blicke – Filmfestival des Ruhrgebiets

The Film Festival of the Ruhr Area

blicke – Filmfestival des Ruhrgebiets is a fixture in the independent German film scene. For years, the festival has presented independent feature films, documentaries, and experimental films, as well as media art — with a special focus on the Ruhr Area and its filmmakers. The organizer is the association blicke e.V., and the festival venue is the curated arthouse cinema endstation.kino in the historic Bahnhof Langendreer (Langendreer Station) in Bochum (Wallbaumweg 108, 44894 Bochum).

2026 Edition — New Formats, New Venues

For 2026, the festival has announced a significant evolution. The organizers officially state: "The festival continues to be supported and can take place in November as usual — almost, because much will be different and new." New venues beyond Bochum and revised program formats are planned. Exact dates, program, and venues will be published in autumn 2026 via blicke.org.

Content Profile

The festival covers a wide range of moving image art:

• Independent Feature Films from the Ruhr Area or by Ruhr Area filmmakers
• Documentary Films related to the Ruhr Area — structural change, migration, city life, industry, subculture
• Short Films from the young film scene
• Media and Video Art
• Film Discussions with directors, producers, and theorists
• Cooperation with Filmstadt Dortmund, Freie Szene Film Dortmund, and the FH Dortmund (University of Applied Sciences)

Funding and Organizers

The festival is state-recognized and funded by:

• Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
• City of Bochum
• Stadtwerke Bochum (Sponsorship)

Bochum-Langendreer — The Station as a Cultural Center

The Bahnhof Langendreer is one of the most well-known alternative cultural centers in the Ruhr Area: a historic train station that has been used for decades as a venue for cinema, concerts, theater, readings, and political events. The endstation.kino, as an arthouse cinema, is a central venue for blicke — intimate, with high curatorial standards, and an engaged audience. The station is located in eastern Bochum, easily accessible by S-Bahn line S 1 (Bochum-Langendreer).

Bochum as a Film City

Bochum, with around 370,000 inhabitants, is a university city in the central Ruhr Area. With the Ruhr University, the Schauspielhaus (theater), the Bermudadreieck (entertainment district), and an active independent scene, Bochum is one of the most dynamic cultural cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. blicke complements this profile with a dedicated platform for independent moving images from the region.