALOG_DIGITAL. Media (Ex) changes" at METRO Kinokulturhaus, Vienna (October 3, 2017 to January 28, 2018).

Curator of the retrospective "analog_digital – The dichotomy of cinema", 5 to 16 October 2017 in Filmarchiv/Metrokino Wien.

Co-design of the exhibition "Aesthetics of change - 150 Years of the University of Applied Arts Vienna", which is shown from 15.12.2017 to 15.4.2018 in the MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art.

Premiere of "Icon Island – a live battle of pictures and sounds" on 17.2.2018 at the Salesians' Theatre, Sliema, Malta. Produced on behalf of Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture.

Worldwide release of the music video "Be my Rebel" with the two music legends Nena and Dave Stewart  on 23.3.2018. Directed by Virgil Widrich.

Opening of the "Sound of Music World" on 13.4.2018 in Salzburg, which was co-designed by checkpointmedia.

On 16.4.2018 idea and first tests for "Light Matter", a black and white short film with flashes of light from black to white.

On July 12, 2018 shooting for "tx-reverse" with 135 actors in Kino Babylon Berlin with the OmniCam-360.

The real-time installation "tx-mirror" by Martin Reinhart and Virgil Widrich is part of the exhibition "Art in Motion. 100 masterpieces with and through media – An Operative Canon" presented at the ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe.

As part of the "Vienna Design Week 2018" video installation "Voyage Around My Room" in the former Sophienspital. 29.9. to 7.10.2018, Apollogasse 19, 1070 Vienna.

Opening of the spatial installation "tx-reverse 360°" (together with Martin Reinhart) on 10.10.2018 at 18:30 in the PanoramaLab of the ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe.

Premiere of the short film "Light Matter" at the Viennale - Vienna International Filmfestival on 29.10.2018

First TV broadcast of "Night of a 1000 Hours" on 28.11.2018, on ORF2 at 23:50 hrs

Purchase of the "tx-mirrors" for the collection of ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe.

Completion of the short film version of "tx-reverse" on 23.2.2019.

Exhibition "Data Loam - Sometimes Hard, Usually Soft": 26.2. to 8.3.2019, Angewandte Innovation Laboratory, Franz-Josefs-Kai 3, 1010 Vienna, Austria

The video installation "Teleplasmatic Views of Vienna" by Martin Reinhart and Virgil Widrich premieres at FOTO WIEN: 20.3. to 20.4.2019, FOTO WIEN Festivalzentrale, Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, daily 10 am to 6 pm.

World premiere of the short film "tx-reverse" at the Diagonale 2019 in Graz.

tx-reverse 360° – The Triennial of Expanded Media, Multimedia Art, and New Media Art – "Cvijeta Zuzoric" Pavillion, Mali Kalemegdan 1, Belgrade – Serbia

Working with Jean-Claude Carrière in Paris on the 5^th draft of the screenplay for the animated film "Micromeo".

"tx-reverse 360° is shown at Annecy 2019 – Festival International du Cinema d'Animation

World premiere of the opera "Nova - Imperfecting Perfection" by Franz Danksagmüller on 20.6.2019 in the Orchesterzentrum NRW, Dortmund. Director: Kay Link, Stage design and film direction: Virgil Widrich, Projections and lighting design: Oleg Prodeus.

Text contribution "Images between Digital Realism and Analog Believability" by Virgil Widrich in: Expanded Animation – Mapping to Unlimited Landscape

Death of mother Gerheid Widrich on 11.8.2019 in Salzburg.

"tx-mirror" and "tx-reverse 360°" are presented from 5. to 9.9.2019 at the Ars Electronica in Linz.

On 1 October 2019 beginning of the third term as a main member of the Senate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna until 30.9.2022.

"Data Loam" in the exhibition "Understanding Art & Research" - Yuga gallery and Rittaikobo in cooperation with Tokyo University of the Arts - Tokyo - Japan

2.12.2019: Completion of the "sconarium" in Bad Schönau/Lower Austria: a modern visitor and event centre dedicated to therapy and natural carbonic acid gas. Artistic director of the exhibition: Virgil Widrich.

"tx-reverse" is shown at the Sundance Film Festival/New Frontier 2020 in Park City, USA at the end of January.

Artistic direction of the exhibition "Let the music begin! - The princely court of Salzburg – a centre of European musical culture 1587 – 1807", which can be seen from 19.7.2020 to 07.03.2021 in the DomQuartier Salzburg and in the Northern Oratory of Salzburg Cathedral.

Purchase of the "tx-mirror" by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in Chicago.

Death of 12-year-old son Oskar Salomonowitz (20.7.2008 - 27.10.2020) in an accident.

10.03.2021: Completion of the animated film "There is exactly enough time" by Oskar Salomonowitz and Virgil Widrich with music and sound design by Siegfried Friedrich.

Special exhibition "The Danube. A Journey into the past" from May 4 to November 7, 2021 in the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna. Graphic design of the spectacular 44-meter reproduction of the famous Pasetti map.

World premiere of the short film "There is exactly enough time" by Oskar Salomonowitz and Virgil Widrich on 9.6.2021 at the Diagonale in Graz.

On 1.9.2021, start of the PEEK-funded research project "Radical Matter" by Martin Reinhart, which is hosted at the University of Applied Arts / Art & Science.

International premiere "There is exactly enough time" on 8.9.2021: FANTOCHE 2021 – International Festival für Animationsfilm Baden – Switzerland

On 1 October 2021, the Master's programme "Art & Science" moves to the Postsparkasse, 1010 Vienna, designed by Otto Wagner.

tx-mirror in the exhibition "Transformations – Abstract art in motion" – Künstlerhaus – Wien

"There is exactly enough time": Near Nazareth Festival (NNF) – Alufa – Israel – Best Animation ★

tx-mirror in the exhibition "Understanding Art & Research" – UM Gallery. Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design – Prag – Czech Republic

2 Days Animation Festival – Best Austrian Animation – Filmcasino Vienna – Best narrative work ★

Visualization for a microconcert, a digital music project of the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg under the musical direction of Kent Nagano.

Lange Nacht der Forschung – Austrian Academy of Sciences Vienna – Austria

Cinematographic presentation of a multimedia table for Rosenbauer AG, which was presented as the centerpiece of the trade fair stand at Interschutz (20 to 25.6.2022) in Hanover.

On 1 October 2022 beginning of the fourth term as a main member and vice chair of the Senate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna until 30.9.2025.

The short film "There is exactly enough time" wins a total of 70 international film awards by November 2022. 2022.

"There is exactly enough time" wins "Best animation" at Madrid International Short Film Festival.

Writing of the original screenplay "Front Window", together with Enrico Jakob

The real-time installation "tx-mirror" by Martin Reinhart and Virgil Widrich is part of the exhibition "Art in Motion. 100 masterpieces with and through media – An Operative Canon" presented at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning in China.

Special exhibition "IMAGE POWER POLITICS: Yoichi Okamoto. Post-war photography icon" from November 23, 2023 to March 3, 2024 in the State Hall of the Austrian National Library, Josefsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna. Graphic production: checkpointmedia, Virgil Widrich. Graphic design: Nicole Stadler.

Writing of the original screenplay "Front Window", together with Enrico Jakob.

Restart of project development for the feature-length animated film entitled “Micromeo”.