The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen is one of the major international crossroads for the short form, unique in the range of forms and genres it presents to the public, and particularly well known for its spotlight on experiments.
In short film, anything is possible: formally, content-wise, or aesthetically. Hard to pin down, extremely open – and for that reason endlessly fascinating – short film remains an inexhaustible reservoir from which cinema, television, Internet and even the museum cull new visual languages. Oberhausen’s competitions are equally open to artistic and cinematic trends, they are exhibitions as well as film programmes. The festival is always looking for works that defy tradition, that have the courage to try out something new.
Oberhausen stands for short distances, intensive discussions, sold-out theatres and plenty of opportunities to make contacts. The four competitions, featuring some 140 new films and videos from all around the world, attract television programme editors as well as curators, festival representatives and journalists. Films vie for some 40,000 euros in prize money. The main award of the festival is the Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen, which includes a grant of 7,500 euros, in the International Competition. A 5,000-euro prize awaits the winner of the German Competition. Other honours include the 2,500-euro ARTE Award for a European short film and the 3sat Promotional Award, likewise for 2,500 euros.
Theme
Just as important as the competitions at the Short Film Festival is the extensive theme.
Today, the short film branches into a host of cross-genre forms that are not shown in cinemas, be it avant-garde, advertising or scientific films. The Short Film Festival presents this differentiated form of the short film in thematic contexts, thus creating a forum for social discussions which, although originating from the topic of short film, actually go far beyond filmrelated issues and lead to an all-encompassing dialogue on the ways and workings of film production in the arts, new technologies and science.
The theme in 2010: From the Deep: The Great Experiment 1898-1918