Television premiere of “Die Wüstenärztin“, 17 October 2012 on ORF 2

Press release dated 15 October 2012

On Wednesday, 17 October 2012, the television film “Die Wüstenärztin”, which was supported by the Austrian Television Fund (FERNSEHFONDS AUSTRIA) with a grant of EUR 350,000, was broadcast for the first time. The film produced by Eclypse Filmpartner Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH was shown on ORF 2 at 8.15 pm. The film had been shot in Vienna, Swakopmund (Namibia) and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).

Sina, a sensitive woman doctor, seeks truthfulness and trust in her relationship with her fiancé, Dr Marco Zerhau. But to him, money seems to be of greater value than medical ethics. After falling out with Marco, Sina seeks a new start in the Arab Emirates. Her journey to Abu Dhabi’s world of glitter and glamour and the infinite vastness of the desert turns into a quest for herself and for the trust she yearns for. She experiences life in unknown diversity and foreignness and, after going through a period of emotional turmoil, finds her way back to her roots and her home country.

Fourth application date 2012: ten television film projects submitted

Applications for grants for ten television film projects, three television films and seven documentaries totalling EUR 1.6 million were submitted as of the last application date for 2012. “I assume that the remaining grants available for this year will suffice to support all submitted projects. A prerequisite is, however, that they comply with the eligibility criteria”, said Mr Alfred Grinschgl, managing director of RTR’s Media Division, and responsible for the Austrian Television Fund (FERNSEHFONDS AUSTRIA). Grant decisions are expected for December 2012 at the latest.

Further information about supported film projects is available on RTR’s website under the link www.fernsehfonds.at.