| The 28th edition of the German Film Fest Madrid took place at Cines Embajadores from June 3 to 7, 2026, celebrating German Cinema in all its diversity and facets. The festival opened on June 3 with Thomas Stuber’s THE FROG AND THE WATER – the winner of this year’s audience award. Felicidades! As in previous years, German Films showcased a selection of outstanding short films from the NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER program. As a representative of the 2025 program, director Eva Pedroza presented her film TAKO TSUBO to the Spanish audience. Other highlights in the program included the screening of KARLA in presence of our Face-To-Face with German Films ambassador Lydia Geißler. In a long Q&A session, she answered all questions around the film and, in particular, about the profession of a make-up artist. The festival successfully closed on June 7 with Eva Trobisch’s HOMESTORIES. Once again, German Films also teamed up with the Goethe-Institut Madrid for the festival, which dedicated a special focus to director Mia Maariel Meyer. The full program of the festival:
THE FROG AND THE WATER by Thomas Stuber
CIRCUSBOY by Julia Lemke & Anna Koch
SIX WEEKS ON by Jacqueline Jansen
NO MERCY by Isa Willinger
THE SEED by Mia Maariel Meyer
BABYSTAR by Joscha Bongard
TREPPE AUFWÄRTS by Mia Maariel Meyer
KARLA by Christina Tournatzés
RAVE ON by Nikias Chryssos & Viktor Jakovlevski
NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2025 by various directors
PHANTOMS OF JULY by Julian Radlmaier
HOMESTORIES by Eva Trobisch The program was complemented by three amazing short films by Elena Walf (DER STACHEL IM PO), Anh Tú Nguyen (THE SKY WAS CANDY) and Adrián Jaffé (FIRST FLIGHT), which were shown together with selected feature-length films. The festival is organized in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Madrid and the Amigos del Goethe-Institut España, with support from the German Embassy in Madrid and in partnership with FILMIN. | |
| The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival took place in Shanghai from June 12 to 21, 2026. The festival focused on new voices, the promotion of new talent, and the integration of artificial intelligence. The 2026 edition featured more than 420 films selected from approximately 4,100 submissions from 125 countries. Executive director Chen Guo described the selection process as guided by “the values expressed in each work and its premiere status,” while also taking into account geographic representation and the diversity of filmmakers by gender and generation. The competition for the “Golden Goblet Award” is divided into five categories: Main Competition, Animation, Short Film, Documentary, and “Asian New Talent.” This year, numerous German productions (both majority and minority productions) were represented in the various festival categories. As the festival itself noted, there were more German productions in the Main Competition than Chinese films. SUPERBUHEI by Josef Brandl — his feature film debut — and THE MISERABLE MOTHER by Susanne Heinrich were the two major German productions in the competition. THE MISERABLE MOTHER was also honored with the “Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award.” The Turkish-German film NIGHT OF BLINDNESS received the award for Best Screenplay. | |
| German Films and Palace Cinemas organized the “German Film Festival” in several Australian cities: Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Byron/Ballina, Perth, and Melbourne/Ballarat. From May 6 to 27, 2026. Palace Cinemas was the main organizer, and German Films supported the organization.
The HSBC German Film Festival is a showcase for contemporary cinema from the region. Featuring captivating true-life stories, entertaining family films, comedies, and compelling new dramas from Germany’s best filmmakers and actors—including a selection straight from this year’s Berlinale — the festival took place at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova, and Luna Palace Cinemas locations nationwide. Among the festival’s highlights was the opening of this year’s festival with BERLIN HERO, the final film by beloved director Wolfgang Becker. Another focal point was AMRUM, the acclaimed feature film by multi-award-winning director Fatih Akın. To mark the premiere of Fatih Akın’s latest work, a selection of three of the acclaimed filmmaker’s earlier films was also screened: HEAD-ON, THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, and GOODBYE BERLIN. The special presentation of the 2026 festival was SOUND OF FALLING, directed by Mascha Schilinski and winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival.
The festival concluded with a celebration of Wolfgang Petersen’s 45th anniversary, featuring DAS BOOT – DIRECTOR’S CUT, which was screened nationwide in 4K and exclusively at the Astor Theatre in Melbourne on 35mm film. | |
| The 73rd Sydney Film Festival, held from June 3 to 14, 2026, featured a strong German presence across its international program. Eleven German productions and co-productions screened in sections ranging from the Official Competition and Special Presentations to family cinema, experimental film, and fashion-focused programming. The festival presented 248 films from 81 countries overall. Three German co-productions competed for the Sydney Film Prize: Shahrbanoo Sadat’s NO GOOD MEN, Visar Morina’s SHAME AND MONEY, and Valeska Grisebach’s THE DREAMED ADVENTURE. Further highlights included Ilker Çatak’s YELLOW LETTERS, Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND, Sandra Wollner’s EVERYTIME, the animated family film THE LAST WHALE SINGER, and Wim Wenders’ documentary NOTEBOOK ON CITIES AND CLOTHES, demonstrating the breadth and international reach of contemporary German filmmaking. Ildikó Enyedi, director of SILENT FRIEND, and Anwar Hashimi, lead actor of NO GOOD MEN, were on site in Sydney to present their films. | |
| From 17 to 21 June, 2026, the RO Days | Industry Events took place in Cluj, Romania, as part of the 25th Transilvania International Film Festival. For the third consecutive year, German Films hosted an Industry Lunch, bringing together producers, filmmakers, festival representatives, sales agents and representatives of film institutions. RO Days | Industry Events is an important platform for the local and regional film industry, offering a wide range of opportunities, including workshops, masterclasses, panels and pitching sessions. The Transilvania Pitch Stop also presented ten projects seeking co-production partners, sales agents and other industry partners. As part of the Transilvanian Talent Lab, 14 emerging filmmakers from Romania and the Republic of Moldova received five days of intensive training in all areas of filmmaking, with mentors including Nikolai Nikitin. The Sync @ Edison House of Music programme explored the subject of film music from a variety of perspectives. Particular attention was given to a case study entitled “AI in Film and Animation Production”, which illustrated the limitations of using artificial intelligence. Four German productions and 18 minority German co-productions screened at the festival, including TITANIC OCEAN, which received the Best Director Award. | |
| In June, three FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS ambassadors were on tour to present their films and our talent program internationally. Joscha Bongard travelled, from the end of May to Mid-June, to present his film BABYSTAR to local audiences and engage in Q&As with viewers in the following cities: New York, Boston, Montreal and finally Los Angeles. After his return, he reported that it had been a rewarding experience all around - the helpful Goethe Institute colleagues on the ground, inspiring Q&As and audience encounters, and excellent conversations with production companies and financiers in NYC and LA. FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS ambassador, makeup and SFX artist Lydia Geißler, went to Madrid to present the film KARLA (by Christina Tournatzés) in a Q&A on stage at German Film Fest Madrid. The craft of makeup has been represented the first time in this 11th edition of the German Films FACE TO FACE talent program. And finally at Krakow Film Festival, Isa Willinger, Kim Longinotto, film historian and Dr. Monika Talarczyk discussed Isa's film NO MERCY in the panel "KFF TALKS: Tough girls with a camera. Do women make harsher films than men?" The documentary NO MERCY was screened in the Phenomena section. Isa Willinger did set out to test the validity of this claim in her film and the discussion following the film, hosted by Adriana Prodeus. | |
| The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® has announced the 61 semifinalists of this year’s 53rd edition of the Student Academy Awards®. Five German productions representing three film schools are among the selected films. For the Student Academy Awards®, film students from all over the world can submit their works in the categories Animation, Documentary, Narrative and Alternative/Experimental. The winners are determined in several stages, the finalists for each category are expected to be announced in July. The award ceremony will be held on September 14 at Toronto International Film Festival 2026. The semifinalists from Germany are: Animation
GROWING STONES, FLYING PAPERS by Roozbeh Gezerseh, Soraya Shamsi (Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF)
THE PANIC INSIDE by Matthias Strasser (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg)
SEND NUDES by David Sick (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg) Documentary
DREAMS OF A SLEEPING DRAGON by Johann Schilling (Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg) Narrative
LETTER TO MY FATHER (BRIEF AN MEINEN VATER) by Korbinian Kalleder (University of Television and Film Munich HFF) | |
| The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on July 12th will be Maren Ade's directorial debut THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. The drama won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2003 and launched her international career as an independent director, screenwriter and producer. A few years later, her tragicomedy TONI ERDMANN - starring the famous Sandra Hüller - celebrated its world premiere at the International Competition in Cannes in 2016 and represented Germany at the Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category in 2017. The film received a nomination and was a worldwide box office hit. Our curator Jim Kolmar's comment on the movie: "Maren Ade’s startling debut feature is a pitiless, unsentimental portrait of an idealist young teacher (Eva Löbau) struggling to fit into a new job in a new city. A simple enough premise, but THE FOREST FOR THE TREES builds into a modern fable of increasing emotional complexity and subtle, emotional drama that feels painfully real.
Remarkably, Ade made the film as her thesis graduation film, but the DNA of her unique style is clearly apparent. It's a brutal viewing experience but delivered with full control and Ade’s refined sense of humanity in the midst of unexpected absurdity. We're all waiting for Ade’s follow up to the brilliant TONI ERDMANN, and in the meantime we can revisit her striking debut and witness the emergence of a major film artist." RSVP here Date and time: Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 11:00am – 12:00pm PT, 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CET
Hosted by Jim Kolmar KINO! FILM SALON is a production by Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office Trailer here | |
| Episode 100 - July 9, 2026:
For our 100th episode, we're celebrating with our very first guest — actor, composer, and singer Jonas Nay! He opens up about balancing acting, composing & his band Pudeldame, and why gratitude keeps him grounded. Oh, and if you know of any biopics about German musicians — Jonas is looking!
Episode 101 - July 30, 2026:
What documentary director Isa Willinger enjoys most about shooting her films, is the observational style – describing this as full of poetry. In our conversation we also touch on the value and depth of long friendships, the experience of watching and dancing to DIRTY DANCING as a teen and the importance of leaving one’s comfort zone more fearlessly. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. SHORT TAKE on Instagram! | |
| June 30, 2026:
We talked to director Markus Goller about his new film 23,000 LIVES, why it’s important to remember we are all one and to act accordingly, the learning curve of shooting on open water, and how his experience as an editor helps him now. Plus, he offers us teasers about several great upcoming projects.
July 7, 2026:
We talked to terrific director Veronika Kaserer about her new documentary SIMONE MESSER - AUS DEM SCHATTEN, about her quest to tackle taboos and dig deep in documentary filmmaking, looking for the universal topic in her documentaries, and why she specifically enjoys the moment all the plans come crashing down while on set. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. DEEP DIVE GENRE on Instagram! | |
| The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Invites Eight German Filmmakers
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 529 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures. Among the invited members are eight German filmmakers - Actor Veronica Ferres (THE COMEDIAN, SCHTONK!)
- Director of Photography Markus Förderer (SEPTEMBER 5)
- Director of Photography Juan Sarmiento (THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB)
- Costume Designer Sabrina Krämer (IN DIE SONNE SCHAUEN)
- Composer Karim Sebastian Elias (CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS)
- VFX Supervisor Michael Ralla (SINNERS)
- VFX Supervisor Guido Wolter (SINNERS)
- Production Designer Simon Weisse (ASTEROID CITY; GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL)
Calls for Submission - DOK Preview Germany: Call for documentary projects: German Films Service + Marketing GmbH and DOK Industry are looking for the most exciting new German documentary projects. DOK Preview Germany is a presentation platform for German productions, newly completed or in their final stages, with an estimated release date in winter/spring 26/27. The teams can present their projects to international buyers, editors, world sales, festivals, curators and distributors. With the project presentation and subsequent opportunity for networking and exchange, we support selected projects for international marketing. Last year, productions such as SIRI HUSTVEDT – DANCE AROUND THE SELF and FINDING CONNECTION, took part before premiering their films at the Berlinale and CPH:DOX. The call is open until September 3, 2026. Find more information on DOK Leipzig’s website.
- MIA - Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo in Rome: Calls are officially open for entries to the 2026 edition of MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo in Rome (October 19-23, 2026). The call is aimed at filmmakers who are currently developing a high-quality project or are nearing completion of an ongoing project with significant international potential. Participants can take part in one of Europe’s most dynamic industry platforms to meet top international producers, financiers, broadcasters, streamers, and sales agents. Find more information here.
Les Arcs Coproduction Village: Les Arcs Industry Village (December 12-15, 2026) is Les Arcs Film Festival’s industry event dedicated to the independent European film industry. It aims to increase the exposure of promising projects from all over Europe, to create a place for networking and support new partnerships. Deadline is July 29, 2026. More information can be found here.
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| German productions and co-productions at Annecy, Vienna, Huesca, Palm Springs, Tokyo, Shanghai, Valencia, Zagreb, Grimstad, Tel Aviv, Karlovy Vary and Marseille. | |
| Awards for German productions and co-productions at Vienna, Zlin, Sheffield, Huesca, Tokyo, Shanghai, Annecy, Valencia, Palm Springs, and Raindance. | |
| 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 July 2026 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program: ALLEGRO PASTELL in Austria (Distributor: Filmladen Filmverleih, World Sales: Totem, Theatrical Release: July 03, 2026, Grant: 5,000 €)
ARNIE & BARNEY in Poland (Distributor: VIVARTO, World Sales: Studio 100, Theatrical Release: July 27, 2026, Grant: 12,000 €)
GAVAGAI in France (Distributor: New Story, World Sales: Luxbox, Theatrical Release: July, 08, 2026, Grant: 11,000 €)
HOME STORIES in France (Distributor: Meteore Films, World Sales: The Match Factory, Theatrical Release: July 29, 2026, Grant: 10,000 €)
MOMO in Hungary (Distributor: Mozinet Ltd., World Sales: Epsilon Film, Theatrical Release: July 23, 2026, Grant: 10,000 €)
THE GOOD SISTER in the Netherlands (Distributor: Cherry Pickers, World Sales: New Europe Film Sales, Theatrical Release: July 2, 2026, Grant: 7,000 €)
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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