1954

Founding of the "Westdeutsche Kulturfilmtage" (West German Educational Film Festival) by Hilmar Hoffmann

 

1958

Introduction of the motto "Weg zum Nachbarn" (Way to the Neighbour)

 

1959

Festival renamed "Westdeutsche Kurzfilmtage" (West German Short Film Festival)

 

1960

Accreditated by The Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF)

 

1962

Oberhausen Manifesto

 

1963

The venue of the Short Film Festival is relocated from the "Europa" cinema in the city centre to the newly opened Oberhausen Civic Hall (later: "Luise-Albertz-Halle")

 

1968

Walkout by German filmmakers in protest against the banning of Hellmuth Costard's film "Besonders wertvoll" by the festival direction

 

1969

Founding of the "Informationstage für Filme aus der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und West-Berlin" (Information Festival for Films from the Federal Republic of Germany and West-Berlin), founding of the "Filmothek der Jugend" (Youth Film Festival)

 

1970

The Festival shows a computer-generated animation for the first time; Hilmar Hoffmann leaves the Festival to go to Frankfurt am Main

 

1971

Will Wehling becomes Festival director

 

1975

Following the death of Wehling, Wolfgang J. Ruf becomes festival director

 

1978

Founding of the Children's Cinema

 

1985

Karola Gramann becomes festival director

 

1989

Establishment of a "video section" and the film market, which grows rapidly in the following years

 

1990

Angela Haardt becomes festival director

 

1991

The festival is renamed "International Short Film Festival Oberhausen", the "Information Festival" is transformed into the first West German short film competition, and the retrospectives are expanded into subject-related special programmes

 

1993

Video works are admitted to all competitions on an equal basis with films

 

1997

Lars Henrik Gass becomes festival director

 

1998

After 34 years, the Festival moves to a new venue, the "Lichtburg Filmpalast"

 

1999

Conversion of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, previously part of the municipal administration, into a non-profit limited liability company

 

1999

Introduction of the world's first festival music video award

 

2001

Launch of shortfilm.de, the world's first on-line short film magazine

 

2002

Co-founder of the German short film association AG Kurzfilm e.V., the lobbying body for German short films.

 

2003

Founder of the digital distribution platform reelport.com which makes online submissions to several festivals at once possible.

 

 

Honorary presidents:

Fernando Birri, Jerzy Bossak, John Grierson, Bert Haanstra, Hilmar Hoffmann