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Austrian Film "Four Minus Three" Wins Top European Prize at Berlinale

Austrian director Adrian Goiginger's film "Four Minus Three" has won the Europa Cinemas Label for best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival. The dramedy, based on Barbara Pachl-Eberhart's autobiographical novel, follows a professional clown grappling with the tragic loss of her partner and children. The jury praised the film for its moving and inspiring portrayal of hope amidst despair. The award comes with promotional support from a network of over 3,200 screens across Europe.

Key Points: "Four Minus Three" Wins Europa Cinemas Label at Berlinale

  • Wins Europa Cinemas Label at Berlinale
  • Based on an autobiographical novel
  • Story of a clown coping with loss
  • Gains major promotional support
  • Joins list of prestigious past winners
2 min read

'Four Minus Three' wins Europa Cinemas prize at Berlinale

Austrian director Adrian Goiginger's dramedy "Four Minus Three," based on a true story, wins the Europa Cinemas prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

"succeeds in giving us a very moving and inspiring experience - Europa Cinemas jury"

Berlin, February 21

Austrian director Adrian Goiginger's 'Four Minus Three' has been awarded the Europa Cinemas Label as the best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlinale. The true-life dramedy follows professional clowns coping with tragedy and is based on Barbara Pachl-Eberhart's autobiographical novel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film stars Valerie Pachner as Barbara, a professional clown whose partner Heli, played by Robert Stadlober, and their two children die in a car accident. The narrative explores Barbara's struggle to maintain her belief in humor, hope, and humanity amid devastating loss.

The Europa Cinemas jury praised the film, saying it "succeeds in giving us a very moving and inspiring experience ... the excellent script manages to evoke a sense of hope while not hiding away from the despair of loss," as per The Hollywood Reporter.

'Four Minus Three' will now benefit from promotional support from the Europa Cinemas group, which operates, with its partners, more than 3,200 screens across 39 European countries. The group, backed by funding from Europe's MEDIA program and France's national film board, the CNC, is the first theater network focusing on European films with the goal of providing operational and financial support to cinemas that commit themselves to screen a significant number of European films from outside their national territory and to offer promotional activities targeted at young audiences, as per the outlet.

Produced by Giganten Film Productions and 2010 Entertainment, with Beta Cinema handling international sales, Four Minus Three joins a distinguished list of past Berlin Europa Cinemas Label winners, including Mehmet Akif Buyukatalay's Hysteria (2025), Dag Johan Haugesund's Sex (2024), and Ilker Çatak's Oscar-nominated The Teachers' Lounge (2023), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Congratulations to the team! 🎭 It's great to see European cinema getting this kind of support network. We need something similar in India for regional and indie films that aren't just Bollywood masala. The struggle to find hope in despair is a universal human story.
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David E
While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy, I appreciate the jury's note about it not hiding from despair. So many films try to sugarcoat grief. A respectful criticism though - I wish the article told us more about the director's vision or the novel it's based on.
A
Ananya R
"Maintaining belief in humor after such a loss..." Wow. That's a profound theme. In our culture, we often see clowns or vidushaks as mere entertainers, but they carry deep philosophy. Will definitely look out for this. The promotional support for young audiences is a smart move.
K
Karthik V
Good to see such films getting recognition. The Europa Cinemas network model is impressive - 3200 screens! We have fantastic film festivals in India, but consistent theatrical distribution for niche content remains a challenge. Maybe FICCI or the NFDC can take a note.
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Sarah B
The title 'Four Minus Three' is haunting when you know the story. It's just math, but it says everything. Sounds like an emotionally exhausting but necessary watch. Glad it's getting the platform to reach wider audiences across Europe.

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