Short film days Oberhausen 2025: Prices for moving stories award!

Short film days Oberhausen 2025: Prices for moving stories award!

The international short film days in Oberhausen awarded the main prizes on May 5, 2025 in the Lichtburg Film Palace. This festival, which took place this year for the 71st time, presented an impressive selection of almost 500 films and awarded prize money of almost 45,000 euros. The competition categories included international competition, German competition, the NRW competition, the MUVI prize and the children's and youth film competition. A total of 125 short films from 42 countries were selected from more than 6,600 submissions, which deal with current social and political issues, including climate change, migration and queerness, as well as specific situations such as the dictatorship in Myanmar and the Bosnia War.

The profits in various competitions were a special highlight. The large price of the city of Oberhausen, endowed with 8,000 euros, went to the Kyrgyz work "The Long Way to the Pasture" by Ilgiz-Sherniiaz Tursunbek Uulu. The jury praised the cinematic energy, camera work and the use of light of the film, which addresses the life of a shepherd family on the way to the summer pasture. In addition, this film received the second prize of the Jury of the NRW Ministry of Culture for 3,000 euros.

award winners of the main prices

The main prize of the international jury of 4,000 euros was awarded to the Israeli work "The Palace Square" by Mikhail Zheleznikov. This short film recapitulates the Russian history based on the St. Petersburg palace place. The main prize of the Ministry of Culture, which is endowed with 5,000 euros, went to "Myakish (Crumb)" by Elena Kulesh from Russia. The film addresses the portrait of young men in an educational institution and patriarchal violence.

In German competition, the co-production "There's a Pain" by Froilán Urzagasti was the winner of the main prize in the amount of 5,000 euros. The film deals with the topics of work, migration and community. The 3sat junior price of over 2,500 euros was awarded to Maksim Avdeev for "Monument", which addresses the relationship of a queer filmmaker to his conservative father in Russia.

Other awards included the first prize in the NRW competition, which Celine Berger received for "overwork", as well as separate prices of the children's and youth jury for the films "Autokar" by Sylwia Szkiladz and "Honestly" by Eva Nijsten, each addressing the topics of migration experience and homosexuality.

insights into the competition films

The festival not only offered a wide range of films, but also a platform for the discussion about the art form short film. Filmmakers had the opportunity to present their works and step on dialogue with the audience. The artistic expressions ranged from personal stories to social content that take a critical look at the world.

The international short film days Oberhausen are not only a place to show films, but also an important platform for discussion and exchange. The festival rejects any form of discrimination and emphasizes the open meaning of art in the critical examination of society. Your programs demonstrate the diversity and the relevance of short films in today's world, which is clear in the program due to the strong representation of Asian production and socio -political topics.

The event is a significant meeting for filmmakers and lovers who are enthusiastic about the various facets of the short film. The 71st international short film days in Oberhausen impressively show how diverse and relevant the medium of film is in the current society.