The Oberhausen International Short Film Festival: Catch Screenings of Globally-Produced Short Films at The Bioscope

The Goethe-Institut and The Bioscope present three curated short film packages from the renowned Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, screened on three consecutive Wednesdays in September. Here’s what you need to know.

What to look forward to at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival

For this renowned film festival, curator Deniz Sertkol brings together works exploring Latin American experiences, German perspectives on migration, and a youth-focused programme showcasing stories from around the world. Each evening at 44 Stanley offers audiences a unique insight into international short cinema.

Oberhausen International Short Film Festival Moruk Paket Migration Copyright | What's on in Joburg — ‘Moruk’ film still | Paket Migration Copyright

Event 1

Made in Germany: Migration

This compilation, a selection of the best German short films of the last 15 years, deals with the living conditions of migrants in Germany today.

In 1984 six Turkish citizens died in Duisburg-Wanheimerort in an arson attack. While the police quickly ruled out a racist background, from today’s point of view there is a lot of circumstantial evidence to prove it. Dunkelfeld goes in search of clues and reopens the case.

In the animated film Brand, an East German mayor and his family are met with a wave of hatred when he agrees to take in refugees. The essay film ma nouvelle vie européenne reflects on Europe’s invisible borders from the perspective of Abou, a Malian refugee in Germany, making the camera a medium of self-empowerment.

In Three Notes, Jeannette Gaussi artistically processes the few remaining photographs of her Afghan childhood. Finally, the playful Moruk shows the introverted Hakan and the fun-loving Murat hanging out in the Kreuzberg neighborhood. They meet daily, smoke pot, dream, philosophize and argue. When they are mistaken for dealers, they sometimes pull the unsuspecting ones off.

Cost: From R80pp, book via tixsa

When: Wednesday, 10 September 2025 from 6pm to 7pm
Where: The Bioscope Independent Cinema, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark, Johannesburg

Oberhausen International Short Film Festival ARIBADA_Filmstill Lateinamerikafilme Copyright | What's on in Joburg — ‘Aribada’ film still | Lateinamerikafilme Copyright

Event 2

Short Films: Latin America Experiences

New productions from Latin America have recently been strongly represented at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival. This selection takes a new look at the current political and social conditions on the continent and focusses on indigenous and Afro-Cuban communities.

The documentary Camino de lava portrays Afrofeminist and queer activist Afibola, who tries to teach her son Olorun how to be a free, Afro-Cuban man despite the obstacles surrounding them.

In 1982 the indigenous Zoque community was forced to relocate due to a volcanic eruption. ( ( ( ( ( /*\ ) ) ) ) ) ) is the portrait of a village in Chiapas, Mexico, its culture, sounds and architecture, while reflecting on political pressure to preserve land and rights.

Finally, in Aribada, indigenous transwomen of the Embera tribes encounter Las Traviesas in Colombia’s coffee region, where documentary and fiction merge into a transcultural narrative of magical, dreamlike coexistence.

With English subtitles.

Cost: From R80pp, book via tixsa

When: Wednesday, 17 September 2025 from 6pm to 7pm
Where: The Bioscope Independent Cinema, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark, Johannesburg

Oberhausen International Short Film Festival MAMAMA Filmstill_2022 Paket Kinderprogramm Copyright | What's on in Joburg — ‘MAMAMA’ film still | Paket Kinderprogramm Copyright

Event 3

Youth Short Film Programme: Stories Without Words + Finding Ways

A programme for children from the age of three. Here, the smallest viewers see the world, which often seems so big and confusing, reflected in a playful way. The protagonists of the films have to find their own solutions to everyday obstacles, overcome fears and learn new things.

Without words but with clear messages, the programme convinces with its variety of topics, be it family or friendship. Exciting and instructive, it is easy to understand for viewers with no knowledge of the German language or English reading skills.

With English subtitles.

Cost: From R80pp, book via tixsa