The 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 will be the focus of the 37th edition in January 2026. The PSIFF will take place from January 2 to 12, 2026.
The Palm Springs Film Festival stands for diversity, internationality, and appreciation for cinematic art in a special way. 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 being shown at this year's Palm Springs Film Festival reflects precisely this diversity of German cinema. For example, Frédéric Hambalek's second feature film WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS revolves around the different perceptions of teenagers and adults. Historical themes dominate the content of AMRUM by Fatih Akin, which recounts the experiences of author Hark Bohm as a young boy at the end of World War II. ISLANDS by Jan-Ole Gerster is a thriller about a tennis coach living on Fuerteventura. Renowned German director Christian Petzold returns to Palm Springs, this time with his film MIROIRS NO.3, which concludes the trilogy begun with UNDINE and AFIRE. And the breadth of German film history is also reflected in Konrad Wolf's DEFA film STARS, which will also be screened.
In addition, Mascha Schilinski's generational drama SOUND OF FALLING will also be screened. The film attracted a great deal of attention and was described as a “captivating masterpiece” and “brilliant epic” after its premiere in Cannes. The film is Germany's Oscar® entry this year and was selected by Academy® members for the shortlist of the last 15 in the “International Feature Film” category.
The lead actress – and former FACE TO FACE ambassador – Lena Urzendowsky will present the film in Palm Springs together with director Mascha Schilinski. The director will also participate in the important “Best International Feature Film” panel.
Other German guests at the festival include director Katharina Otto-Bernstein together with producer Sabine Schenk (THE LAST SPY), director Michael Kofler (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 plays another important role this year, as Variety has named him one of the “10 Directors to Watch 2026” – a special and significant list that already includes several renowned German filmmakers.
Last but not least, there was a very special German from the film industry who was closely associated with Palm Springs and the festival and 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, will also be shown at the festival, personally presented by director and companion Albert Oehlen.
Gabor Greiner from the international sales agency Films Boutique is a jury member of the New Voices – New Visions international competition for young filmmakers.
The New York-based German Film Office is also organizing an accompanying film workshop for Goethe Institute film staff from the US, Canada, and Mexico to view the German festival films and learn about the curatorial work involved in the festival.
