54th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen

The 54th edition of the Short Film Festival Oberhausen (Germany), the oldest festival of its kind in the world, presented over 430 short films from 80 countries. Although short films are very popular on the web, the economic situation for producing short films would not have changed, stated festival director Lars Henrik Gass at the opening ceremony. In the eyes of Gass there would be a chance to produce more short films on a high artistic level.        

Besides the strong international competition with 62 films, there was also a national competition, short films especially for children and teenagers. The sidebar “Border-Crossers and Trouble-Makers” presented ten programs with films from the Pathé one-reeler “La grève des bonnes” (1906) to the “Church of Stop Shopping Confronts Gentrification” (2008). A panel discussion with film critics was asking whether the political (short) film has changed since 9/11. Another theme discussed along with films and videos concerned the artist’s cinema and the museums. And in its tenth year the festival has hosted the MuVi Awards for the best German music video. (Andrea Dittgen)

International Short Film Festival Oberhausen: www.kurzfilmtage.de