Bilderbeben is a shortfilm competition with annual changing topic in Bielefeld.
The competition is organized and hosted by Filmhaus Bielefeld.

This year's topic is "HEISS I HOT " .

The show takes place in a theatre in bielefeld, germany with about 400 seats. The main section is slectioned by the jury and contains about 25 films. The audience is called to chose the best film besides the decisions of the jury and donates a special price. Filmhaus also chooses the best film coming from a regional filmmaker. The winner has the opportunity to use the equipment of Filmhaus for his next project. The festival aimes to establish a network of filmmakers in order to improve productions besides the media metropoles.

Awards & Prizes

The total award is 1.500 Euros, separated between the three best films. The best film get's a sculpture "Der kleine Plumpe" named after famous director F.W. Murnau, born in Bielefeld under the name of Plumpe.

Rules & Terms

Eligibility Requirements
The film must engage with the theme “HOT.”
Short films of all genres are eligible for submission.
Commercials and content created solely for social media are not eligible.
At the time of submission, the film must not be more than three years old.
The maximum running time is 5 minutes, including opening and closing credits.
Films may not be finished before 2023.

HEISS I HOT – that is the theme of the BILDERBEBEN Short Film Competition 2026.
What does “HOT” mean to you? Scorching summers, burning conflicts, great passion, social debates, or entirely new perspectives? The theme leaves plenty of room for personal interpretation and creative approaches.
We are not looking for explanations, but for stories that move, surprise, and linger in the mind. Show us powerful images, unusual viewpoints, and your own cinematic exploration of the theme.

8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jaki Dell'Oro

    Wonderful Festival in a great location with an even greater audience! The team was very organized and the moderation was also very funny. Thank you so much for showing "The Thin Line" :)

    December 2025
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  • Yulia Orlenko

    It was an amazing experience to be a part of this great festival. An excellent communication, nice organization, great people and so warm greetings. My sincere thanks for selection our short film as a winner.

    December 2022
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  • Gui Rampazo

    It was an honor to be selected for such a well organized and presented festival

    January 2021
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  • Kim Collmer

    Such a nice festival. Really great people. The films were an interesting mix of regional and international. We had a warm welcome and were treated very well by the people who ran the festival. I definitely recommend it.

    February 2020
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  • Gulzhan Sitakhmetova

    I couldn't make the festival but it was such a great festival to work with and such an honor to be a part of it!

    December 2019
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