| FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS enters its next round! As a key promoter of German cinema abroad, German Films is committed to strengthening the international presence of German filmmakers. To fulfill this mission, the organization has been running the annual campaign FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS since 2016, presenting outstanding emerging talents of the German film industry to audiences worldwide. The initiative spotlights some of the most influential creative voices in contemporary German cinema. In 2026, FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS is celebrating its eleventh edition. Since its launch, the annual campaign has established itself as a platform giving German film talent international visibility and drawing the attention of the global film industry to some of Germany’s most remarkable newcomers. FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS 2026 – THE FILMMAKERS introduces seven unique, impressive and diverse personalities, each of whom has found their own distinctive path into the film industry. Together, they demonstrate the richness and diversity of creative work in filmmaking. This year’s selection includes actors Bayan Layla and Enzo Brumm, writer-directors Anna Roller and Joscha Bongard, director Isa Willinger, cinematographer Lotta Kilian, and makeup artist Lydia Geissler. “We have an exceptionally vibrant and diverse film landscape in Germany, driven by the creativity and vision of its filmmakers,” says Simone Baumann, Managing Director of German Films. “Across all disciplines, we see talented people constantly exploring new ideas, questioning conventions and redefining what film and cinema can be. At German Films, we see it as our responsibility to support these creatives and accompany them on their path to international success. We are proud to present seven filmmakers as ambassadors of our campaign this year—each of them embodies the spirit of innovation that propels the film industry forward.” Four of the seven talents will also be featured in advance, in a panel discussion chaired by Deadline's Diana Lodderhose. In addition to speaking about their careers and work, the panelists will talk about a wide range of urgent topics, including how government is impacting the industry, where German content sits on the global stage, the role of equal representation on both sides of the camera, and much more. The panel will be broadcast live on Wednesday, February 4, at 9 a.m. PST | 12 p.m. EST | 5 p.m. GMT | 6 p.m. CET. Register here. | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival is known for bringing together a discerning and diverse audience, including industry representatives, film fans, and filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the film festival has a high degree of Oscar® relevance. Germany was the focus of the 37th edition that took place from January 2 to 12, 2026. Palm Springs Film Festival stands for diversity, internationality, and appreciation for cinematic art. German cinema is known for films with strong, sophisticated content that deal with historical themes, social criticism, and dramas with a personal touch. The program of German films shown at this year's Palm Springs Film Festival reflects this same diversity of German cinema. In Palm Springs, German films like WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS by Frédéric Hambalek, AMRUM by Fatih Akin, ISLANDS by Jan-Ole Gerster and MIROIRS NO.3 by Christian Petzold were screened. In addition, Mascha Schilinski's generational drama SOUND OF FALLING was also in the line-up. The lead actress – and former FACE TO FACE ambassador – Lena Urzendowsky presented the film in Palm Springs together with director Mascha Schilinski and DoP Fabian Gamper. Other German guests at the festival included director Katharina Otto-Bernstein together with producer Sabine Schenk (THE LAST SPY), director Michael Kofler with actor Aenne Schwarz (A LAND WITHIN), who has also been invited by the Annenberg Foundation Trust to the PSIFF '26 Narrative Filmmaker Retreat, as well as director Jan-Ole Gerster and producer Maximilian Leo (ISLANDS). Director Jan-Ole Gerster also played another important role this year, as Variety has named him one of the “10 Directors to Watch 2026” – a special and significant list that has already included several renowned German filmmakers. Last but not least, a very special German from the film industry was closely associated with Palm Springs and the festival, a figure who will be remembered in a special way: actor Udo Kier, who passed away last November and also lived in Palm Springs, was a frequent guest and enthusiastic supporter of the festival. BAD PAINTER, by and about the artist Albert Oehlen, in which Kier plays the role of Oehlen, was also shown at the festival, personally presented by director and friend, Albert Oehlen. | |
| This year's edition of WHEN EAST MEETS WEST took place in Trieste from January 18 to 20, 2026, offering an exciting East-West focus on the Baltic countries and the GAS region. It brought together projects, professionals, and talents from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with the main goal of promoting new creative and business contacts with those regions in the spotlight.
The WEMW program also offered various opportunities to connect with the countries of the WEMW 2026 East & West Focus. The matchmaking session “Meet the GAS – Germany, Austria, and Switzerland Countries” provided a special opportunity to meet a variety of representatives from funds, funding agencies, and film commissions, including the FFA – German Federal Film Board, MDM | Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH, German Films, AUSTRIAN FILMS, Austria, the Austrian Business Agency – FILM in AUSTRIA, Cine Tirol Film Commission, SWISS FILMS, Switzerland Film Commission, Zurich Film Foundation, and MEDIA Desk Switzerland. The international jury for This Is IT, the section for films in progress that were co-produced with Italy or produced by the WEMW Spotlight regions, was chaired this year by Amaury Auge (ACID), Sabrina Baracetti (Tucker Film), and Núria Palenzuela Camon (Indie Sales).
The jury awarded the M74 Award to Sandra Wollner's “Everytime,” produced by Panama Films (Austria) and The Barricades (Germany). The prize consists of the creation of “2D Comp” visual effects and opening credits worth €10,000, including the services of digital artists. As for First Cut+, the feature films in progress that have previously participated in a First Cut Lab workshop, the international jury consisting of Esra Demirkiran (TRT), Keiko Funato (Alpha Violet), Jessica Kiang (Berlin International Film Festival), Vojtech Kocarnik (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival), and Angela Prudenzi (Venice International Film Festival), awarded the €5,000 TRT Prize to “Patty” by Luise Donschen (Germany). | |
| SHOWREEL:
German Films is happy to present an exclusive showreel of upcoming German productions, showcasing highlights from the competition programs of this year's Berlinale, as well as the International Film Festivals Sundance and Rotterdam.
The showreel will soon be available via this link here. BROCHURE:
Our German Films 2026 Festival Highlights Brochure with more than 40 filmsfeatures all the productions highlighted in the showreel, as well as new and upcoming feature animation films from Germany. Take a look!
The brochure is available via this link here. | |
| The 38th European Film Awards in Berlin brought together European filmmakers, Academy members, presenters, nominees and winners in a truly inspiring celebration of European cinema on January 17, 2026. Two film professionals from Germany were honored at the European Film Awards 2026: Sabrina Krämer
awarded with the prize for EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2026
for SOUND OF FALLING and Torsten Witte
awarded with the prize for EUROPEAN MAKE-UP & HAIR 2026
for BUGONIA
The German co-production SENTIMENTAL VALUE was the big winner with six awards, including Best European Film.
Producers Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, and Janine Jackowski from Komplizen Film were honored with the Eurimages International Co-Production Award at the ceremony. The European Film Academy presents the award together with Eurimages, recognizing the crucial role of co-productions in promoting international exchange. The 39th European Film Awards will be held in Athens on Saturday January 16, 2027. | |
| The two German co-productions SENTIMENTAL VALUE and THE SECRET AGENT received several Oscar® nominations - including Best Picture and International Feature Film (Norway and Brazil). SENTIMENTAL VALUE, co-produced by Komplizen film, received a total of 9 nominations. THE SECRET AGENT, co-produced by One Two Films, received a total of 4 nominations.
THE LOST BUS received an Oscar nomination in the Visual Effects category, with Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen, and Brandon K. McLaughlin among the nominees. The German company RISE FX is one of a total of eight international VFX companies involved in the visual effects for this film.
The 98th Academy Awards Ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026. | |
| The first catalogue update for 2026 with a total of 28 new shorts, has just been published. The members of the AG Kurzfilm – German Short Film Association and a jury selected a broad spectrum of short films - fiction, animation, experimental films and documentaries as well as various hybrid forms. All of the short films added to the catalogue were completed and premiered since August 2025. Everyone interested can search for German short films in the online catalogue using a wide range of functions, keywords, themes, categories, etc. International film professionals can also screen the films online after registering. More than 1,100 short films produced since 2004 are now available for viewing. A selection of the new films will be presented at the market screening “New German Shorts” in the Salle Conchon at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival at 6 pm on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. More info about the screening here. The next catalogue update will go online in May, in time for the Festival de Cannes. | |
| The focus of the next session of the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on February 15, 2026 will be the legendary DEFA film THE LEGEND OF PAUL AND PAULA (DIE LEGENDE VON PAUL UND PAULA) by Heiner Carow. Our curator Jim Kolmar's comment on the movie: "Heiner Carow's THE LEGEND OF PAUL AND PAULA (1973) perfectly demonstrates the thrilling creativity that flourished under DEFA, the iconic studio established in the German Democratic Republic. The film tells the story of Paul, a bored husband with an unfaithful wife, and Paula, a restless cashier and single mother. When the two meet in an East Berlin bar, they fall in love and embark on a surreal cinematic adventure that still feels fresh over 50 years later. Featuring music by the beloved GDR band Puhdys, THE LEGEND OF PAUL AND PAULA was a hit on its release in 1973. The film's freewheeling style and indelible performances paint a vibrant picture of the triumphs and tragedies of human emotion that still charms us today." Special guest: Stefanie Eckers – board member and long-term film expert at the DEFA Foundation - will join us LIVE from Berlin to introduce and discuss the film. RSVP here Date and time: Sunday, February 15th, 2026 from 11:00am – 12:00pm PT, 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CET.
Hosted by Jim Kolmar A wider selection of DEFA films can be found here KINO! FILM SALON is a production by Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office Trailer here | |
| Episode 92 - February 12, 2026:
Enno Trebs is the German EFP Shooting Star 2026 – congratulations! We managed to catch up with the actor for a thoughtful and fun conversation about the importance of balance and the happiness a dog can bring into one’s life, and as well as getting some great recommendations to boot Best Brother. And he managed to include a Timothee Chalamet shout-out. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. SHORT TAKE on Instagram! | |
| Episode 1 - February 10, 2026:
It’s been a while… but Reza Memari is back! Four years after our last talk, we got to catch up with the writer-director about his latest feature: THE LAST WHALESINGER (arriving in German cinemas February 12, 2026). We talk about the importance of fixing things right away, of letting go, wearing many different creative hats and the joy of creating new, animated worlds and stories.
Episode 2 - February 24, 2026:
We talked to sales executive and film expert Klaus Rasmussen about all things animation. Disney classic Snow White makes an appearance, as do anime, puppet animation and animated films for adults. We discuss what works so well about the genre, what surprises the genre holds, and its timelessness. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. DEEP DIVE GENRE on Instagram! | |
| German Films Booth at EFM
During the Berlinale, German Films will be at the EFM - European Film Market from February 12-18, 2026. Come find us at Booth #18 in the Gropiusbau!
BIF Market: Collaboration BIFFF – German Films
BIFFF and German Films will be collaborating on the tenth edition of the BIF Market. The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (April 3 to 18, 2026) organizes the BIF Market, which will take place from April 13 to 17, 2026. The 10th edition will continue to be a hybrid edition (onsite and online). The BIF Market is the place to be for everyone working on a genre project. Besides Belgian professionals, it facilitates encounters with numerous international professionals, sales agents, festivals, and representatives of various funding institutions. More information can be found here.
German Student Shorts nominated at the Annie Awards and the Ves Awards
The Annie Awards, organized by the International Animated Film Society ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972, honor the best international achievements in the field of animation. For the 53rd edition, the German animated shorts A SPARROW’S SONG by Tobias Eckerlin and THE UNDYING PAIN OF EXISTENCE by Oscar Jacobson received nominations in the category “Best Student Film”. Both films were produced at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. The winners will be revealed during an award ceremony in Los Angeles on February 21. A SPARROW’S SONG by Tobias Eckerlin is also nominated at the 24th Visual Effects Society Awards in the category “Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project”, together with the short FLYING FROM WAR by Ciara Borgards (ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln). The award presentation is scheduled for February 25 in Los Angeles. | |
| German productions and co-productions at New York, Göteborg, Santa Barbara, Tromsø, South by South West, Trieste, Berlin, Glasgow, Slamdance, Clermont-Ferrand, Dublin and Manchester. | |
| Awards for German productions and co-productions at Angers. | |
| New section starting in 2026: Here you will find links to photo galleries of German Films receptions and other German Films events from this month. | |
| International releases of German films in February 2026 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program: A GIRL NAMED WILLOW in Brazil (Distributor: Clube Filmes, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: February 05, 2026, Grant: 11,000 €)
AMRUM in Italy (Distributor: BIM DISTRIBUZIONE, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: February 02, 2026, Grant: 15,000 €)
AMRUM in Portugal (Distributor: PRIS Audiovisuais, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: February 26, 2026, Grant: 4,500 €)
AMRUM in Sweden (Distributor: Folkets Bio, World Sales: Beta Cinema, Theatrical Release: February 20, 2026, Grant: 10,000 €)
EIN FAST PERFEKTER ANTRAG in Switzerland, Liechtenstein (Distributor: DCM Film Distribution, World Sales: Leonine Studios, Theatrical Release: February 26, 2026, Grant: 8,000 €)
EIN FAST PERFEKTER ANTRAG in Switzerland, Liechtenstein (Distributor: DCM Film Distribution, World Sales: Leonine Studios, Theatrical Release: February 26, 2026, Grant: 8,000 €)
ELLY AND THE GHOSTLY GHOST TRAIN in Greece (Distributor: Rosebud.21, World Sales: Pink Parrot, Theatrical Release: February 12, 2026, Grant: 6,000 €)
MOMO in Czech Republic (Distributor: Forum Film Czech, World Sales: Epsilon Film, Theatrical Release: February 05, 2026, Grant: 11,000 €)
MOMO in Slovakia (Distributor: Forum Film Slovakia, World Sales: Epsilon Film, Theatrical Release: February 05, 2026, Grant: 7,000 €)
NO BEAST.SO FIERCE in Bulgaria (Distributor: Cinelibri Ltd., World Sales: Goodfellas, Theatrical Release: February 27, 2026, Grant: 4,000 €)
SOUND OF FALLIING in Australia, New Zeeland (Distributor: Transmission Films, World Sales: MK2, Theatrical Release: February 26, 2026, Grant: 15,000 €)
SOUND OF FALLIING in Greece, Cyprus (Distributor: CINOBO, World Sales: MK2, Theatrical Release: February 05, 2026, Grant: 4,000 €)
SOUND OF FALLIING in Portugal (Distributor: FILMS4YOU - CINEMA, LDA, World Sales: MK2, Theatrical Release: February 19, 2026, Grant: 10,000 €)
THE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS 3 in Israel (Distributor: Red Cape Distribution, World Sales: Epsilon, Theatrical Release: February 20, 2026, Grant: 12,000 €)
THE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS 4 in Hungary (Distributor: ADS, World Sales: Epsilon, Theatrical Release: February 12, 2026, Grant: 6,000 €)
Please note: Correct at time of going to press. Changes may occur at any time.
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| Contact:
Angela Sonntag (Head of Press & Public Relations) | |
| German Films Service + Marketing GmbH
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 16
80331 München/Deutschland Tel +49-89-59 97 87-0
Fax +49-89-59 97 87-30 | |
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