Lars Henrik Gass, a stalwart figure in the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, has decided to depart from his role as managing and artistic director after an impressive 27-year tenure. Starting February 2025, Gass will transition into a pioneering role as the inaugural director of a revolutionary media institute in Stuttgart. This institution, House of Film and Media Stuttgart (HFM), is set to revolutionize the industry with its focus on all forms of moving images, encompassing animation, games, and augmented reality, over approximately 4,500 square meters.
Gass announced his departure due to the opportunity to build this groundbreaking institution, which will distinguish itself nationwide in terms of content, design, organization, and team size. This new challenge attracted him after nearly three decades in Oberhausen, where he skillfully transformed the traditional festival by incorporating art and media trends, ultimately catapulting it into a globally recognized symbol of the city.
Mayor Daniel Schranz (CDU) reflected on Gass's departure, expressing sadness over the exit of a visionary who embraced pop culture and digital transformations, thereby attracting a fresh, diverse audience. Gass's tenure came to a close by steering the first entirely digital edition of a German film festival during the pandemic, along with introducing the world's first music video prize at a film festival.
At present, a strategy is being developed for the succession of both festival management and artistic direction. The Oberhausen Short Film Days, an integral part of the format, is closely associated with renowned directors like Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, and the late Christoph Schlingensief. Gass's departure will not diminish Oberhausen's reputation as a global beacon of innovation and digital transformation in the film and media industry.
Although the House of Film and Media Stuttgart and its inaugural director are not explicitly mentioned in the original article, Stuttgart's role in the film industry, especially through the Staatsoper Stuttgart's contribution to the biopic "Cranko," highlights the city's significance as a cultural hub for the industry[1][4]. This enrichment data, while not central to the article, adds context to Stuttgart's position as a filmed location and an emerging media hub.
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