Competitions

Award Winners 2025

Awards of the International Jury

Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen
worth 8,000 euros

Jailoogo Karay Uzak Jol
(Long Way to the Pasture)
Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu
Kyrgyzstan 2025, 23‘35‘‘, colour

Statement:
A cinematic energy is unleashed in a film of a shepherding family’s move to summer pastures in Kyrgyzstan. A way of capturing the moments of this human and animal life’s migration over a wild river. All creatures are revealed in the heat of action, totally immersed in the moment. Moving with the forces of nature and its elements. Remarkable cinematography and use of light and motion.

Principal Prize of the International Jury
worth 4,000 euros

Dvorts∞vaya
(The Palace Sq∞are)
Mikhail Zheleznikov
Israel 2024, 22‘, colour/black and white

Statement:
The Alexander Column is the axis of encounters on the Palace Square in St. Petersburg. Starting from a witty photomontage, the film expands to a broader narrative; a film that equally captures a place and time. The First World War is declared, the Winter Palace is stormed, and in one shock cut, we move from the Russian Revolution to the dismantling of the Soviet Union. For the filmmaker there is never a faceless crowd, always a crowd of individuals with faces that are still watching us today.

Promotional Prize of the International Competition
worth 1,500 euros

Gusarapos
(Crawlies)
Ulysse de Maximy
Mexico 2024, 17‘55‘‘, colour

Statement:
The filmmaker guides us to a family, drawing from his own experiences with madness, centering on the voice recordings and observations of a schizophrenic uncle. We feel a strong individual voice transformed into a unique cinematic language. The story is disturbing and moving at the same time. We feel it more than we read it.

Short Film Candidate for the 38th European Film Awards

Common Pear
Gregor Božič
Slovenia/UK 2025, 15‘, colour

Statement:
A new generation is awakening in an environment where one cannot survive. They use the archive to study the recent past to achieve knowledge from the previous generations. Voices from the past lead us to a poetic exploration of nature threatened by the climate catastrophe. A near-future fiction film about the loss of nature and how to navigate this reality.

Special Mentions of the International Jury

Será inmortal quien merezca serlo
(Whoever Deserves It, Will Be Immortal)
Nay Mendl
Cuba 2024, 19‘, colour

Statement:
How do we remember a beloved person? A film that relates to the queer present and a previous generation in the name of Winston Hernandez. Old photographs show the history interwoven with the present reality of queer people in Cuba. A repressive government installed detention camps for these people regardless of their political convictions. The film reveals the voices of this community.

Aswin Pyaung Lelkyinn Titehku
(A Metamorphosis)
Lin Htet Aung
Myanmar 2024, 16‘39‘‘, colour

Statement:
In this film the filmmaker transforms the experiences of what it is like to grow up with state television propaganda into a kind of counter-broadcast. An outstanding exploration of the possibilities of AI in the compositions and its narratives.
This distorted, eerie broadcast explores the daily experiences of living in a dictatorship accompanied by a lullaby that might haunt you forever: Yee, lé-lé! Yee, lé-lé!

Prize of the Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia

1st Prize of the Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia
worth 5,000 euros

Myakish
(Crumb)
Elena Kulesh
Russia 2025, 28‘45‘‘, colour

Statement:
The “Njet” as a bracket. Three young men full of longing, looking for a life of their own against all odds. We gain insights into a society in which the wishes and needs of the weaker members are thwarted by patriarchal violence.

2nd Prize of the Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia
worth 3,000 euros

Jailoogo Karay Uzak Jol
(Long Way to the Pasture)
Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu
Kyrgyzstan 2025, 23‘35‘‘, colour

Statement:
A family in Kyrgysztan take their livestock to the summer pasture. Intense, almost magical images make the audience part of this journey. This film always finds the right rhythm, precisely observing the interplay of forces between humans and nature.

Special Mention of the Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia

Les Fenêtres
(Windows)
Elsa Pennacchio/Etienne De Villars
Frankreich 2024, 13‘42‘‘, Farbe

Statement:
When prisoners’ thoughts set the walls in motion.

The International Critics’ Prize

The International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI Prize)

Common Pear
Gregor Božič
Slovenia/UK 2025, 15‘, colour

Statement:
The FIPRESCI Film Critic Award 2025 goes to a film that focuses on caring for trees and highlights the intergenerational responsibility for the climate breakdown. Also, on the dramaturgical level the vegetables create a visual bridge between science fiction and documentary. A dystopian view filled with a feeling of loss and melancholia introduces us to a place of refuge where we can hope for repair. Here the documentary elements are put at a distance through the analysis of images. The cinematic immersion, enhanced by impressive photography and elaborate framing, leaves room for a reflection about an urgent “common fear” to which anyone can feel connected, and probably re-connected with nature.

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
worth 2,000 euros

Drogi Leo Sokolosky
(Dear Leo Sokolosky)
Weronika Szyma
Poland 2024, 8‘, colour

Statement:
By employing minimalist animation with live action resurrected from family archives, this film transports the viewer through Ansbach and the inner space of one woman's journey to find her great-grandfather who went through the labour camps of the Second World War. Making the past present, and bringing together history, documentary and critical personal reflection, Drogi Leo Sokolosky is a wondrous cinematic diary that gives us the rare opportunity to pull back the curtain and peer into the depths of a human soul.

Special Mention of the Ecumenical Jury

Nocturno
(Nocturne)
Sol Muñoz/Ana Apontes
Argentina 2025, 14‘28‘‘, colour

Statement:
Der Film lädt uns in die stimmungsvolle, unbeschwerte Welt der Kindheit ein. Er zeigt zwei Schwestern, die nachts umherwandern, während ihr Vater als Wachmann in einem wohlhabenden Viertel arbeitet. Nocturno kontrastiert die Einsamkeit in verschlossenen Wohnungen mit der Freiheit der Schwestern, die eine offene und weite Welt entdecken. Es ist ein einfühlsames Werk der Gesellschaftskritik und eine existenzielle Erinnerung daran, was es wirklich bedeutet, ein Leben voller Liebe zu führen.

ZONTA Prize

ZONTA Prize
worth 1,000 euros, sponsored by Zonta Club Oberhausen Rheinland
for a female filmmaker in the International or German Competition

She Crossed
Zhang Daisy Ziyan
USA 2024, 20‘, colour

Statement:
A portrait always tells us something about the portrayed and the one portraying. The film in question doesn’t merely portray care work, but creates a cinematic form through rhythm and observation to convey precarity, tenderness and evanescence; the gentle passion as well as aesthetic grandeur of human encounters. Through an homage to a very particular woman, it celebrates intimacy, trust and activities carried out by millions of women around the world without recognition. The protagonist’s love for plants is mirrored in the attention with which the filmmaker turns to the most ephemeral phenomena, be it a raindrop or the passing expression of a face.

Awards of the German Competition

Prize of the German Competition
worth 5,000 euros

Hay un dolor
(There’s a Pain)
Froilán Urzagasti
Germany/Bolivia 2024, 39‘51‘‘, colour

Statement:
With great poetic power and subtle observation, the film unfolds a nuanced panorama of work, migration and community. Combining documentary moments with fictional elements in quiet, precisely composed images, it creates a narrative of foreignness, belonging and shared experiences in both public and private spaces.

Promotional Prize of the German Competition
worth 1,500 euros

Haha no tegami
(Mother’s Letter)
Sylvia Schedelbauer
Germany 2025, 25‘05‘‘, colour/black and white

Statement:
In her film, the filmmaker paints a poetic tale of two personal journeys on which mother and daughter are reflected in each other. A journey of emancipation and migration, and a journey of remembrance. Using archive material, the filmmaker weaves an intimate and multi-layered document of longing, transience, freedom and reconciliation.

3sat Emerging Talent Prize
worth 2,500 euros, sponsored by 3sat
In addition the award includes a buying option on the awarded work to be broadcast on 3sat.

Monument
Maksim Avdeev
Germany 2024, 14‘45‘‘, colour

Statement:
The film is a reflection on filmmaking itself – as an act of empowerment and an attempt to speak about the unspeakable. In a documentary approach between two generations, a telephone call is interwoven with family videos and becomes a multi-layered mirror of familial, political and emotional tensions. The search for understanding becomes a confrontation with traditional values and ideological constructs, without providing simple answers. The precise interplay of sound and image, present and memory, proximity and distance creates an open space for dialogue, doubt and transformation.

Special Mention of the Jury of the German Competition

Amanhã não dão chuva
(It Shouldn’t Rain Tomorrow)
Maria Trigo Teixeira
Portugal/Germany 2024, 11‘30‘‘, colour

Statement:
In her poetic work, the filmmaker paints an emotionally complex picture of a mother-daughter relationship. Fear and loss are processed in a lyrical animation.

Awards of the 17th NRW Competition

Prize of the NRW Competition
worth 1,000 euros

Overwork
Céline Berger
Germany 2025, 10‘10‘‘, colour

Statement:
Precise movements, mechanical hand movements, small-scale work steps. Always rhythmical, always following a fixed choreography. An arrangement of found images that highlights the significance of work which is becoming more and more intangible in the age of AI and digitization, and which celebrates the craft of montage itself.

Promotional Prize of the NRW Competition
worth 500 euros

Chrysanthemum
Jingyuan Luo
Germany 2025, 9‘20‘‘, colour

Statement:
Impotent grief, concealed and covered up by state censorship. An approach from a distance. Subtle animations and repetitive movement patterns create a poetic attempt to transform the intangible into remembrance.

Special Mention of the Jury of the NRW Competition 

ghosting mother
Bernard Mescherowsky
Germany 2025, 16‘58‘‘, black and white

Statement:
The development process leaves traces on the 16mm stock, just like the passing of time destroys the grave. In search of remembrance, the filmmaker not only portrays his mother but also the attempt to create his own ritual of mourning.

Prize of the WDR Westart Audience Jury

Prize of the WDR Westart Audience Jury
worth 750 euros, sponsored by WDR Westart

ghosting mother
Bernard Mescherowsky
Germany 2025, 16‘58‘‘, black and white

Statement:
A son says farewell, looking for traces. His mother died too early, giving him no more time to ask questions. What does he know about her beyond her role as mother? About her dreams, longings, hopes. What do we know about each other? Which memories will remain?
A very personal film, deeply moving and experimental. The 16mm stock disintegrates like a sick body. The images fade, dissolve.
We were touched by this exploration of grief, the simple words, the visual design, the soundtrack, the idea.

Awards of the 48th International Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Prize of the Children’s Jury
worth 1,000 euros, sponsored by Wirtschaftsbetriebe Oberhausen (WBO)

Autokar
Sylwia Szkiłądź
France/Belgium 2025, 17‘, colour

Statement:
What we liked about our winning film was that the girl was courageous enough to go on such a long journey by bus alone. In the film, all the people in the bus change into animals, which we thought was fascinating because they scared the girl less than before. Some of the animals’ characters were not at all what we expected. The she-wolf, for example, was really nice at the end. Our favourite scene was when the girl grew and lifted her house.

Promotional Prize of the Children’s Jury
worth 1,000 euros, sponsored by Energieversorgung Oberhausen AG (evo)

A Small Garden by the Window
Lee Jonghoon
South Korea 2024, 4‘35‘‘, colour

Statement:
Our award winner takes up an important topic: climate change. The issue was well presented even without words. The film shows that one individual can make a real change. We especially liked the green cuties that drank rainwater from the air in one scene. The animation was particularly cool.

Special Mention of the Children's Jury

Shan Shen De Huang Yan
(The Lie of the Mountain God)
China 2024, 15‘55‘‘, colour

Statement:
What we liked about our Special Mention was that real people acted in the film. In this film, a child has seen the Mountain God, but nobody believes him. It was good to see that the child still believed in the story and gave free rein to his imagination. And it was nice that the grandmother supported the boy at the end. Our favourite scene was when the boy stole the scarecrow.

Prize of the Youth Jury
worth 1,000 euros, sponsored by Rotary Club Oberhausen

Ik Zeg Je Eerlijjk
(Honestly)
Eva Nijsten
Netherlands 2024, 24‘16‘‘, colour

Statement:
This documentary really made us think. By creating a space where people can discuss sexual, religious and cultural diversity openly and freely, Peter shows that conflict and force are not the way to solve problems and that a solution need not necessarily be the goal. That’s why the film does not try to instruct, nor does Peter. Instead, his questions and statements inspire us to ask our own questions. They make us laugh, despair and hope, creating a need for exchange. And only when there is exchange will we be able to move towards each other instead of turning away from the other.

SURPRISE. Prize for the most surprising film
worth 1,000 euros, sponsored by Methode Film

Gravity
Robotina
Italy/Mexico 2024, 8‘40‘‘, colour

Statement:
The SURPRISE goes to a film in which a change of gravity changes the action. While this animation begins in a very imaginative and futuristic way that seems far from our reality, its surprising end is a critique of human consumerism and the irresponsible way garbage is handled. And yet the Italian Banger at the end sounds like hope and solidarity.

Special Mention of the Youth Jury

Kismet
Žiga Virc
Slovenia 2025, 14‘56‘‘, colour

Statement:
Our Special Mention goes to a film that opens insights into the most intimate moments of a family consisting of women from different generations who disagree about the traditions of their Roma community. While the main character longs for freedom and independence, her grandmothers fears the disintegration of tradition. It was especially interesting to us that all actors are actually part of the community and partly improvised their own stories. While this feature film shows some dark and oppressive situations in the young girl’s life, we quickly realise that she also finds a lot of love and understanding in her family. We think that this is important, because otherwise it would simply be a confirmation of outsiders’ pre-existing prejudices.

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury of the Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury of the Children’s and Youth Film Competition
worth 1,500 euros

Autokar
Sylwia Szkiłądź
France/Belgium 2025, 17‘, colour

Statement:
Agata's journey from Poland to Belgium offers a universal perspective on leaving one's homeland and explores identity and tradition with sensitivity. In times of political and social polarisation, the film confronts the fear of otherness and provides a valuable insight into human connection that resonates across all age groups.

Special Mention of the Ecumenical Jury of the Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Happy Snaps
Tyro Heath
UK 2024, 12‘03‘‘, colour

Statement:
Happy Snaps
offers a sensitive portrayal of a friendship that must face the challenges of separation and loss over the course of the film. It provides an important and inclusive perspective on relationships shaped by the human need to hold on and the emotional process of coping with change.

Prize of the ECFA Jury

ECFA Short Film Award
(The award consists of a nomination for the ECFA Short Film Award 2025)

Gravity
Robotina
Italy/Mexico 2024, 8‘40‘‘, colour

Statement:
After loving many, many of the selected shorts, our three member jury agreed on a film that surprised us the most.
When the world turns upside down there are things that fly away and things that stand firmly on the ground. This film charmed us with this unexpected plot and its authentic unique aesthetic. We all need a little reminder now and then to become aware of all that is abandoned in our lives and embrace it again.
A film that creates an entire viable universe in under nine minutes, with such creativity and plot twists, that it will be keeping the audience on their toes as they enjoy the ride.

27th MuVi Award

1st Prize of the 27th MuVi Jury
worth 2,000 euros

K-BOB STAR (Cardi B)
Hansol Kim
Germany/South Korea 2024, 3‘01‘‘, colour

Statement:
Hansol Kim‘s K-BOB STAR is a precise and playful investigation into the intersections between different generations, the role of women in the K-Pop industry and carework. Working with several generations of women, particularly her grandmother, she creates a multigenerational narrative that subtly undermines traditional notions of age and gender. Employing a pared-down, poignant combination of video and text, as well as ironic references – for example to kimchi as a cultural signifier – Kim questions issues of appropriation and cultural identity. The result is a fresh, idiosyncratic work whose aesthetic otherness and performative eccentricity open new visual spaces of female emancipation.

2nd Prize of the 27th MuVi Jury
worth 1,000 euros

Quand le grenier aura pris feu (Anadol & Marie Klock)
Utku Önal
Germany/France 2025, 6‘13‘‘, colour

Statement:
With Quand le grenier aura pris feux, Utku Önal has designed a poetic, multi-layered work that plays with surrealist nuances and at the same time refuses to be categorized. Image and sound complement each other in irritating and at the same time subtle ways, between daydream and nightmare, between tenderness and distress. Watching it inevitably raises the question: How was this made? The use of AI is not displayed as a spectacle but as a quiet, almost casual performance that re-explores the relationship between human, machine and representation. The result is an enigmatic, idiosyncratic work that eludes any clear definition – which is precisely how its power unfolds.

MuVi Online Audience Award
chosen by online vote on www.muvipreis.de and worth 500 euros

looking @ ghosts (die hunde x prozpera)
Jeremias Heppeler
Germany/Japan 2024, 5‘07‘‘, colour

The MuVi Partners 2025:
3sat, ByteFm, Kaput Mag, kultur.west, netpoint media

Competition Films

By countries

Argentina
Canción de Cumbre
(Summit Song), Federica Cafferata, 2024, 15' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
La última frontera (The last border), Camila Dron, 2025, 10' 14", International Competition
Nocturno (Nocturne), Sol Muñoz, Ana Apontes, 2025, 14' 28", International Competition

Austria
Gleichzeitig Nackt
(Simultaneously Naked), Ashley Hans Scheirl, Ursula Pürrer, 2024, 3' 00", International Competition
Jelena, Friedl vom Gröller, 2024, 2' 50", International Competition
Some Memories, Lotte Schreiber, 2024, 10' 00", International Competition
Wohnjuwel (Living Jewel), Simon Spitzer, 2025, 16' 30", International Competition

Austria/ Germany
A Provenance
, Katharina Bayer, 2025, 13' 57", German Competition

Brazil
O amor não cabe na sala
(Not enough for the love inside), Marcelo Matos de Oliveira, Wallace Nogueira, 2024, 17' 36", International Competition
Ri, Bola (Laugh, Bola), Diego Bauer, 2024, 11' 49", International Competition

Cambodia
ក្រូច
(The Orange), Seakleng Song, 2024, 17' 13", International Competition

Canada
Texas Switch
, Darren Dominique Heroux, 2024, 9' 16", International Competition

China
SHANMAO
(Ghost Cat), Liu Shubo, 2025, 10' 09", International Competition
Shan Shen De Huang Yan (The lie of The Mountain God), Ma Myers, 2024, 15' 55", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Colombia
Preguntas Frecuentes
(Frequently asked questions), Sofía Salinas Barrera, 2024, 15' 43", International Competition

Croatia
Všmš
(Wshmch), Nela Gluhak, 2024, 1' 33", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Cuba/ Brazil
Será inmortal quien merezca serlo (Whoever deserves it, will be immortal), Nay Mendl, 2024, 19' 00", International Competition

Cuba/ Dominican Republic
RITO DE PASO
(RITE OF PASSAGE), José Luis Jiménez, 2024, 19' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Finland
Aavetuntohetki
(The Ghost Feel Hour), Eero Tammi, 2025, 10' 57", International Competition
Muistot liikkuvat kuin kaukaiset saaret (Memories Move Like Distant Islands), Saarlotta Virri, 2025, 28' 52", International Competition
Ocean Blvd, Jade Kallio, 2024, 17' 31", International Competition
The Will, Salla Tykkä, 2025, 27' 43", International Competition

France
Adieu Gropius
(So long Gropius), Bertille Rondard, 2024, 4' 09", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Généalogie de la violence (Genealogy of Violence), Mohamed Bourouissa, 2024, 15' 15", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
J'ai trouvé une boite (I found a box), Eric Montchaud, 2025, 10' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Les fenêtres (Windows), Elsa Pennacchio, Etienne De Villars, 2024, 13' 42", International Competition
Tonada de l’hirondelle (Swallow's Tonada), Daniela Godel, 2024, 4' 11", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Un tilleul parmi les platanes (Back to the Basswood), Mariam Farota, 2024, 4' 13", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

France/ Belgium
Autokar
, Sylwia Szkiladz, 2025, 17' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Germany
113 Bottles of Water in a Nightshop, Leo Rottmann, 2024, 10' 41", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
A Thousand Waves Away, Helena Wittmann, 2025, 10' 00", German Competition
Ansitzen (To Sit On Watch), Franca Pape, 2024, 5' 46", NRW Competition
BIEST, Stefan Panhans, 2025, 9' 27", MuVi Award
Capriccio, Christos Dassios, 2024, 6' 41", NRW Competition
Chrysanthemum, Jingyuan Luo, 2025, 9' 20", NRW Competition
Deutsch+ (German+), Margit Schild, 2024, 5' 25", NRW Competition
Die Unvorzeigbarkeit dessen, was nie hätte geschehen sollen (The impossibility of showing what should never have happened), Silke Schönfeld, 2025, 24' 56", German Competition
Dokhtar'am (My Daughter), Pedram Sadough, 2025, 16' 30", German Competition
Dream In Dream, Christine Gensheimer, 2024, 4' 14", MuVi Award
Eram, Lucien Liebecke, Ole Christian Dreihaupt, 2025, 12' 37", NRW Competition      
GERHARD, Ulu Braun, 2025, 10' 20", German Competition
Gesamtklärwerk Deutschland, Andreas Loff, 2025, 4' 18", MuVi Award
ghosting mother, Bernard Mescherowsky, 2025, 16' 58", NRW Competition    grathwohlbildhübschklang, Nikolaus Grathwohl, 2025, 7' 29", MuVi Award
Könnt ihr noch? (Can you still?), Timo Schierhorn, UWE, 2024, 3' 31", MuVi Award
Mkoum, Peter Ott, 2024, 4' 35", MuVi Award
Monument, Maksim Avdeev, 2024, 14' 45", German Competition
母の手紙 (Mother's Letter), Sylvia Schedelbauer, 2025, 24' 05", German Competition
One Hundred Years Later, Christoph Girardet, 2025, 7' 50", German Competition
OVERWORK, Céline Berger, 2025, 10' 10", NRW Competition         
Piccin Gemellone (lil big Twin), Tibor Koehne, 2024, 19' 24", German Competition
Schwanensee (Swan Lake), Stella Deborah Traub, 2024, 5' 32", German Competition
Shawano, Felix Bartke, 2024, 13' 24", NRW Competition
The internet will break my heart, Markus S Fiedler, 2024, 3' 18", MuVi Award
Vernacular Dreamscapes: Nocturnal Dream Disposal, Marc Richter, 2024, 8' 32", MuVi Award
Vom Ende her gedacht (Thinking From The End), Tom Briele, 2024, 18' 46", NRW Competition
You do not leave traces of your presence, just of your acts, Gernot Wieland, 2024, 16' 21", German Competition
Zu wenig (Too Little), Valeriia Butakova, 2024, 16' 01", NRW Competition     

Germany/ Argentina
Chispa
(Spark), Vera Kayh, 2025, 11' 09", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Cómo ser Pehuén Pedre (How to be Pehuén Pedre), Federico Luis, 2024, 22' 11", German Competition
Nuestra Sombra (Our Own Shadow), Agustina Sánchez Gavier, 2024, 19' 30", NRW Competition           

Germany/ Bolivia
Hay un dolor (There's a pain), Froilan Urzagasti, 2024, 39' 51", German Competition

Germany/ Burkina Faso/ Argentina
Die ganze Nacht
(The whole night), Alejo Franzetti, 2025, 15' 22", German Competition

Germany/ Chile
Digo no con Esperanza
(I say no with hope), Francisca Villela, 2024, 2' 49", MuVi Award

Germany/ France
Quand le grenier aura pris feu
, Utku Önal, 2025, 6' 13", MuVi Award

Germany/ Iran
Mother is a Natural Sinner
, Hoda Taheri, Boris Hadžija, 2024, 15' 00", German Competition

Germany/ Israel
Butterfly Kiss
, Zohar Dvir, 2024, 10' 30", German Competition

Germany/ Japan
looking @ ghosts
, Jeremias Heppeler, 2024, 5' 07", MuVi Award

Germany/ South Korea
K-BOB STAR
, Hansol Kim, 2024, 3' 01", MuVi Award

Germany/ Spain
In Wolken
(In Clouds), Dagie Brundert, 2024, 1' 21", German Competition

Germany/ Switzerland
Bereinigung II
(Decontamination II), Franz Wanner, 2024, 4' 40", German Competition

Germany/ Taiwan
Prayer for Taiwan
, Tobias Klich, 2024, 5' 50", German Competition

Germany/ USA
如你所愿
(Correct Me If I'm Wrong), Zhou Hao, 2025, 22' 59", International Competition

Greece
400 Cassettes
, Thelyia Petraki, 2024, 14' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Hungary
Levelek nagymamámnak, Bibi Ase-nak
(Letters to my grandmother, Bibi Ase), Amina Abdulrachimzai, 2025, 9' 11", International Competition
Wish You Were Ear, Balogh Mirjana, 2025, 10' 14", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

India
ദിനോസറിന്റെമുട്ട
(Dinosaur's egg), Sruthil Mathew, 2024, 18' 30", International Competition
Ruse, Rhea Shukla, 2025, 9' 32", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Iran
Baraftoo
(Within The Sun), Sepideh Jamshidi Nejad, 2025, 28' 15", International Competition
گوسفند (Sheep), Hadi Babaeifar, 2024, 13' 15", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Israel
Дворц∞вая
(The Palace Sq∞are), Mikhail Zheleznikov, 2024, 22' 00", International Competition

Italy/ Germany/ Nigeria
Machine Boys
, Karimah Ashadu, 2024, 8' 50", German Competition

Italy/ Mexico
Gravity
, Robotina, 2024, 8' 33", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Japan
(Eh), Kiyono Ayaka, 2024, 2' 02", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Light Fragments, Asakura Satomi, 2024, 6' 40", International Competition
Ms.Understoned, Buma Yuki, 2024, 11' 00", International Competition

Kyrgyztan
Жайлоого Карай Узак Жол
(Long Way To The Pasture), Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu, 2025, 23' 35", International Competition

Mexico
Gusarapos
(Crawlies), Ulysse de Maximy, 2024, 17' 55", International Competition

Myanmar
အသွင်ပြောင်းလဲခြင်းတစ်ခု
(A Metamorphosis), Lin Htet Aung, 2024, 16' 36", International Competition

Netherlands
Ik Zeg Je Eerlijjk
(Honestly), Eva Nijsten, 2024, 24' 16", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Netherlands/ Germany
The Beginning of Identification, and its End
, Philipp Gufler, 2024, 19' 02", German Competition

Philippines
Nightbirds
, Maria Estela Paiso, Ashok Vish, 2024, 13' 48", International Competition

Poland
"tłum. it's okay to be quiet"
("transl. it's okay to be quiet"), Filip Jakubowski, 2025, 21' 53", International Competition
Drogi Leo Sokolosky (Dear Leo Sokolosky), Weronika Szyma, 2024, 8' 00", International Competition

Portugal
Conseguimos fazer um filme
(We Made a Film), Tota Alves, 2024, 14' 57", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Maria Henriqueta Esteve Aqui (Maria Henriqueta Was Here), Nuno Pimentel, 2024, 13' 44", International Competition

Portugal/ Germany
Amanhã não dão chuva
(It shouldn’t rain tomorrow), Maria Trigo Teixeira, 2024, 11' 30", German Competition

Romania
A fost odată un țânțar
(Once upon a mosquito), Stanca Radu, 2024, 9' 58", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Russia
Мякиш
(Crumb), Elena Kulesh, 2025, 28' 45", International Competition

Slovenia
Kismet
, Žiga Virc, 2025, 14' 56", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Slovenia/ United Kingdom
Common Pear
, Gregor Božič, 2025, 15' 00", International Competition

South Korea
A Small Garden by the Window
, Lee Jonghoon, 2024, 4' 35", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Being and Nothingness, Kim Jiwoo, 2024, 6' 34", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
테르 (Sim Par Terre), Lee Donghyuk, 2024, 20' 07", International Competition
SUPERNOVA, Lim Yerim, Joo Youngwoo, Lee Jiyoon, Kim Minkyung, 2024, 7' 25", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Spain
Retales
(Snippets), Juanjo Giménez, 2024, 19' 50", International Competition
ULÍA, Laura Moreno Bueno, 2024, 14' 10", International Competition

Sweden
I want to know what love is
, Hanna Järgenstedt, 2024, 6' 27", International Competition

Switzerland
Habitants
(Inhabitants), Charline Lefrançois, Florian Geisseler, 2024, 15' 00", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Taiwan
秘密森林少年
(Boy In The Secret Forest), Tseng Tzu Yen, 2024, 16' 07", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Taiwan/ Japan
Dancing in the rain
, Chao-chun Yeh, 2024, 6' 27", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Tanzania
SEEKING DREAMS
, Heidi Li, 2024, 15' 03", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

Thailand
The Slides of Prof. Somkiat Tang-Namo
, Prapat Jiwarangsan, 2024, 6' 24", International Competition

United Kingdom
Happy Snaps
, Tyro Heath, 2024, 12' 03", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
Sinkhole, Kate Liston, 2024, 15' 11", International Competition
The Last Garden, Eloise Jenninger, 2024, 7' 50", Children’s and Youth Film Competition
True Love, Jess Dadds, Sam Giles, 2024, 4' 19", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

USA
Allrecipes (Stuffed Manifesto)
, David de Rozas, 2024, 5' 17", International Competition
ESP, Laura Kraning, 2024, 2' 45", International Competition
Language Decay, Zazie Ray-Trapido, 2024, 2' 55", International Competition
Samantha, Nina Yuen, 2024, 8' 59", International Competition
She Crossed, Zhang Daisy Ziyan, 2024, 20’ 00", International Competition
YouTuber, Josh Weissbach, 2024, 0' 39", Children’s and Youth Film Competition

USA/ China
山的另一面
(The Other Side of the Mountain), He Shirley Yumeng, 2024, 19' 58", International Competition

Vietnam/ South Korea
Elysium vô bờ
(Elysium without Shores), Tran Arlette Quynh-Anh, 2024, 10' 08", International Competition

By sections

Internationaler Wettbewerb / International Competition

"tłum. it's okay to be quiet" ("transl. it's okay to be quiet"), Filip Jakubowski, 2025, 21' 53", Poland
အသွင်ပြောင်းလဲခြင်းတစ်ခု (A Metamorphosis), Lin Htet Aung, 2024, 16' 36", Myanmar
Aavetuntohetki (The Ghost Feel Hour), Eero Tammi, 2025, 10' 57", Finland
Allrecipes (Stuffed Manifesto), David de Rozas, 2024, 5' 17", USA
Baraftoo (Within The Sun), Sepideh Jamshidi Nejad, 2025, 28' 15", Iran
CommonPear, Gregor Božič, 2025, 15' 00", Slovenia, United Kingdom
如你所愿 (Correct Me If I'm Wrong), Zhou Hao, 2025, 22' 59", Germany, USA
Мякиш (Crumb), Elena Kulesh, 2025, 28' 45", Russia
Drogi Leo Sokolosky (Dear Leo Sokolosky), Weronika Szyma, 2024, 8' 00", Poland
ദിനോസറിന്റെമുട്ട (Dinosaur's egg), Sruthil Mathew, 2024, 18' 30", India
Elysium vô bờ (Elysium without Shores), Tran Arlette Quynh-Anh, 2024, 10' 08", Vietnam, South Korea
ESP, Laura Kraning, 2024, 2' 45", USA
Gleichzeitig Nackt (Simultaneously Naked), Ashley Hans Scheirl, Ursula Pürrer, 2024, 3' 00", Austria
Gusarapos (Crawlies), Ulysse de Maximy, 2024, 17' 55", Mexico
I want to know what love is, Hanna Järgenstedt, 2024, 6' 27", Sweden
Jelena, Friedl vom Gröller, 2024, 2' 50", Austria
La última frontera (The last border), Camila Dron, 2025, 10' 14", Argentina
Language Decay, Zazie Ray-Trapido, 2024, 2' 55", USA
Les fenêtres (Windows), Elsa Pennacchio, Etienne De Villars, 2024, 13' 42", France
Levelek nagymamámnak, Bibi Ase-nak (Letters to my grandmother, Bibi Ase), Amina Abdulrachimzai, 2025, 9' 11", Hungary
Light Fragments, Asakura Satomi, 2024, 6' 40", Japan
Maria Henriqueta Esteve Aqui (Maria Henriqueta Was Here), Nuno Pimentel, 2024, 13' 44", Portugal
Ms.Understoned, Buma Yuki, 2024, 11' 00", Japan
Muistot liikkuvat kuin kaukaiset saaret (Memories Move Like Distant Islands), Saarlotta Virri, 2025, 28' 52", Finland
Nightbirds, Maria Estela Paiso, Ashok Vish, 2024, 13' 48", Philippines
Nocturno (Nocturne), Sol Muñoz, Ana Apontes, 2025, 14' 28", Argentina
O amor não cabe na sala (Not enough for the love inside), Marcelo Matos de Oliveira, Wallace Nogueira, 2024, 17' 36", Brazil
Ocean Blvd, Jade Kallio, 2024, 17' 31", Finland
Preguntas Frecuentes (Frequently asked questions), Sofía Salinas Barrera, 2024, 15' 43", Colombia
Retales (Snippets), Juanjo Giménez, 2024, 19' 50", Spain
Ri, Bola (Laugh, Bola), Diego Bauer, 2024, 11' 49", Brazil
Samantha, Nina Yuen, 2024, 8' 59", USA
Será inmortal quien merezca serlo (Whoever deserves it, will be immortal), Nay Mendl, 2024, 19' 00", Cuba, Brazil
SHANMAO (Ghost Cat), Liu Shubo, 2025, 10' 09", China
She Crossed, Zhang Daisy Ziyan, 2024, 20' 00", USA
테르 (Sim Par Terre), Lee Donghyuk, 2024, 20' 07", South Korea
Sinkhole, Kate Liston, 2024, 15' 11", United Kingdom
Some Memories , Lotte Schreiber, 2024, 10' 00", Austria
Texas Switch, Darren Dominique Heroux, 2024, 9' 16", Canada
Жайлоого Карай Узак Жол (Long Way To The Pasture), Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu, 2025, 23' 35", Kyrgyztan
ក្រូច (The Orange), Seakleng Song, 2024, 17' 13", Cambodia
山的另一面 (The Other Side of the Mountain), He Shirley Yumeng, 2024, 19' 58", USA, China
Дворц∞вая (The Palace Sq∞are), Mikhail Zheleznikov, 2024, 22' 00", Israel
The Slides of Prof. Somkiat Tang-Namo, Prapat Jiwarangsan, 2024, 6' 24", Thailand
The Will, Salla Tykkä, 2025, 27' 43", Finland
ULÍA, Laura Moreno Bueno, 2024, 14' 10", Spain
Wohnjuwel (Living Jewel), Simon Spitzer, 2025, 16' 30", Austria

Deutscher Wettbewerb / German Competition

A Provenance, Katharina Bayer, 2025, 13' 57", Austria, Germany
A Thousand Waves Away, Helena Wittmann, 2025, 10' 00", Germany
Amanhã não dão chuva (It shouldn’t rain tomorrow), Maria Trigo Teixeira, 2024, 11' 30", Portugal, Germany
Bereinigung II (Decontamination II), Franz Wanner, 2024, 4' 40", Germany, Switzerland
Butterfly Kiss, Zohar Dvir, 2024, 10' 30", Germany, Israel
Cómo ser Pehuén Pedre (How to be Pehuén Pedre), Federico Luis, 2024, 22' 11", Germany, Argentina
Die ganze Nacht (The whole night), Alejo Franzetti, 2025, 15' 22", Germany, Burkina Faso, Argentina
Die Unvorzeigbarkeit dessen, was nie hätte geschehen sollen (The impossibility of showing what should never have happened), Silke Schönfeld, 2025, 24' 56", Germany
Dokhtar'am (My Daughter), Pedram Sadough, 2025, 16' 30", German Competition
GERHARD, Ulu Braun, 2025, 10' 20", Germany
Hay un dolor (There's a pain), Froilan Urzagasti, 2024, 39' 51", Germany, Bolivia
In Wolken (In Clouds), Dagie Brundert, 2024, 1' 21", Germany, Spain
Machine Boys, Karimah Ashadu, 2024, 8' 50", Italy, Germany, Nigeria
Monument, Maksim Avdeev, 2024, 14' 45", Germany
Mother is a Natural Sinner, Hoda Taheri, Boris Hadžija, 2024, 15' 00", Germany, Iran
母の手紙 (Mother's Letter), Sylvia Schedelbauer, 2025, 24' 05", Germany
One Hundred Years Later, Christoph Girardet, 2025, 7' 50", Germany
Piccin Gemellone (lil Twin), Tibor Koehne, 2024, 19' 24", Germany
Prayer for Taiwan, Tobias Klich, 2024, 5' 50", Germany, Taiwan
Schwanensee (Swan Lake), Stella Deborah Traub, 2024, 5' 32", Germany
The Beginning of Identification, and its End, Philipp Gufler, 2024, 19' 02", Netherlands, Germany
You do not leave traces of your presence, just of your acts, Gernot Wieland, 2024, 16' 21", Germany

NRW-Wettbewerb / NRW Competition

Ansitzen (To Sit On Watch), Franca Pape, 2024, 5' 46", Germany
Capriccio, Christos Dassios, 2024, 6' 41", Germany
Chrysanthemum, Jingyuan Luo, 2025, 9' 20", Germany
Deutsch+ (German+), Margit Schild, 2024, 5' 25", Germany
Eram, Lucien Liebecke, Ole Christian Dreihaupt, 2025, 12' 37", Germany
ghosting mother, Bernard Mescherowsky, 2025, 16' 58", Germany
Nuestra Sombra (Our Own Shadow), Agustina Sánchez Gavier, 2024, 19' 30", Germany, Argentina
OVERWORK, Céline Berger, 2025, 10' 10", Germany
Shawano, Felix Bartke, 2024, 13' 24", Germany
Vom Ende her gedacht (Thinking From The End), Tom Briele, 2024, 18' 46", Germany
Zu wenig (Too Little), Valeriia Butakova, 2024, 16' 01", Germany

Kinder- und Jugendwettbewerb / Children’s and Youth Film Competition

113 Bottles of Water in a Nightshop, Leo Rottmann, 2024, 10' 41", Germany
400 Cassettes, Thelyia Petraki, 2024, 14' 00", Greece
A fost odată un țânțar (Once upon a mosquito), Stanca Radu, 2024, 9' 58", Romania
A Small Garden by the Window, Lee Jonghoon, 2024, 4' 35", South Korea
Adieu Gropius (So long Gropius), Bertille Rondard, 2024, 4' 09", France
Autokar, Sylwia Szkiladz, 2025, 17' 00", France, Belgium
Being and Nothingness, Kim Jiwoo, 2024, 6' 34", South Korea
秘密森林少年 (Boy In The Secret Forest), Tseng Tzu Yen, 2024, 16' 07", Taiwan
Canción de Cumbre, (Summit Song), Federica Cafferata, 2024, 15' 00", Argentina
Chispa (Spark), Vera Kayh, 2025, 11' 09", Germany/ Argentina
Conseguimos fazer um filme (We Made a Film), Tota Alves, 2024, 14' 57", Portugal
Dancing in the rain, Yeh Chao-chun, 2024, 6' 27", Taiwan, Japan
(Eh), Kiyono Ayaka, 2024, 2' 02", Japan
Généalogie de la violence (Genealogy of Violence), Mohamed Bourouissa, 2024, 15' 15",France
Gravity, Robotina, 2024, 8' 33", Italy, Mexico
Habitants (Inhabitants), Charline Lefrançois, Florian Geisseler, 2024, 15' 00", Switzerland
Happy Snaps, Tyro Heath, 2024, 12' 03", United Kingdom
Ik Zeg Je Eerlijjk (Honestly), Eva Nijsten, 2024, 24' 16", Netherlands
J'ai trouvé une boite (I found a box), Eric Montchaud, 2025, 10' 00", France
Kismet, Žiga Virc, 2025, 14' 56", Slovenia
RITO DE PASO (RITE OF PASSAGE), José Luis Jiménez, 2024, 19' 00", Cuba, Dominican Republic
Ruse, Rhea Shukla, 2025, 9' 32", India
SEEKING DREAMS, Heidi Li, 2024, 15' 03", Tanzania
Shan Shen De Huang Yan (The lie of The Mountain God), Ma Myers, 2024, 15' 55", China
گوسفند (Sheep), Hadi Babaeifar, 2024, 13' 15", Iran
SUPERNOVA, Lim Yerim, Joo Youngwoo, Lee Jiyoon, Kim Minkyung, 2024, 7' 25", South Korea
The Last Garden, Eloise Jenninger, 2024, 7' 50", United Kingdom
Tonada de l’hirondelle (Swallow's Tonada), Daniela Godel, 2024, 4' 11", France
True Love, Jess Dadds, Sam Giles, 2024, 4' 19", United Kingdom
Un tilleul parmi les platanes (Back to the Basswood), Mariam Farota, 2024, 4' 13", France
Všmš (Wshmch), Nela Gluhak, 2024, 1' 33", Croatia
Wish You Were Ear, Balogh Mirjana, 2025, 10' 14", Hungary
YouTuber, Josh Weissbach, 2024, 0' 39", USA

MuVi-Preis / MuVi Award

BIEST, Stefan Panhans, 2025, 9' 27", Germany
Digo no con esperanza, (I say no with hope), Francisca Villela, 2024, 2' 49", Germany, Chile
Dream In Dream, Christine Gensheimer, 2024, 4' 14", Germany
Gesamtklärwerk Deutschland, Andreas Loff, 2025, 4' 18", Germany
grathwohlbildhübschklang, Nikolaus Grathwohl, 2025, 7' 29", Germany
K-BOB STAR, Hansol Kim, 2024, 3' 01", Germany, South Korea
Könnt ihr noch? (Can you still?), Timo Schierhorn, UWE, 2024, 3' 31", Germany
looking @ ghosts, Jeremias Heppeler, 2024, 5' 07", Germany, Japan
Mkoum, Peter Ott, 2024, 4' 35", Germany
Quand le grenier aura pris feu, Utku Önal, 2025, 6' 13", Germany, France
The internet will break my heart, Markus S Fiedler, 2024, 3' 18", Germany
Vernacular Dreamscapes: Nocturnal Dream Disposal, Marc Richter, 2024, 8' 32", Germany

International Competition

The world's oldest short film competition is a forum for experiments, unusual content and formats, and the place for cinematic discoveries, regardless of genre and production country. Every year, filmmakers from over 40 countries present themselves here. Only international festival premieres are admitted to this competition. The professional audience researches new films here, and a premiere shown in this competition is often a springboard for selection at other festivals - not least for the Oscar.

Filmmakers from all over the world are invited to present their work in person. The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen appoints its own selection committee and juries for this competition, in which the traditional Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen is awarded.

Further Links
Submission
Reglement (Download-PDF)
Members of the jury (since 2009)

The selection committee

Madeleine Bernstorff
Katharina Schröder
Carsten Aschmann
Masayo Kajimura
Simon Petri-Lukács
Michel Wagenschütz
Fiona Berg

Competition films 2025

"tłum. it's okay to be quiet" ("transl. it's okay to be quiet"), Filip Jakubowski, 2025, 21' 53", Poland
အသွင်ပြောင်းလဲခြင်းတစ်ခု (A Metamorphosis), Lin Htet Aung, 2024, 16' 36", Myanmar
Aavetuntohetki (The Ghost Feel Hour), Eero Tammi, 2025, 10' 57", Finland
Allrecipes (Stuffed Manifesto), David de Rozas, 2024, 5' 17", USA
Baraftoo (Within The Sun), Sepideh Jamshidi Nejad, 2025, 28' 15", Iran
CommonPear, Gregor Božič, 2025, 15' 00", Slovenia, United Kingdom
如你所愿 (Correct Me If I'm Wrong), Zhou Hao, 2025, 22' 59", Germany, USA
Мякиш (Crumb), Elena Kulesh, 2025, 28' 45", Russia
Drogi Leo Sokolosky (Dear Leo Sokolosky), Weronika Szyma, 2024, 8' 00", Poland
ദിനോസറിന്റെമുട്ട (Dinosaur's egg), Sruthil Mathew, 2024, 18' 30", India
Elysium vô bờ (Elysium without Shores), Tran Arlette Quynh-Anh, 2024, 10' 08", Vietnam, South Korea
ESP, Laura Kraning, 2024, 2' 45", USA
Gleichzeitig Nackt (Simultaneously Naked), Ashley Hans Scheirl, Ursula Pürrer, 2024, 3' 00", Austria
Gusarapos (Crawlies), Ulysse de Maximy, 2024, 17' 55", Mexico
I want to know what love is, Hanna Järgenstedt, 2024, 6' 27", Sweden
Jelena, Friedl vom Gröller, 2024, 2' 50", Austria
La última frontera (The last border), Camila Dron, 2025, 10' 14", Argentina
Language Decay, Zazie Ray-Trapido, 2024, 2' 55", USA
Les fenêtres (Windows), Elsa Pennacchio, Etienne De Villars, 2024, 13' 42", France
Levelek nagymamámnak, Bibi Ase-nak (Letters to my grandmother, Bibi Ase), Amina Abdulrachimzai, 2025, 9' 11", Hungary
Light Fragments, Asakura Satomi, 2024, 6' 40", Japan
Maria Henriqueta Esteve Aqui (Maria Henriqueta Was Here), Nuno Pimentel, 2024, 13' 44", Portugal
Ms.Understoned, Buma Yuki, 2024, 11' 00", Japan
Muistot liikkuvat kuin kaukaiset saaret (Memories Move Like Distant Islands), Saarlotta Virri, 2025, 28' 52", Finland
Nightbirds, Maria Estela Paiso, Ashok Vish, 2024, 13' 48", Philippines
Nocturno (Nocturne), Sol Muñoz, Ana Apontes, 2025, 14' 28", Argentina
O amor não cabe na sala (Not enough for the love inside), Marcelo Matos de Oliveira, Wallace Nogueira, 2024, 17' 36", Brazil
Ocean Blvd, Jade Kallio, 2024, 17' 31", Finland
Preguntas Frecuentes (Frequently asked questions), Sofía Salinas Barrera, 2024, 15' 43", Colombia
Retales (Snippets), Juanjo Giménez, 2024, 19' 50", Spain
Ri, Bola (Laugh, Bola), Diego Bauer, 2024, 11' 49", Brazil
Samantha, Nina Yuen, 2024, 8' 59", USA
Será inmortal quien merezca serlo (Whoever deserves it, will be immortal), Nay Mendl, 2024, 19' 00", Cuba, Brazil
SHANMAO (Ghost Cat), Liu Shubo, 2025, 10' 09", China
She Crossed, Zhang Daisy Ziyan, 2024, 20' 00", USA
테르 (Sim Par Terre), Lee Donghyuk, 2024, 20' 07", South Korea
Sinkhole, Kate Liston, 2024, 15' 11", United Kingdom
Some Memories , Lotte Schreiber, 2024, 10' 00", Austria
Texas Switch, Darren Dominique Heroux, 2024, 9' 16", Canada
Жайлоого Карай Узак Жол (Long Way To The Pasture), Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek uulu, 2025, 23' 35", Kyrgyztan
ក្រូច (The Orange), Seakleng Song, 2024, 17' 13", Cambodia
山的另一面 (The Other Side of the Mountain), He Shirley Yumeng, 2024, 19' 58", USA, China
Дворц∞вая (The Palace Sq∞are), Mikhail Zheleznikov, 2024, 22' 00", Israel
The Slides of Prof. Somkiat Tang-Namo, Prapat Jiwarangsan, 2024, 6' 24", Thailand
The Will, Salla Tykkä, 2025, 27' 43", Finland
ULÍA, Laura Moreno Bueno, 2024, 14' 10", Spain
Wohnjuwel (Living Jewel), Simon Spitzer, 2025, 16' 30", Austria

The Jury of the International Competition 2025

Elisabeth Streit

Antti Alanen

Susanna Wallin

Bea de Visser

Philbert Aimé Mbabazi Sharangabo

All members of the jury since 2009

The Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia

Bernd Brehmer

Stephan Brüggenthies

Ruth Schiffer

Silke Schönfeld

Ulrike Sprenger

The International Critics' Jury (FIPRESCI)

Giuseppe Di Salvatore

Nini Shvelidze

Kathrin Häger

The Ecumenical Jury of the International Competition

Valeriia Shakhunova

Michael Müller

Mina Radovic

Former contributions

Among the international contributions were works by: Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Santiago Álvarez, Lindsay Anderson, Roy Andersson, Kenneth Anger, Andrea Arnold, Yael Bartana, Neil Beloufa, Jürgen Böttcher, Walerian Borowczyk, Stan Brakhage, Vera Chytilová, Jem Cohen, Terence Davies, Khavn De La Cruz, Valie Export, Milos Forman, Robert Frank, Karpo Godina, James Herbert, Takashi Ito, Joris Ivens, Ken Jacobs, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Isaac Julien, Miranda July, William Kentridge, Jan Lenica, George Lucas, Dusan Makavejev, Jonas Mekas, Mike Mills, Kornel Mundruczo, Robert Nelson, Yoko Ono, Adina Pintilie, Roman Polanski, Laure Prouvost, Alain Resnais, Pipilotti Rist, Martin Scorsese, Cate Shortland, John Smith, Michael Snow, Alexander Sokurov, Jan Svankmajer, Eva Stefani, István Szabó, Matsumoto Toshio, François Truffaut, Gus Van Sant, Agnès Varda, Bill Viola, Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, Jia Zhang-Ke, Zelimir Zilinik

Contact

Katharina Schröder
schroeder(at)kurzfilmtage.de

German Competition

With surprising diversity, topicality and a critical eye, Germany's oldest short film competition impresses its audience anew every year. Innovative short films by established filmmakers and newly discovered talents, produced in Germany but with themes from all over the world, compete here. The German Competition gathers independent artistic positions of all genres and is appreciated especially by international audiences as a showcase of German short film. A premiere shown here is noticed attentively and is often a door opener for other festivals. 

Further Links
Submission
Regulations (Download-PDF)
All members of the jury since 2009

The selection committee

Madeleine Bernstorff
Carsten Spicher
Jonathan Guggenberger
Hilde Hoffmann
Michel Wagenschütz

Competition films 2025

A Provenance, Katharina Bayer, 2025, 13' 57", Austria, Germany
A Thousand Waves Away, Helena Wittmann, 2025, 10' 00", Germany
Amanhã não dão chuva (It shouldn’t rain tomorrow), Maria Trigo Teixeira, 2024, 11' 30", Portugal, Germany
Bereinigung II (Decontamination II), Franz Wanner, 2024, 4' 40", Germany, Switzerland
Butterfly Kiss, Zohar Dvir, 2024, 10' 30", Germany, Israel
Cómo ser Pehuén Pedre (How to be Pehuén Pedre), Federico Luis, 2024, 22' 11", Germany, Argentina
Die ganze Nacht (The whole night), Alejo Franzetti, 2025, 15' 22", Germany, Burkina Faso, Argentina
Die Unvorzeigbarkeit dessen, was nie hätte geschehen sollen (The impossibility of showing what should never have happened), Silke Schönfeld, 2025, 24' 56", Germany
Dokhtar'am (My Daughter), Pedram Sadough, 2025, 16' 30", Germany
GERHARD, Ulu Braun, 2025, 10' 20", Germany
Hay un dolor (There's a pain), Froilan Urzagasti, 2024, 39' 51", Germany, Bolivia
In Wolken (In Clouds), Dagie Brundert, 2024, 1' 21", Germany, Spain
Machine Boys, Karimah Ashadu, 2024, 8' 50", Italy, Germany, Nigeria
Monument, Maksim Avdeev, 2024, 14' 45", Germany
Mother is a Natural Sinner, Hoda Taheri, Boris Hadžija, 2024, 15' 00", Germany, Iran
母の手紙 (Mother's Letter), Sylvia Schedelbauer, 2025, 24' 05", Germany
One Hundred Years Later, Christoph Girardet, 2025, 7' 50", Germany
Piccin Gemellone (lil Twin), Tibor Koehne, 2024, 19' 24", Germany
Prayer for Taiwan, Tobias Klich, 2024, 5' 50", Germany, Taiwan
Schwanensee (Swan Lake), Stella Deborah Traub, 2024, 5' 32", Germany
The Beginning of Identification, and its End, Philipp Gufler, 2024, 19' 02", Netherlands, Germany
You do not leave traces of your presence, just of your acts, Gernot Wieland, 2024, 16' 21", Germany

The jury of the German Competition 2025

Adrian Figueroa, film maker, Berlin
Amos Ponger, dramaturge, Berlin
Giovanna Thiery, curator, Stuttgart

All members of the jury since 2009

Former contributions

Among the German contributions were works by: Jürgen Böttcher, Detlev Buck, Phil Collins, Hellmuth Costard, Doris Dörrie, Andreas Dresen, Valie Export, Harun Farocki, Jeanne Faust, Werner Herzog, Romuald Karmakar, Alexander Kluge, Volker Koepp, Korpys/Löffler, Jan Krüger, Matthias Müller, Bjørn Melhus, Werner Nekes, Peter Schamoni, Ulrich Schamoni, Angela Schanelec, Christoph Schlingensief, Rudolf Thome, Adolf Winkelmann und Sönke Wortmann

Contact

NRW Competition

In the youngest competition at Oberhausen, the filmmakers of the region meet their audience. The varied programme presents independent productions as well as the most interesting student films of the current year. Here, regulars of the Festival meet new talents still to be discovered - a mixture highly appreciated by both regional and professional audiences.

North Rhine-Westphalia is not only home to the Oberhausen Festival but also one of the most important and creative film production locations in Germany. And the NRW competition, as diverse in scope as North Rhine-Westphalia as a film location, is open to all genres, styles and themes.

The short films submitted here have a threefold chance of being shown at the Festival because, in addition to the NRW Competition, they can also qualify for the German or International Competition. The films are selected by an independent committee.

Further Links
Submission
Regulations (Download PDF)
All members of the jury since 2009

Competition films 2025

Ansitzen (To Sit On Watch), Franca Pape, 2024, 5' 46", Germany
Capriccio, Christos Dassios, 2024, 6' 41", Germany
Chrysanthemum, Jingyuan Luo, 2025, 9' 20", Germany
Deutsch+ (German+), Margit Schild, 2024, 5' 25", Germany
Eram, Lucien Liebecke, Ole Christian Dreihaupt, 2025, 12' 37", Germany
ghosting mother, Bernard Mescherowsky, 2025, 16' 58", Germany
Nuestra Sombra (Our Own Shadow), Agustina Sánchez Gavier, 2024, 19' 30", Germany, Argentina
OVERWORK, Céline Berger, 2025, 10' 10", Germany
Shawano, Felix Bartke, 2024, 13' 24", Germany
Vom Ende her gedacht (Thinking From The End), Tom Briele, 2024, 18' 46", Germany
Zu wenig (Too Little), Valeriia Butakova, 2024, 16' 01", Germany

The jury of the NRW Competition 2025

Neriman Bayram, curator, Freiburg im Breisgau
Oliver Flothkötter, curator, Essen
Lili Hartwig, curator, Hamburg

All members of the jury since 2009

Contact

Children's and Youth Film Competition

The Children's and Youth Film Competition was established in 1978 and is one of the most popular sections of our Festival. It not only opens up unusual perspectives on the world to young viewers. Whether animation or documentary, experimental or feature film, there are no limits to the variety of cinematic forms.

Every year, an independent commission selects around 45 films and videos from more than 25 countries from the submissions for the German and International Competition and programmes them for the various age groups, starting from the age of three. The filmmakers* are invited to Oberhausen to present their films in person and to discuss them with the audience - an event that regularly meets with much applause on both sides.

The prizes are awarded by juries of children and young people. In addition, a jury of experts nominates a film for the ECFA Short Film Award which was initiated by Oberhausen. The children's and youth film competition is accompanied by a series of film education projects for children, young people and educators.

Further Links
Submission
Regulations (Download-PDF)
Film education
All members of the jury since 2017

The selection committee

Franziska Ferdinand
Einar Fehrholz
Stefanie Schlüter
Jens Schneiderheinze
Konrad Neiße

Competition films 2025

113 Bottles of Water in a Nightshop, Leo Rottmann, 2024, 10' 41", Germany
400 Cassettes, Thelyia Petraki, 2024, 14' 00", Greece
A fost odată un țânțar (Once upon a mosquito), Stanca Radu, 2024, 9' 58", Romania
A Small Garden by the Window, Lee Jonghoon, 2024, 4' 35", South Korea
Adieu Gropius (So long Gropius), Bertille Rondard, 2024, 4' 09", France
Autokar, Sylwia Szkiladz, 2025, 17' 00", France, Belgium
Being and Nothingness, Kim Jiwoo, 2024, 6' 34", South Korea
秘密森林少年 (Boy In The Secret Forest), Tseng Tzu Yen, 2024, 16' 07", Taiwan
Canción de Cumbre, (Summit Song), Federica Cafferata, 2024, 15' 00", Argentina
Chispa (Spark), Vera Kayh, 2025, 11' 09", Germany/ Argentina
Conseguimos fazer um filme (We Made a Film), Tota Alves, 2024, 14' 57", Portugal
Dancing in the rain, Yeh Chao-chun, 2024, 6' 27", Taiwan, Japan
(Eh), Kiyono Ayaka, 2024, 2' 02", Japan
Généalogie de la violence (Genealogy of Violence), Mohamed Bourouissa, 2024, 15' 15",France
Gravity, Robotina, 2024, 8' 33", Italy, Mexico
Habitants (Inhabitants), Charline Lefrançois, Florian Geisseler, 2024, 15' 00", Switzerland
Happy Snaps, Tyro Heath, 2024, 12' 03", United Kingdom
Ik Zeg Je Eerlijjk (Honestly), Eva Nijsten, 2024, 24' 16", Netherlands
J'ai trouvé une boite (I found a box), Eric Montchaud, 2025, 10' 00", France
Kismet, Žiga Virc, 2025, 14' 56", Slovenia
RITO DE PASO (RITE OF PASSAGE), José Luis Jiménez, 2024, 19' 00", Cuba, Dominican Republic
Ruse, Rhea Shukla, 2025, 9' 32", India
SEEKING DREAMS, Heidi Li, 2024, 15' 03", Tanzania
Shan Shen De Huang Yan (The lie of The Mountain God), Ma Myers, 2024, 15' 55", China
گوسفند (Sheep), Hadi Babaeifar, 2024, 13' 15", Iran
SUPERNOVA, Lim Yerim, Joo Youngwoo, Lee Jiyoon, Kim Minkyung, 2024, 7' 25", South Korea
The Last Garden, Eloise Jenninger, 2024, 7' 50", United Kingdom
Tonada de l’hirondelle (Swallow's Tonada), Daniela Godel, 2024, 4' 11", France
True Love, Jess Dadds, Sam Giles, 2024, 4' 19", United Kingdom
Un tilleul parmi les platanes (Back to the Basswood), Mariam Farota, 2024, 4' 13", France
Všmš (Wshmch), Nela Gluhak, 2024, 1' 33", Croatia
Wish You Were Ear, Balogh Mirjana, 2025, 10' 14", Hungary
YouTuber, Josh Weissbach, 2024, 0' 39", USA

The Children's jury of the Children's and Youth Film Competition

Carla van Benthem

Adam Dadirkh

Carla Hentschel

Lara Seidel

Finja Telge

All members if the jury since 2017

The Youth jury of the Children's and Youth Film Competition

Dersem Hasan

Phil Laskowski

Danilo Lopez da Silva

Nazanin Semo

Linda Tenge

All members of the jury since 2017

The Ecumenical Jury

Andreas Greif
Jochen Mündlein
Boglárka Paksa

Contact

MuVi Award

With the MuVi Award for the best German music video, Oberhausen launched the world's first festival prize for music videos in 1999.  Over the years, the MuVi Award has become a meeting place and forum for filmmakers, the trade press and the short film scene - a place to make discoveries and be discovered. Above all, it has developed into a real audience favourite. Here the Festival pleads for the extraordinary visual form as well. Only current music videos whose director or production is based in Germany are nominated.

An independent commission will select ten to twelve candidates from the submissions, who will be invited and screened at the festival. An international MuVi jury will award the prize winners. In addition, an audience award will be presented, which will be determined by voting on the Internet. The MuVi Award is supported by 3satByte FMkultur.westKaput – Magazin für Insolvenz & Popnetpointmedia

Further Links
Submission
Regulation MuVi
MuVi 14+
after youtube
A selection of the jury members since 1999

Competition films 2025

BIEST, Stefan Panhans, 2025, 9' 27", Germany
Digo no con esperanza, (I say no with hope), Francisca Villela, 2024, 2' 49", Germany, Chile
Dream In Dream, Christine Gensheimer, 2024, 4' 14", Germany
Gesamtklärwerk Deutschland, Andreas Loff, 2025, 4' 18", Germany
grathwohlbildhübschklang, Nikolaus Grathwohl, 2025, 7' 29", Germany
K-BOB STAR, Hansol Kim, 2024, 3' 01", Germany, South Korea
Könnt ihr noch? (Can you still?), Timo Schierhorn, UWE, 2024, 3' 31", Germany
looking @ ghosts, Jeremias Heppeler, 2024, 5' 07", Germany, Japan
Mkoum, Peter Ott, 2024, 4' 35", Germany
Quand le grenier aura pris feu, Utku Önal, 2025, 6' 13", Germany, France
The internet will break my heart, Markus S Fiedler, 2024, 3' 18", Germany
Vernacular Dreamscapes: Nocturnal Dream Disposal, Marc Richter, 2024, 8' 32", Germany

The selection commitee

Hans-Christian Grimm
Einar Fehrholz
Jessica Manstetten

The jury of the MuVi Award 2025

Xenia Lesniewski, Vienna
Lin Htet Aung, Myanmar
Jo Zimmermann, Cologne

A selection of the jury members since 1999

Contact

Jessica Manstetten
muvi(at)kurzfilmtage.de