Internationale Bonner Stummfilmtage
11th-21st august

From August 11th to 21st, 2022, the Förderverein Filmkultur Bonn e.V. will host the International Silent Film Festival. For the second year in a row, Germany’s biggest silent film festival will take place in hybrid form – the films will be shown under the open sky in the courtyard of the university and streamed on the official festival website. 

Live Music

The films are accompanied by a selection of renowned musicians from around the world, most of whom have dedicated themselves solely to silent film. As soloists or in small ensembles, they provide the films with sound. The accompaniments vary from composed scores to spontaneous improvisations. Pianos and violins are the classic instruments that accompany silent film. In Bonn, a flute, drums, an oboe and a harp complement the instrumentation. Sometimes a musician plays several instruments during one film.

Open Air

The films are presented outdoors in the Arkadenhof at the University of Bonn. Nearly 1500 chairs are available for viewers (this year only 500 due to the coronavirus epidemic). In case of rain, there is standing room for several hundred people in the Arkaden walkway. You’re well-equipped for the film evenings with a sweater, blanket and umbrella. Every weather condition has its particular charm. Events are free but donations are requested. This means you’ll have to be there early some evenings to get a seat. If the courtyard is full, the gate will be closed. You can pass the time waiting for it to get dark, and for the screening to begin, by reading or chatting in the wonderful atmosphere of the Electoral Palace. Bonn’s “most beautiful movie theater” has a 100-square-meter screen and 35 mm film projectors that are used in alternation, as well as the latest digital film technology.