Short Description
The International Short Film Festival invites you to submit submissions for the competitions of its 72nd edition. The competition is looking for new works with their own visual language, new perspectives and forms. Oberhausen’s strength for 72 years has been his openness to the new, surprising and stubborn.
Eligibility
International Productions
International productions and co-productions with Germany can be submitted here.
Co-productions with Germany must be submitted for the International Competition, provided that they comply with the regulations of the International Competition. Depending on the location of the main production, they are then considered for either the International or the German Competition.
If they do not comply with the regulations of the International Competition, i.e. films with a length of more than 35 minutes and/or no German festival premiere, co-productions with Germany must be submitted for the German Competition. These will only be considered for the German competition.
German Productions
German productions can be submitted here.
Co-productions with Germany must be submitted for the German Competition if they do not comply with the regulations of the International Competition, i.e. films with a length of more than 35 minutes and/or no German festival premiere. These will only be considered for the German competition. All other co-productions must be submitted for the International Competition.
NRW Productions
Submissions for the NRW competition must be made via the submission form of the German competition. Please enter “Produced or co-produced in NRW” in the submission form under “Production details”. All suitable submissions to the German Competition will also be reviewed for the NRW Competition.
Children’s and Youth Film Productions
International productions and co-productions must be submitted via the registration form of the International Competition, German productions via the registration form of the German Competition. Please select “Children’s and Youth Film” in the submission form under Genre. All suitable submissions for the International and German Competitions will also be screened for the International Children’s and Youth Film Competition.
Music
German music videos can be submitted here. The director or production must be based in Germany. The director and producer of the video must be authorized by the rights holder of the music track to create a music video for that track.
Production date
After January 1, 2025
Premiere Status
There are different premiere requirements for each competition. The conditions can be found in the individual sections and regulations.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
The International Jury awards the following prizes:
- Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen: €8,000
- Main Prize: €4,000
- Promotional Prize of the International Competition: €1,500
- The jury also nominates one short film as a candidate for the European Film Awards 2026.
The Jury of the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia awards:
- First Prize: €5,000
- Second Prize: €3,000
The FIPRESCI Jury awards one prize.
The Ecumenical Jury awards one prize: €2,000
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen awards the ZONTA Prize to a female filmmaker from the International or German Competition: €1,000.
The German Competition Jury awards:
- Prize of the German Competition: €5,000
- Promotional Prize of the German Competition: €1,500
- 3sat Nachwuchspreis (Emerging Talent Prize): €2,500, which also includes the opportunity for the winning entry to be acquired and broadcast on the 3sat program.
The NRW Competition Jury awards:
- Prize of the NRW Competition: €1,000
- Promotional Prize of the NRW Competition: €500
A Audience Jury awards the WDR Westart Audience Prize: €750.
Two Oberhausen Children and Youth Juries award one prize each in the International Children’s and Youth Film Competition:
- Children’s Film Competition Prize: €1,000
- Youth Film Competition Prize: €1,000
Additionally:
- The Children’s Jury awards a Promotional Prize: €1,000
- The Youth Jury awards the SURPRISE Prize for the most surprising film: €1,000. This prize also includes the option to make the winning work available for 12 months to secondary schools in NRW for educational use.
The Ecumenical Jury of the Children’s and Youth Film Competition awards a prize of €1,500.
The Jury of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) nominates one film from the International Children’s and Youth Film Competition for the ECFA Short Film Award, which will be presented during the General Assembly at the Berlinale 2027.
Entry Fee
Submission of the first five papers of a submitter is free of charge. From the sixth submission onwards, a processing fee of 20 euros per film will be charged.
Location
Oberhausen, Germany
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 19 January 2026
Website Link: https://www.kurzfilmtage.de/de/
