news ‘Corsage’ Actor Florian Teichtmeister Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

Florian Teichtmeister, the Austrian actor who recently rose to international prominence for his performance as Emperor Franz Joseph in the Oscar-shortlisted film “Corsage,” has been charged with possession of child pornography. The news was first broken by The Hollywood Reporter.

Austrian authorities reportedly found over 58,000 digital images of sexualized minors in Teichtmeister’s possession. The pornographic content featured participants that were as young as 14 years old.

In a statement, Teichtmeister’s lawyer Michael Rami said that the actor plans to plead guilty to all charges. “He confessed throughout the investigation and always cooperated with the authorities,” Rami said. His trial is set to begin on February 8, and could result in a prison sentence of up to two years. IndieWire has reached out to Teichtmeister’s representatives for further comment.

The news comes as “Corsage,” an IFC Films release, attempts to get its award season campaign across the finish line. Marie Kreutzer’s film is Austria’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature, and was recently named one of 15 finalists for the prize.

“We have just been made aware of the charges against Florian Teichtmeister and are deeply shocked and appalled,” an IFC Films spokesperson said in a statement to THR. “We will not let the actions by one supporting actor minimize or invalidate the incredible work and achievements of the entire cast and crew of Corsage.”

In his IndieWire review of “Corsage,” Adam Solomons wrote: “Spanning the birth of Mozart in 1756 to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the First World War, the golden age of Vienna was — to paraphrase Darlene Madison Cox — an important and exciting time. Yet the Empress Elisabeth of ‘Corsage’ isn’t feeling it. During that time, Europe’s second city of culture — it was never Paris — housed Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Strauss, Klimt, and Freud. And, though Beethoven died a decade before her birth, ‘Für Elise’ sure hits different when it accompanies one of Elisabeth’s breakdowns. Although ‘Corsage’ makes a worthy attempt to recast Elisabeth as independent of her constraints, its final note leaves it feeling a little too much like its own sort of requiem.”
 
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