8.–
18.
AUG 2024
About the program 24
Stummfilmfestival
Open air
Livemusic
arkadenhof Uni Bonn
view the videos
Filmtage

News

The 39th Bonn Summer Cinema - International Silent Film Festival was a complete success and planning is already in full swing to make the 40th anniversary a very special year. The festival will take place as usual in a hybrid format from August 8 to 18, 2024. This year there will be a new edition of the long-awaited program booklet, for which we urgently need your support. We are using a very special donation format for this, where you can receive great prizes.

Silent Film Festival

For the 40th time, Europe's most popular silent filmfestival will take place in August 2024 in the heart of Bonn. Newly restored classics, rediscoveries, exotic rarities. The program brings together popular and unknown titles from the early days of cinema, whose technical sophistication will amaze. The films are also still convincing today in terms of aesthetics, dramaturgy and acting. The audience ranges from curious first-time visitors to proven film connoisseurs. Professionals mix with enthusiastic hobby cineastes. Young and old, families and groups of friends, couples of all ages, guests who come alone but do not remain lonely in thecourtyard. The event is also a place for meeting and exchange. An annual reunion with like-minded people, an experience for all the senses.

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. You can find more on the musicians at the festival further down on this page.

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.
Program
August 2024
Stream & Videos
Music

Stephen Horne (piano, flute, accordion)

Stephen has long been internationally considered one of the leading silent film accompanists. A house pianist at London’s BFI Southbank for thirty years, he has played at all the major UK venues and recorded music for many DVD releases of silent films. Although principally a pianist, he often incorporates other instruments into his performances, sometimes simultaneously. He regularly performs internationally and in recent years his accompaniments have met with acclaim at film festivals in Pordenone, Bologna, San Francisco, Telluride, Paris, Cannes, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul, Istanbul, Berlin and Vienna. In 2011 and 2012, Stephen was commissioned to compose ensemble scores for the London Film Festival Archive Galas of The First Born and The Manxman. In 2012 his accompaniment for "Rotaie" won the main prize at the Bonn Sommerkino Festival while for six years, from 2014 to 2019, he has been named in the category 'Best Screening with a Single Accompanist' in the Silent London end-of-year poll. Further information at www.stephenhorne.co.uk

How to find us

Arkadenhof at the University of Bonn (Regina Pacis Weg 1, 53113 Bonn).

Right across the street from the Markt bus stop is the entrance to the courtyard. With the tram/subway, go 5 minutes from the main train station to the main university building and the "Uni/Markt" station. You can park in the surrounding parking garages such as the university garage, or enter the market garage via Stockenstrasse.

Drinks and Snacks

It'sa warm summer evening, the sun is setting over the Baroque university courtyard, and there's a cool drink in your hand. Life is good!

We offer a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages (Fritz, Aqua con viva), Pilsner and Kölsch beer, and excellent French wines of all kinds. Our snack selection includes high-quality nibbles and organic sweets (also vegan).We request that you refrain from bringing your own drinks to the courtyard. By purchasing snacks and drinks, you actively support the event.

questions and answers
When do the doors open?

Doors open at 7 pm. The best seats are gone quickly! You can enjoy a cold beer or a nice glass of wine at the venue, drinks are sold on-site. Please be aware that we rely on the revenue from selling refreshments.

How much is the entrance fee?

Admission is free for all performances in the Arkadenhof (arcade court). There is no seat reservation for those events. The cost of admission for the sunday events at the Brotfabrik Bonn Beuel are free too. The festival is dependent on your donations to maintain the offer.

What am I allowed / not allowed to take inside?

Bags will be searched at the doors to ensure the safety of all attendees. Sharp objects and all weapons will be seized, as well as bottled drinks. You can bring anything else you like!

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Support us in bringing premium silent films and musicians from around the world to Bonn.

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