American indie director Vincent Grashaw is an Oldenburg regular. He brought his last two features — Bang Bang starring Tim Blake Nelson as a washed up former boxer; and Keep Quiet, a crime thriller starring Lou Diamond Phillips, to the German indie fest, the latter coming away with the 2025 Spirit of Cinema Award.
Grashaw is back again this year with Bruton, a prison drama starring Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) inspired by true-life Jacksonville criminal Bryan Bruton.
What is your most memorable Oldenburg Moment?
The most memorable moment for me at Oldenburg was bartending the closing night party. Filmmakers be warned, if you win an award, be prepared to bartend the closing night party which is absolute chaos in all the best ways.
Vincent Grashaw bartending at the closing night party for the 2025 Oldenburg Film Festival.
Vincent Grashaw
What’s the strangest/most surprising or inspiring film (not your own) you’ve seen in Oldenburg and what’s your memory of the screening?
I would say for me it was watching the British kitchen sink filmmaker Michael J. Long’s film Baby Brother in 2024. It is a very intense movie, but it is pure indie cinema from Great Britain. Just raw, get it done type of filmmaking. Different culture entirely from most films you see, so it was lovely seeing the film and becoming friends with the team. We hung out the whole time basically. And to see them win the Hans Ohlms Award for best first feature and how moved and grateful they were onstage, I was fist pumping for them from the audience while they were accepting the award. You bond with all the filmmakers and everyone is rooting for everyone. It’s really beautiful.
Vincent Grashaw’s prison drama ‘Bruton.’
Your favorite Oldenburg spots: to eat, for a late night drink/post screening discussion, and for a hangover recovery breakfast?
Favorite place to eat is in the countryside. They take you to this farmhouse where a chef cooks all this amazing food. That is by far the best food experience you’re going to have there. Although, last year there was a special dinner and they had this one dish, I don’t know what it was, some pasta/veal thing. I ate it and just kept eating it. It was a famous chef from France that they brought in. Honorable mention is this German dish they serve outside of a bar where they’d have late night hangouts… I don’t remember the name of the bar, but outside they’d serve these sausages cut up with mushrooms and it was addicting.
As a film festival, what sets Oldenburg apart?
They curate the entire festival around the filmmakers. You’re hanging out with every filmmaker present every day of the festival. Traveling to screenings, parties, country side chef cookouts. It’s the jewel of film festivals in this regard. I’ve met and bonded with filmmakers there, who I know I will stay in touch with forever. I don’t know another festival out there that exists that puts this kind of effort into the experience for the filmmakers. It’s one of a kind.
From left: Oldenburg Festival Director Torsten Neumann and Vincent Grashaw at the 2025 closing night party.
Vincent Grashaw
Why do you keep coming back?
This is my third year at Oldenburg in a row. You can’t keep me away. I keep coming back for the new relationships with filmmakers, to showcase my film to an audience who truly loves cinema, walk around the beautiful city, attend their intimate parties, wild events. Food is also such a big part of this festival experience. They know what filmmakers crave and need. They spoil the living hell out of you, and I love every second of it. Also, to see [Festival Director] Torsten [Neumann] because he’s one of my favorite human beings.
What are your dos and don’ts advice for an Oldenburg first timer?
Pace yourself. Get enough sleep. Drink water. See other filmmakers movies and they will see yours. If you’re shy or nervous, this is the time to break out of your shell and have an amazing time.
