01/12/25 – The KURIER Branchen-ROMY honours personalities behind the camera – those without whom there would be neither film nor television. At the festive gala at Schloss Kaps in Kitzbühel, Michael Wolkenstein, founder of Satel Film, was awarded the ROMY in platinum for his life’s work. The laudatory speech was given by the managing director of Bavaria Film, Christian Franckenstein.
Whether it’s ‘Der Schüler Gerber’, ‘Kottan ermittelt’, ‘Die Piefke Saga’, ‘Soko Donau’ or Austria’s first Oscar nomination ‘38 – Auch das war Wien’ – all these productions are inextricably linked to Michael Wolkenstein (85), founder of Vienna-based Satel Film. At the KURIER Branchen-ROMY awards ceremony at Schloss Kaps in Kitzbühel, Wolkenstein was honoured with the KURIER Platin-ROMY for his life’s work. The laudatory speech was given by Christian Franckenstein, managing director of Bavaria Film.
‘I am truly delighted to receive this award. And it can only be achieved through teamwork. I could never have made a film on my own. I would like to thank all my loyal colleagues who have accompanied and supported me over the years. And I am proud that I am still good friends with so many of them today,’ explains Michael Wolkenstein.
It all began with a glass of wine…
The story of Satel Film began – in true Viennese style – at the Heuriger Wagner in Grinzing. Michael Wolkenstein recalls: “I was sitting in the wine tavern in 1971 and, after a few glasses of wine, I combined the name Sascha-Film with Polytel, a film subsidiary of PolyGram – and Satel was born. At first, people weren’t thrilled that we were suddenly on the market. At that time, broadcasting companies dominated the market. Our approach was different: we developed our own projects, pre-financed them and granted licences.‘ The young company quickly established itself as a fixture in the Austrian film industry. Wolkenstein: ’When you develop your own material, you also have contact with the authors. For me, the old saying by Louis B. Mayer, the founder of MGM, applies: The most important thing in film is the book, the book, the book. It’s all about storytelling. You can’t make a good film from a bad book.”
Successful for five decades
For more than 50 years, Satel Film has been one of Austria’s leading film production companies. With legendary films such as Maximilian Schell’s ‘Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald’ (1979), Peter Patzak’s “Kassbach” (1979), the Academy Award-nominated “38 – Auch das war Wien‘ (1986) by Wolfgang Glück and Luc Bondy’s award-winning ’Das weite Land” (1987), Satel Film established itself as a fixture in the Austrian film industry in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Der Schüler Gerber (1981) became standard viewing in school classrooms, the cult series “Kottan ermittelt” (1976-1983) brought new life to the rather dry world of crime drama, and “Die Piefke-Saga” (1990-1993) polarised in the domestic tourism industry and won the Grimme Prize. With ‘Schlosshotel Orth’ (1996-2004), Michael Wolkenstein produced another TV classic that accompanied audiences over nine seasons.
In 2007, Heinrich Ambrosch took over as managing partner and head of the company. ‘I was fortunate to take over a company with an excellent structure and dedicated employees,’ says Ambrosch. ‘Michael created television classics that I grew up with, including literary adaptations such as “Der Schüler Gerber” and “Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald” as well as original material such as “Die Piefke Saga” and “Kottan ermittelt”. This cultural heritage continues to shape me and the Satel Film team to this day – it is both an incentive and an obligation.’
And Satel’s success story continues: long-running productions such as ‘SOKO Donau/Wien’ (since 2005) and ‘Die Toten von Salzburg’ (since 2016) regularly achieve record ratings at home and abroad. With ‘Freud’ (2019), the first domestic series production for Netflix in cooperation with ORF and Bavaria Fiction, Ambrosch and his team opened a new chapter in the company’s history and won the Romy Award for ‘Best TV Fiction Production’. Satel Film’s latest projects include another major international production: the six-part Disney+ original series ‘Vienna Game’ by producer Bettina Kuhn is dedicated to the Congress of Vienna and was filmed in Austria and Hungary in 2024.
Bildcredit: Kurier/Philipp Hutter
04/11/25 – A great honour: our drama series ‘Hundertdreizehn’ has been nominated in the category ‘Best National Series’ for the Jupiter Award 2026 (fourth quarter). Anna Schudt, Lia von Blarer and Robert Stadlober are also in the running for awards in the categories ‘Best Actress (TV/Streaming) National’ and ‘Best Actor (TV/Streaming) National’ respectively.
The Jupiter Award is Germany’s largest audience award for film and television. It has been presented annually since 1979 by the German magazine ‘Cinema’ and, since 2011, jointly with the TV programme magazine TV Spielfilm. Our drama series “Hundertdreizehn” made it onto the list of preliminary nominations in the ‘Best National Series’ category of the Jupiter Award voting. We are particularly pleased that Anna Schudt, Lia von Blarer and Robert Stadlober have also been nominated in the categories ‘Best Actress (TV/Streaming) National’ and ‘Best Actor (TV/Streaming) National’ respectively.
Click here to vote:
Abstimmung
Until 31 December 2025, fans can vote for their favourites from cinema, streaming and television in twelve categories. The productions and performers with the most votes will be included in the annual selection and have the chance to win the Jupiter Award 2026.
Excellent ratings
The drama series, directed by Rick Ostermann, achieved excellent ratings on both ORF and ARD. A total of 1.479 million viewers, or 20 per cent of the Austrian TV population aged 12 and above (broadest audience), watched the six-part production, which was filmed by Vienna-based Satel Film in collaboration with Windlight Pictures. ARD also attracted an average of just under three million viewers.
‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen) examines the aftermath of a tragic bus accident – featuring a star-studded cast including Lia von Blarer, Robert Stadlober, Anna Schudt, Patricia Aulitzky, Armin Rohde and many more. The TV event was produced by the Satel Film team in collaboration with their Munich-based partners at Windlight Pictures for ORF and WDR. The title of the series was not chosen at random, as a study by the Federal Ministry of Transport shows that the death of one person affects an average of 113 people, from family members to police officers.
Rick Ostermann directed the series. The screenplays were written by Arndt Stüwe. Filming took place in the summer of 2024 at locations including Vienna’s Central Cemetery, Baumgartner Höhe, Waidhofen an der Thaya and Thürnthal Castle, and then continued in Cologne and Berlin until mid-October.
‘Hundertdreizehn’ is a production by Satel Film and Windlight Pictures in co-production with ORF, WDR and ARD Degeto Film for ARD. The executive producers are Moritz Polter, Dirk Eggers and Heinrich Ambrosch, the co-executive producer is Cosima Degler and the producer is Herwig Krawinkler. The television editors are Sabine Weber (ORF), Elke Kimmlinger (WDR) and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto Film). ‘Hundertdreizehn’ was funded by FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Nordmedia and the German Motion Picture Fund.
Credit: Satel Film/Windlight Pictures/Frank Dicks
15/10/25 – ORF achieved excellent ratings with the drama series ‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen): a total of 1.479 million viewers, or 20 percent of the Austrian TV population aged 12 and above (widest audience), watched the six-part ORF/ARD production, which was filmed by Vienna-based Satel Film in collaboration with Windlight Pictures. The fourth episode attracted an average of 333,000 viewers (13 per cent market share) to ORF 1 on Monday at 8:15 p.m. The finale was watched by 319,000 and 292,000 viewers respectively. The market share was 13 and 14 per cent. On ARD, an average of 3.87 million viewers (17.2 per cent market share) watched the premiere on Tuesday evening.
A bus travelling to Graz veers into oncoming traffic, leaving a trail of destruction on the highway. The drama series ‘Hundertdreizehn’ tells the story of the various people involved. Following the global success of “Freud” and ‘Nachts im Paradies’, another series by producers Heinrich Ambrosch (Satel Film) and Moritz Polter (Windlight Pictures) proved to be a hit with audiences. The three final episodes of the drama series were watched by an average of 333,000, 319,000 and 292,000 viewers on ORF 1 from 8:15 p.m. onwards. The market shares were 13, 13 and 14 percent. A total of 1.479 million viewers aged 12 and above (widest audience) tuned in to all six episodes. The average for all six episodes was 381,000 and a market share of 16 per cent.
Prime time ratings winner on German television
The series was particularly popular among the young target group aged 12-29. Here, the market share for the final episodes was an impressive 17 percent. ‘Hundertdreizehn’ also got off to an extremely successful start on ARD. Here, 3.87 million viewers tuned in for the premiere episode (17.2 percent market share). Episodes two and three attracted 3.7 million and 3.06 million viewers respectively (17.1 and 16.3 per cent market share). This put the six-part event series at the top of the ratings on German television on Tuesday evening in prime time.
An accident changes everyone’s life
According to a study by the German Ministry of Transport, an average of 113 people are affected by the death of another person. The six-part series event tells the story of how different characters deal with their fate after a tragic bus accident from multiple perspectives. The narrative takes place on several levels. While the investigative duo (Lia von Blarer and Robert Stadlober) investigate the cause of the accident, each episode simultaneously sheds light on the main characters affected by the accident and their personal stories.
Bus driver Theo (Felix Kramer) had two families in different cities. Eyewitness Richard (Armin Rohde) raises questions with his contradictory statements to the police. Firefighter Jesper (Max von der Groeben) struggles with his own past as he tries to rescue two children from the burning bus. Clara (Friederike Becht) survives the accident but carries a big secret with her. Sofia (Antonia Moretti) gets on the bus to escape her own wedding. Jonas (Benedikt Kalcher) and Simon (Simon Löcker) allow themselves to be persuaded by Nuriel (Maeve Metelka) to do her a favour – with serious consequences.
Other roles are played by Anna Schudt, Patricia Aulitzky, Cornelius Obonya, Vladimir Korneev, Eva Marlen Hirschburger, Allegra Tinnefeld, David Hugo Schmitz, Antonia Bill, Julian Waldner and many more. The series was directed by Rick Ostermann. The screenplays were written by Arndt Stüwe. Filming took place in the summer of 2024 at locations including Vienna’s Central Cemetery, Baumgartner Höhe, Waidhofen an der Thaya, Thürnthal Castle and then, until mid-October, in Cologne and Berlin.
All episodes on ORF On
All episodes of ‘Hundertdreizehn’ are available on ORF ON as video on demand. Satel Film is committed to green producing, filming in as climate-neutral a manner as possible.
Climate-friendly production
Satel Film complies with the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel’s ‘UZ 76’ directive for ‘Green Producing’, which was developed by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). The production company uses environmentally friendly green electricity, avoids the use of diesel generators and prefers to travel by train rather than by plane, provided that the destination can be reached within five hours by rail. A ‘green consultant’ is employed to monitor the implementation of the guidelines on set. To this end, all areas of production, including materials for sets, scenery and props, costumes and make-up, technology, catering and accommodation, are evaluated for their sustainability.
‘Hundertdreizehn’ is a production by Satel Film and Windlight Pictures in co-production with ORF, WDR and ARD Degeto Film for ARD. The executive producers are Heinrich Ambrosch, Moritz Polter and Dirk Eggers, the co-executive producer is Cosima Degler and the producer is Herwig Krawinkler. The television editors are Sabine Weber (ORF), Elke Kimmlinger (WDR) and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto Film). ‘Hundertdreizehn’ was funded by FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Nordmedia and the German Motion Picture Fund.
Credit: Satel Film/Windlight Pictures/Frank Dicks
07/10/25 – The six-part ORF/ARD series ‘Hundertdreizehn’ achieved excellent ratings when it premiered on ORF. Up to 433,000 viewers (average 424,000) watched the first broadcast starring Robert Stadlober and Lia von Blarer on 6 October at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 1. The second and third episodes also attracted 401,000 and 316,000 viewers respectively. The market share was an excellent 17 per cent, with episodes two and three each achieving 16 per cent. This proved once again that another series from Vienna-based Satel Film, which also produces the successful formats ‘SOKO Donau’ and ‘Die Toten von Salzburg’ and collaborated with Windlight Pictures on this series event, is a reliable ratings winner. Episodes 4-6 will be broadcast on ORF 1 on 13 October at 8:15 p.m.
On average, 113 people are affected by the death of another person. The six-part series event ‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen) tells the story of how different characters deal with their fate after a tragic bus accident, and it got a lot of attention from viewers. An average of 424,000 people tuned in for the premiere on 6 October. The market share was an excellent 17 per cent. The peak figure was 433,000 viewers. Episodes two and three were watched by 401,000 and 316,000 viewers respectively. The market shares were 17 and 16 per cent respectively.
Following their international successes ‘Freud’ and ‘Nachts im Paradies’ (Night in Paradise), ‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen) is the third joint production by Satel Film managing director Heinrich Ambrosch and Windlight Pictures founder Moritz Polter. ‘What makes this format so special is that we delve deep into the individual stories of the protagonists. We are therefore all the more delighted that this narrative style has been so well received by audiences,’ says Heinrich Ambrosch about the ratings success.
Exciting narrative style captivated TV audience
The narrative unfolds on several levels. Two continuous storylines follow the detective duo (Lia von Blarer, Robert Stadlober) as they search for the cause of the accident and the fate of the relatives (Anna Schudt, Patricia Aulitzky) of the bus driver (Felix Kramer). At the same time, each episode focuses on the main characters affected by the accident (Armin Rohde, Friederike Becht, Max von der Groeben, Vladimir Korneev, Cornelius Obonya, Antonia Moretti, Benedikt Kalcher, Simon Löcker, Eva Marlen Hirschburger, Allegra Tinnefeld and many more) and their personal stories. The series was directed by Rick Ostermann. The screenplays were written by Arndt Stüwe. Filming took place in the summer of 2024 at locations including Vienna’s Central Cemetery, Baumgartner Höhe, Waidhofen an der Thaya and Thürnthal Castle, and then continued in Cologne and Berlin until mid-October.
Sustainability on set
Satel Film attaches great importance to sustainability in its productions and follows the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel’s ‘UZ 76’ directive for ‘Green Producing’, which was developed by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). The production company uses environmentally friendly green electricity, avoids the use of diesel generators and prefers to travel by train rather than by plane, provided that the destination can be reached within five hours by rail. To monitor the implementation of the guidelines on set, a ‘green consultant’ is employed to motivate colleagues, actors, agencies and partners to keep the environmental impact as low as possible. To this end, all areas of production, including materials for sets, scenery and props, costumes and make-up, technology, catering and accommodation, are evaluated for their sustainability.
‘Hundertdreizehn’ is a production by Satel Film and Windlight Pictures in co-production with ORF, WDR and ARD Degeto Film for ARD. The executive producers are Moritz Polter, Dirk Eggers and Heinrich Ambrosch, the co-executive producer is Cosima Degler and the producer is Herwig Krawinkler. The editors are Sabine Weber (ORF), Elke Kimmlinger (WDR) and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto Film). ‘Hundertdreizehn’ was funded by FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Nordmedia and the German Motion Picture Fund.
The first three episodes are available on ORF ON as video on demand, while episodes four to six can be streamed online from 10 October.
Credit: Satel Film/Windlight Pictures/Frank Dicks
02/10/25 – The SOKO Donau team has been hunting criminals an incredible 300 times since the series first aired in 2005. At the ‘station’ on Vienna’s Handelskai, Gregor Seberg, Lilian Klebow, Andreas Kiendl, Martin Gruber and Max Fischnaller reminisced about bloopers and funny moments in front of and behind the camera. ORF programme director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, ORF television film director Katharina Schenk and Satel Film producer Heinrich Ambrosch also congratulated the entire team on this unique success in Austrian television history. The 300th episode, entitled ‘Josef’, is expected to be broadcast on ORF 1 in 2027.
Trends come and go – but SOKO Donau remains a cornerstone of Austrian television entertainment. Since 2005, the SOKO Donau team has been called out an incredible 300 times to put a stop to criminals. No other domestic production can boast such a long run and so many fans at home and abroad as the team of investigators consisting of Gregor Seberg, Lilian Klebow, Maria Happel, Andreas Kiendl, Martin Gruber and Max Fischnaller. In Austria and Germany (ZDF), around 4.5 million viewers regularly tune in to watch each episode of the crime series, which is also broadcast internationally in 25 countries under the title ‘Vienna Crime Squad’.
On set at the police station on Handelskai, producer Heinrich Ambrosch, ORF programme director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, ORF television film director Katharina Schenk and ZDF editor Silvia Lambri congratulated the entire crew on 21 successful years.
Heinrich Ambrosch, producer at Vienna-based Satel Film, has been responsible for the successful SOKO Donau concept since 2007. “A series like SOKO Donau remains successful for over two decades because it manages to stay close to people and their everyday lives, while also telling exciting stories. We combine strong regional roots with socially relevant topics – and give a great ensemble of actors and a motivated team behind the camera the space to bring their passion to bear. It is probably this mixture that makes long-term success possible.”
ORF programme director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz: “300 episodes – what a milestone! It is impressive to see how consistently the “Soko Donau” brand has been maintained and developed during this time. The series manages to thrill its loyal viewers time and again, while also appealing to new audiences – always entertaining and with great attention to detail. I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication, continuous passion and creativity.”
Wheelies on set and other curiosities
Gregor Seberg, who plays Soko chief Helmuth Nowak, recalls a bizarre scene during filming in Styria: “I remember an episode with “Dietz” (Dietrich Siegl) where we were looking for our hotel rooms. He went downstairs, I went upstairs. Then he came to my room and said he had found a neighbouring room with the lights on. We climbed over the balcony because we thought it was a crew room. It took us 20 minutes to realise that it was actually his own room. We were rolling on the floor laughing.”
She can no longer recall how many times she has led someone away in handcuffs, but Lilian Klebow is certain of one thing: even after years as team inspector Penny Lanz in the SOKO Donau team, she still has plenty of bite on set. “SOKO means an incredible amount to me. I’ve played many incredible scenes, but also many scenes that I never thought I would play, such as the episode “The Day Penny Lanz Died” or “Quantum Leap”, where I was my own stuntwoman and pushed myself to my physical limits. Both episodes were filmed while I was pregnant with my son and daughter – in stark contrast to the childless film character. Penny and I are growing further and further apart, but we love each other all the more for it, and I am infinitely grateful for this role!” says Klebow.
Forensic scientist Maria Happel, alias Dr Franziska Beck, recounts a turbulent start on set with her motor scooter: ‘It was my very first time riding a Vespa. Nobody had told me that it wasn’t automatic, and my first scene began with a wheelie. But I didn’t fall off and immediately won the hearts of the crew.’
Andreas Kiendl, who has been an integral part of SOKO Donau since 2021 as district inspector Klaus Lechner, sums up his deep attachment to the series: “300 episodes – that’s just incredible. I’ve been involved for a long time now and feel completely at home in my role and the series. Apart from that, the team has become like a family. An unusual luxury in our industry.”
Martin Gruber, who plays Chief Inspector Max Herzog with his analytical eye and calm presence, also recounts a scene that required more patience than expected: “The shoots are very tightly scheduled. There isn’t much time for rehearsals and improvisation. That only works with a well-coordinated team where everyone can rely on each other. Often, the seemingly simplest scenes are the most challenging. In one episode, we were filming at a swimming pond. A police diver was supposed to recover the body while we sat on the shore and waited. In the scene, we were supposed to open a beer bottle one after the other. It took a while for everyone to get the “plopp” right, which put the crew’s nerves to the test. In the end, we were able to treat ourselves to a beer after all.”
Max Fischnaller, who has been bringing a breath of fresh air to the team as forensic technician Julius Rubatsch since 2023, recalls: “In the episode “Blunzenfett durchs Leben”, Julius wants to show off his coffee-making skills; however, the brew didn’t taste particularly good (to put it mildly) and his colleague Andreas Kiendl makes a wonderfully horrified face in his role. I had to laugh about this reaction privately again and again, and in the end, this private laugh ended up in the final cut.”
Environmentally friendly production
The series is produced in accordance with the strict guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel for ‘Green Producing (UZ 76)’. The production facilities are supplied with green electricity and diesel generators are not used. Instead of flying domestically and abroad, public transport is used if the corresponding train journey takes less than five hours. All areas, such as building materials, stage design and props, costumes and make-up, technology, catering and accommodation, are checked for sustainability.
Summary of the 300th episode: ‘Joseph’
Script: Peter Dommaschk & Ralf Leuther
Nine-year-old amateur detective Josef claims to have spotted a burglar in the house opposite at night, which leads him straight to his mum’s friend Franziska at the police station to report what he has seen. After checking with his mother Elena, the imaginative boy is taken home, while the team deals with a dead body found in a wheelbarrow in the woods, whose clothing matches Josef’s description of the intruder – could he really have seen something? Neighbour Katrin Bischoff does not know the dead man, nor has she noticed anything unusual. DNA and a dog bite mark initially lead to Sven Kruder, who has a record of previous violent offences. He admits that his dachshund attacked a possible burglar, but he has an alibi for the time of the crime. The dead man is Lukas Riedl, against whom Katrin Bischoff had just filed a complaint for stalking. She did not recognise her old friend, who wanted to take care of her too intensively after a boating accident and the death of her husband, in the photo. Could Dennis Hoffmann, with whom the woman had been in remarkably frequent telephone contact recently, have anything to do with the murder case? Josef also refuses to give up. He continues to search for clues, convinced that he can help the special investigation unit solve the case, thereby putting himself in great danger.
The 21st season of ‘Soko Donau’ is a Satel Film production in collaboration with ORF and ZDF, produced with the support of FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), Fernsehfonds Austria, Cinestyria Film Commission and Fund, the Province of Lower Austria, and the Film Commission Graz.
Credit: Satel Film/Moni Fellner
19/09/25 – A great success for our team: the ‘Staatsoperette’ project was awarded the SteinbrennMüller Award for the best German-language series concept at the Seriesly Berlin Writers Pitch.
The prizes for the pitching sessions were awarded on Thursday at the Seriesly Berlin Festival. Together with directing duo Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann, our producers Ula Okrojek and Herwig Krawinkler presented their project ‘Staatsoperette’ and won the SteinbrennerMüller Award, which was presented for the first time this year for German-language projects with a media value of €2,000.
Staatsoperette is a political dramedy that depicts the social landscape of our democracy, told through the eyes of a man in crisis – and through the heart of a love that becomes a weapon – absurd, profound, terrifyingly funny – and devastatingly realistic.
The Seriesly Berlin Festival took place for the second time this year and focuses on the creative development of serial storytelling. Through screenings, panel discussions and targeted networking, the festival brings together visionary storytellers with key players from a wide range of media sectors.
Credit: Satel Film
16/09/2025 A great honour for Brigitte Kren: She has been nominated for this year’s Kurier Romy Award for Best Actress (TV/Streaming). Voting is open until 14 October. The Romy Awards ceremony will then take place on 28 November in Kitzbühel.
For the 35th time, the public is voting for their favourite film and television stars at the Kurier Romy Awards. The nominees were announced at the presentation at the Palais Coburg on 15 September. Brigitte Kren is in the running for a Romy in the category ‘Best Actress (TV/Streaming)’. Also nominated are Anke Engelke, Veronica Ferres, Julia Jentsch and Stefanie Reinsperger.
Click here to vote:
https://romyvoting.kurier.at/wahl
From 2018 to 2024, Kren appeared on camera as Colonel Henriette Wolf in ‘SOKO Donau’. Last year, she retired and handed over the reins to Gregor Seberg. “I have been able to spend many wonderful years with you all in great cheerfulness and look forward to my remaining years with grateful serenity. I hope to stay healthy and have the strength to play one or two more roles for as long as possible and – very importantly – to watch my grandchildren grow up. What will I miss? This very familiar working environment, a pleasant working atmosphere, dear colleagues and the wonderfully dry humour behind the camera! Thank you all,” said the actress as she said goodbye.
Brigitte Kren is one of the regulars on Austrian television screens: Before her role in ‘SOKO Donau’, she danced on ‘Dancing Stars’ and worked with her son, director Marvin Kren, on several occasions, for example in the series ‘Freud’.
Fans can cast their votes until 14 October. The glamorous Romy Gala will take place on 28 November at Schloss Kaps in Kitzbühel.
Credit: Satel Film/Markus Kloiber
15/09/25 – On average, 113 people are affected by the death of another person. The new ORF/ARD series ‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen) will be broadcast in six parts on ORF 1 at 8:15 p.m. on 6 and 13 October, telling the story of the different fates of those involved in a tragic traffic accident. Following their international successes ‘Freud’ and ‘Nachts im Paradies’ (Night in Paradise), the production, which was filmed in Vienna, Lower Austria, Berlin and Cologne, is another collaboration between Heinrich Ambrosch (Satel Film) and Moritz Polter (Windlight Pictures). The leading roles are played by Robert Stadlober, Lia von Blarer, Patricia Aulitzky, Anna Schudt and many others. The series was directed by Rick Ostermann. The screenplays were written by Arndt Stüwe.
When someone dies in a road traffic accident, an average of 113 people are affected – from family members to police officers and firefighters. This is proven by a study conducted by the German Ministry of Transport and is the hook for the six-part series event by ORF and ARD. Following a terrible traffic accident in which a bus collides with oncoming traffic, the different lives of six people are recounted. Three episodes will be broadcast on two evenings, 6 and 13 October, at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 1. The TV event is being produced by the Satel Film team in collaboration with their Munich-based partners at Windlight Pictures.
Tragic bus accident connects
‘Hundertdreizehn’ tells a story on several levels: Two continuous strands follow the investigative duo (Lia von Blarer, Robert Stadlober) as they search for the cause of the accident and the fate of the relatives (Anna Schudt, Patricia Aulitzky) of the bus driver (Felix Kramer).
At the same time, each episode focuses on the main characters affected by the accident (Armin Rohde, Friederike Becht, Max von der Groeben, Vladimir Korneev, Cornelius Obonya, Antonia Moretti and many more) and their personal stories. ‘The bus accident disaster forms the framework narrative of the series and also serves as a metaphor for a profound inner conflict that all the main characters are struggling with: they have been thrown off course and are trying to find their way back on track,’ says producer Heinrich Ambrosch.
Third co-production
Following their global successes ‘Freud’ and ‘Nachts im Paradies’ (Night in Paradise), ‘Hundertdreizehn’ (One Hundred and Thirteen) is the third joint production by Windlight Pictures founder Moritz Polter and Satel Film managing director Heinrich Ambrosch. It was directed by Rick Ostermann. The screenplays were written by Arndt Stüwe. Filming took place in the summer of 2024 at locations including Vienna’s Central Cemetery, Baumgartner Höhe, Waidhofen an der Thaya and Thürnthal Castle, and then continued in Cologne and Berlin until mid-October.
Also appearing in supporting roles are: Benedikt Kalcher, Simon Löcker, Eva Marlen Hirschburger, Allegra Tinnefeld, David Hugo Schmitz, Maeve Metelka, Anna Kramer, Antonia Bill, Harald Windisch, Rohit Narayanan, Michel Johann Koch, Otto Emil Koch, Sarah Mahita, Julian Waldner, Malaya Stern Takeda, Rafael Filipovic, Levi Wolter, Waldemar Kobus, Gertrud Roll, Marita Breuer, Annina Hellenthal, Katharina Schmalenberg, Elias Baumgartner, Karen Dahmen, Maximilian Lim, Friederike Wagner, Markus Hering, Linda Schablowski, Franz Weichenberger, Heike Trinker, Saman Giraud, Babett Arens, Vivien Sczesny, Dörte Lyssweski, Sam Wilkins, Nina Fog and Alexander Stecher.
‘Hundertdreizehn’ is a production by Satel Film and Windlight Pictures in co-production with ORF, WDR and ARD Degeto Film for ARD. The executive producers are Moritz Polter, Dirk Eggers and Heinrich Ambrosch, the co-executive producer is Cosima Degler and the producer is Herwig Krawinkler. The editors are Sabine Weber (ORF), Elke Kimmlinger (WDR) and Christoph Pellander (ARD Degeto Film). ‘Hundertdreizehn’ was funded by FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Nordmedia and the German Motion Picture Fund.
Climate-neutral filming
The first three episodes will be available on ORF ON as video on demand from 5 October, while episodes four to six can be streamed online from 10 October. Satel Film is committed to green producing, i.e. filming in as climate-neutral a manner as possible.
Credit: Satel Film/Windlight Pictures/Frank Dicks
Graphic: Arne Ruemmler
04/09/25 – Since the beginning of September, filming has been underway in Graz and Mautern for two episodes of the 21st season of the popular ORF/ZDF crime series SOKO Donau. The Satel Film production uses the historic old town of Graz and the Styria region as authentic backdrops – a key to the series’ worldwide success. The importance of authentic filming locations was revealed by the main actors Maria Happel, Gregor Seberg, Martin Gruber and Max Fischnaller during a set visit to the old town of Graz. KPÖ councillor Sahar Mohsenzada, city councillor Günter Riegler, Satel Film producer Heinrich Ambrosch and ORF editor Sabine Weber also took the opportunity to chat with the cast and crew during filming. The new episodes of the 21st season are expected to be broadcast on ORF 1 and ORF ON in 2027.
Since the beginning of September, there has been a flurry of activity in Graz city centre, with Satel Film shooting episodes of the successful ORF/ZDF series SOKO Donau, including ‘Verliebt, Verlobt, Verwitwet’. But it is not only the historic old town that serves as an impressive backdrop; the entire province of Styria is actively involved in the production. That is why KPÖ councillor Sahar Mohsenzada, representing Mayor Elke Kahr and Councillor Günter Riegler, did not miss the opportunity to visit the set in person.
Kunasek: ‘The wonderful television images are great advertising for Styria as a tourist destination.’
The Mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, sent her greetings: ‘SOKO Donau has many fans in Graz and throughout Styria, which is why it is all the more pleasing that it is also being filmed on the Mur. Graz, with its historic old town, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a great backdrop for many domestic and international productions, something the people of Graz are very proud of.’
Although Governor Mario Kunasek was unable to attend the set visit, he emphasises the added value of the production: “The crime series SOKO Donau has been thrilling its fans with its exciting cases for many years. The star-studded team also frequently investigates cases away from the Danube. This time, the crew is setting up camp here in Styria. The new season will be filmed in Graz and Mautern in Upper Styria. The wonderful television images are once again great publicity for Styria as a tourist destination. Apart from the tourist aspect, the production team’s stay also generates considerable regional added value.”
City Councillor Günter Riegler: ‘SOKO Donau reaches an audience of millions. The fact that Graz is once again being showcased here is invaluable publicity for our city. We actively strive to be a filming location for TV and film productions. Not only to boost tourism, but also because the film industry directly generates added value.’
Seberg: “Best filming location ever!”
Gregor Seberg particularly appreciates the hospitality: “Graz is an ideal filming location because it looks like a city in Italy from the outside and the people are so friendly. And Styria is the best filming location ever anyway, because I remember telling the farmers on whose farm we were filming that I was cold. They then offered me a schnapps. Somehow, word got around. Soon, the whole team was ‘kolllt’ – even our esteemed colleagues from Germany learned Styrian especially for the hoped-for schnapps – and by the evening we were all very happy.”
Martin Gruber, alias ‘Chief Inspector Max Herzog,’ adds: ‘This episode is very complex. Magic, jealousy, a treacherous murder and lots of red herrings – all of which are typical of the SOKO feeling. Graz as a setting gives us real added value, because the city itself tells a story that goes far beyond the plot.’
Max Fischnaller (forensic scientist Julius Rubatsch), who was born in South Tyrol, also feels at home here: “Filming in beautiful Styria is always a special treat for me, as I grew up in a very rural environment myself. What’s more, some of my childhood friends from South Tyrol live in Graz. So I can finally visit them again. Styria simply captivates you with the friendliness and openness of its people.”
Maria Happel also always enjoys visiting Styria: ‘Graz is always worth a visit for Soko! Even though our cases usually involve dead bodies, the attitude to life here is simply wonderful! You can already smell the south in the air.’
Production with depth and regional added value
Satel Film Managing Director Heinrich Ambrosch: ‘Through our close partnership with the province of Styria and the city of Graz, we are not only able to shine a spotlight on authentic stories from the region, but also generate significant indirect profitability for the local economy.’
Investigations at Mautern Wildlife Park
In addition to Graz, ‘Der Wilde Berg’ in Mautern will become the TV investigators’ ‘workplace’ from 8 September. In ‘Hödlmoser reloaded (AT)’, an old gang of murderers is up to no good there. Ten years ago, the SOKO team put a stop to the Hödlmoser family’s activities. After their release from prison, they run a wildlife park, and promptly a female corpse is found near the enclosures. Reason enough for the stars of SOKO to investigate in Styria.
Environmentally friendly production
The series is produced in accordance with the strict guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel for ‘Green Producing (UZ 76)’. The production facilities are supplied with green electricity and diesel generators are not used. Instead of flying domestically and abroad, public transport is used if the corresponding train journey takes less than five hours. All areas, such as building materials, stage design and props, costumes and make-up, technology, catering and accommodation, are checked for sustainability.
The 21st season of ‘Soko Donau’ is a Satel Film production in collaboration with ORF and ZDF, produced with the support of FISA+, Film in Austria (ABA), Fernsehfonds Austria, Cinestyria Film Commission and Fund, the Province of Lower Austria, and the Film Commission Graz.
Credit: Satel Film/Ekatarina Paller
