When will Beautiful Villains take place?

The kickoff of the 36th Film + Music Festival will take place on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 8 PM.

Where will the event take place?

The event will take place in the Great Hall of the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle, Lampingstraße 16, 33615 Bielefeld.

Which film will be shown on October 23, 2026?

The program features the US silent film The Man who came back from 1924 by director Emmett Flynn.

Who will provide the musical accompaniment for the film?

The live accompaniment will be provided by the Siedhoff Ensemble Weimar with piano, oboe, violin, and percussion.

How much does a regular ticket cost?

A regular ticket for the event at the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle costs 25 Euros. Reduced tickets cost 20 Euros, and children up to 14 years pay 8 Euros.

Who organizes the Film + Music Festival?

The organizer is the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Society e. V.; the festival is supported by the cultural office of Bielefeld.

Film + Music Festival 2026 Bielefeld

Name: 36. Film + MusikFest: Beautiful Villains
Start: 2026-10-23T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-23T22:00:00+02:00
Location: Rudolf-Oetker-Halle

Beautiful Villains: When Film Classics Come to Life

The 36th Film + Music Festival invites you to the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle in Bielefeld on Friday, October 23, 2026. Under the motto Beautiful Villains, the festival connects historical film art with atmospheric live music and focuses on strong, contradictory, and fascinating characters from film history.

Film Art Between Seduction, Power, and Rebellion

Cinema appears here as a wish-fulfilling machine where blonde beasts, elegant villains, man-eating vamps, and secret heroes make their impact. The films reflect archaic fears, female self-empowerment, and the desire for a new togetherness of the genders.

The opening film is The Man who came back from 1924. The silent film by director Emmett Flynn with George O’Brien, Dorothy Mackaill, Thomas Potter, and Harvey Clark will be accompanied live by the Siedhoff Ensemble Weimar with piano, oboe, violin, and percussion.

Open-Air Feel in the Concert Hall

Even though the festival takes place in the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle, its own festival atmosphere is created: The large screen image meets immediate open acoustics in the hall, while the live music illuminates every gesture, every glance, and every dramatic twist anew. Film history and concert moment merge into an intense multi-day experience, where each evening carries its own musical fingerprint.

A Festival for Film Buffs and Music Lovers

The Film + Music Festival combines historical film classics, restored silent films, and carefully curated artist lineups from soloists, ensembles, and orchestras. Other festival dates will feature Chicago, The Temptress, a Halloween special with The Unknown, Forbidden Paradise, The Informer, Murnau's Tartüff, as well as short films with Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin.

The festival is organized by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Society e. V., supported by the cultural office of Bielefeld. The festival organization focuses on the connection of film studies, musical live accompaniment, and communal cultural experiences.

Conclusion: An Evening Full of Cinema, Sound, and Great Characters

Visitors can expect an extraordinary festival evening with a rarely shown silent film, impressive live accompaniment, and an exciting journey through the imagery of early film history. Those who want to not only see film classics but experience them in their full musical and emotional depth should discover this special cultural event live at the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle.