Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen

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.

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.

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.

The prize of the International Youth Film Competition goes to a film we found thoroughly convincing: camera, acting, sound. It addresses many subjects that are important to young people today: friendship and jealousy, fear and change, family and domestic violence. It made us curious and shows how complex our relationships with other people are. In addition to that, the actors and the landscapes are captivatingly beautiful!

German: Der Vater hat zwar keinen Job, trotzdem hat er seinem Sohn ein Eis gekauft. Der Film zeigt, wie man sich richtig verhält. Obwohl Vater und Sohn das Geld echt gut gebrauchen könnten, bringen sie die Geldbörse, die sie gefunden haben, zum Besitzer. Es gibt halt wichtigeres.

International Competition

Recommandation of INTERFILM- Jury of the Protestant film associations

Recommandation of INTERFILM- Jury of the Protestant film associations

Prize of the German Adult Education Association