Diploma Programme · AI & Film

While others talk about AI, you deliver finished films with it.

The part-time Diploma Programme in AI & Film at the Filmakademie of WIFI Salzburg — one of the first in German-speaking Europe to combine traditional filmmaking craft with generative AI at diploma level.

Book your admissions interview at an information evening→ See the work

Starts 12 September 2026 · two semesters, part-time · limited number of places

00:01 · The situation

Today three people and AI deliver what used to take a full crew.

The question is no longer whether you work with AI — but whether you command it or are overtaken by it. After two semesters you take on the job you once had to turn down for lack of budget or crew — on your own. You are not the one AI replaces. You are the one they book because you have mastered it.

00:02 · The work

Not an argument. Proof.

„Transformation" — a short film developed and produced entirely with generative AI by Lothar Riedl, who runs this programme. Not a concept, not a mock-up: a finished film.

Feathers become light, light becomes form.

Midjourney · Kling · Premiere Pro — Lothar Riedl, 2026

00:03 · Voices

What graduates of the Filmakademie say.

The Diploma Programme in AI & Film starts in 2026 — but the Filmakademie of WIFI Salzburg has been training filmmakers since 2009. These voices come from previous cohorts. The interviews are in German.

Stephan Niedermayr

Graduate, Filmakademie Salzburg

Thomas, Julia, Barbara & Dora

Graduates, Filmakademie Salzburg

00:04 · On set

You shoot on the same kit the broadcasters use.

Studio, location, camera, sound, edit suite — at the Filmakademie you work with professional equipment under real production conditions. AI is added to the craft; it does not replace it.

Studio production with lighting, camera and video village — Studio · Lighting

Location shoot with camera, boom and slate — Location · Shoot

Director's monitor showing a slate — Directing · Monitoring

Camera operator on a night shoot — Night shoot · Camera

Sound assistant with boom pole and headphones — Sound · Boom

Scene being shot in the studio with cast and crew — Scene · Blocking

Camera viewfinder in a darkened studio — Editing · Review

00:05 · Programme director

Mag. Lothar Riedl

Certified film producer · Programme director

Winner of several awards, among them the Cannes Corporate Media Award. Riedl has produced at festival level for years and works at the leading edge of generative AI.

For a first cohort, the proof is not a list of graduates but the person who teaches — and a published book on the subject.

Author of the Springer title
„Videos mit künstlicher Intelligenz gestalten"
(Creating Videos with Artificial Intelligence)

00:06 · The faculty

Taught by people who make their living doing it.

Every subject is taught by someone working in it — from storytelling and directing through lighting and film scoring to colour grading and broadcast technology.

Subjects & lecturers

Storytelling

Markus Gull

Directing

Valerie Mackinger

Broadcast journalism

Tabea Baur

Format development

Markus Andorfer

Lighting

Achim Dunker

Motion graphics & titles

Evelin Schnöll

Dramaturgy of commercials

Ronald Krapp

Film scoring

Wolfgang Schramml

Music recording

Gerald Kaiser

Sound design

Gregor Salhofer

Broadcast technology

Lars Oertel

Colour grading

Thomas Mayer

Post-production, TV directing & programme direction

Lothar Riedl

Administration

Course administration

Sandra Haas

Head of department

Markus Hartinger

00:07 · Where it leads

The Filmakademie of WIFI Salzburg has been training filmmakers since 2009.

Its graduates work where you want to be:

≈ ⅓

at Austrian television broadcasters

≈ ⅓

in advertising and PR agencies

≈ ⅓

freelance, running their own productions

Track record of the Filmakademie WIFI Salzburg (Diploma Programme in Film, since 2009).

00:08 · The programme

You run hybrid productions — from the idea to delivery.

Development, principal photography, post-production, distribution: you learn to combine traditional filmmaking craft with generative AI as a deliberate strategy — and you finish the programme with your own completed films.

MidjourneyKlingRunwayPremiere Pro

Start

12 September 2026

Duration

Two semesters · part-time, alongside your job

Qualification

WIFI diploma · „Filmproducer für hybride Filmproduktionen" (Film Producer for Hybrid Film Productions)

Location

WIFI Salzburg

Language of instruction

German. Course materials are provided in English on request, and final presentations may be delivered in English.

Tuition fee

EUR 5,625 — eligible for funding (the Bildungsscheck of the Province of Salzburg, for example, covers up to EUR 2,200)

Time commitment

8 hours per week on site, plus self-study

One of the first diploma programmes in German-speaking Europe to combine filmmaking craft with generative AI at diploma level. You are in the first cohort — not among those catching up.

00:09 · Admissions interview

No exam. A personal conversation.

In the admissions interview with Lothar Riedl you get a feel for the level, ask your questions — and decide afterwards. The number of places per cohort is limited.

Date · Online

Thursday, 20 August 2026 — 6.00 p.m.

Online via Zoom — join from wherever you are.

Book your admissions interview at an information evening→

Programme starts 12 September 2026 · the information evenings are held in German

00:10 · Questions

What professionals want to know first.

Do I need to speak German? +

Teaching is in German, so you should be able to follow spoken German at a working level. Course materials are provided in English on request, and you may deliver your final presentations in English. If you are unsure whether your German is sufficient, raise it at the admissions interview — that is exactly what the conversation is for.

Can I do this alongside my job? +

Yes — the programme runs part-time over two semesters, starting 12 September 2026. On-site attendance is 8 hours per week, plus self-study.

What prior knowledge do I need? +

You need working computer skills: macOS, a basic grasp of file structure (creating, saving and finding files) and confident use of web browsers. Experience in film or journalism is an advantage but not a requirement.

Won't AI replace my job anyway? +

That is precisely the point: the job goes to whoever commands the tool — not to whoever ignores it. This programme makes you the one who directs AI rather than being directed by it.

What does it cost, and is funding available? +

The tuition fee is EUR 5,625. The Bildungsscheck of the Province of Salzburg, for example, covers up to EUR 2,200. Further options include Weiterbildungsbeihilfe and Weiterbildungsteilzeithilfe (further-training allowances), the Qualifizierungsförderung for employees and the Skills-Scheck. An overview of funding and tax tips is available from WIFI Salzburg (in German).

What qualification do I finish with? +

The WIFI diploma and the qualification „Filmproducer für hybride Filmproduktionen" — film producer for hybrid film productions.

00:11 · Legal

Legal notice & privacy policy.

This is a translation for convenience. The German version is legally binding.

Legal notice (Impressum) +

Media owner and responsible for content

Mag. Lothar Riedl — Riedl.TV and Film Creation
Ludwig-Bieringer-Platz 1, 5071 Wals bei Salzburg, Austria
Phone: +43 662 83 25 83 · Email: mail@riedl.tv
VAT ID: ATU54433509

Business purpose: film and video production. Member of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce, Professional Association of the Film and Music Industry. Certified Austrian Film Producer. Applicable legislation: Austrian Trade Act (ris.bka.gv.at). Supervisory authority under the Austrian E-Commerce Act: District Authority Salzburg-Umgebung.

The diploma programme is delivered at WIFI Salzburg, Julius-Raab-Platz 2, 5020 Salzburg. Registration and the contract of enrolment are handled by WIFI Salzburg.

Online dispute resolution: ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

Controller

Mag. Lothar Riedl — Riedl.TV and Film Creation, Ludwig-Bieringer-Platz 1, 5071 Wals bei Salzburg, Austria. Email: mail@riedl.tv. We process personal data on the basis of the applicable law (GDPR, Austrian Telecommunications Act 2003).

Getting in touch

If you contact us by email, the details you provide are stored for six months in order to handle your enquiry and any follow-up questions. We do not pass these data on without your consent. Registration for the programme is governed by the privacy policy of WIFI Salzburg.

Hosting and server log files

Hosting is provided by mittwald (Mittwald CM Service GmbH & Co. KG, Königsberger Straße 4–6, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany); a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place. To ensure technical operation, the web server processes the following data in log files on the basis of legitimate interest: the content accessed, the time of the request, browser type and version, operating system, HTTP referrer and IP address or host name. These data are stored temporarily only and then deleted automatically.

Fonts

All fonts used are hosted locally on this server. No data are transferred to third parties.

Video

The graduate interviews are served from our own server; no data are transferred to third parties. The film „Transformation" is embedded from YouTube (Google Ireland Limited): when you open this page a connection to YouTube/Google servers is established, during which data such as your IP address may be transferred and cookies may be set. Details at policies.google.com/privacy.

Your rights

You have the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability, withdrawal of consent and objection. You can reach us at mail@riedl.tv. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority (dsb.gv.at).