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GERMAN FILMS AT BERLINALE & EFM 2026

GERMAN FILMS FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

We are happy to present our German Films 2026 Festival Highlights Brochure that features highlights from various sections from this year's Berlinale, Sundance and Rotterdam as well as new and upcoming Animation Feature Films. Have a look!

FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - THE FILMMAKERS

The new talents of FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - THE FILMMAKERS 2026 have finally been announced: Driven by the mission of promoting emerging talent and the achievements of the German film industry, the campaign, now in its 11th consecutive year, features seven new exciting voices who are united by their passion for filmmaking.
This year’s selection of outstanding talents will be introduced to the international film industry at the Berlinale 2026. The new faces are:

⭐ Joscha Bongard - Writer-Director
⭐ Enzo Brumm - Actor
⭐ Lydia Geißler - Makeup Artist
⭐ Lotta Kilian - Director of Photography
⭐ Bayan Layla - Actor
⭐ Anna Roller - Writer-Director
⭐ Isa Willinger -Director

Find more information here

GERMAN FILMS ABROAD 2025: FACTS & FIGURES

In 2025, 594 German films were released in 87 countries, generating a total box office revenue of 249.8 million euros and reaching 33 million admissions worldwide.

Find more about German Films Abroad in 2025 here.

EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS 2026

For the 29th edition of European Shooting Stars, a jury of industry experts selected ten of the most gifted young European acting talents who will be presented to the film industry, public and international press during the Berlinale Festival.

The event culminates in the awards ceremony on Monday, Feb 16, where each of the talents will be presented with the EUROPEAN SHOOTING STARS Award by the European Film Promotion (EFP).

This year's Shooting Star from Germany is Enno Trebs.

BERLINALE SPECIAL GALA - OPENING FILM

© Virginie Surdej

NO GOOD MEN

by Shahrbanoo Sadat

2026, Germany / France / Norway / Denmark / Afghanistan

Fiction Feature, 103'

Production: Adomeit Film, Amerikafilm

Sales: Lucky Number

IN COMPETITION

© Adrian Campean/ Trimafilm

HOME STORIES 

by Eva Trobisch 

2026, Germany 

Fiction Feature, 90'

Production: Trimafilm, Komplizenfilm, if… Productions

Sales: The Match Factory

© Blue Monticola

MY WIFE CRIES

by Angela Schanelec

2026, Germany / France

Fiction Feature, 93'

Production: Blue Monticola Film

Sales: SBS International

© Ella Knorz/ if...Productions/ Alamode Film

YELLOW LETTERS

by Ilker Çatak

2026, Germany / France / Türkye

Fiction Feature, 128'

Production: if…productions

Sales: Be For Films

PERSPECTIVES

© Florian Mag

TRIAL OF HEIN

by Kai Stänicke 

2026, Germany

Fiction Feature, 122'

Production: Tamtam Film, Lupa Film

Sales: Heretic

BERLINALE SPECIAL GALA

© Constantin Film Distribution GmbH

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE

by Gore Verbinski 

2025, Germany / USA

Fiction Feature, 134'

Production: Constantin Film

Sales: north.five.six.

© Fields Entertainment/ augenschein Filmproduktion

THE WEIGHT

by Padraic McKinley

2026, Germany / USA

Fiction Feature, 115'

Production: augenschein Filmproduktion, Construction Filmproduktion

Sales: WME

BERLINALE SPECIAL SERIES

© Wood Water Films

HOUSE OF YANG

by Mia Spengler 

2026, Germany

Series, 6 episodes x 25 min

Production: Wood Water Films

PANORAMA

© Felix Pflieger

ALLEGRO PASTELL

by Anna Roller

2026, Germany 

Fiction Feature, 100'

Production: Walker + Worm Film

Sales: Totem Films

© WennDann Film

I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISPLEASURE

by Kilian Armando Friedrich

2026, Germany 

Fiction Feature, 100'

Production: WennDann Film

Sales: Films Boutique

© Jünglinge Film

PROSECUTION

by Faraz Shariat 

2026, Germany

Fiction Feature, 99'

Production: Jünglinge Film

Sales: New Europe Film Sales

© PakFilm, Media Nest, Amour Fou

ROYA

by Mahnaz Mohammadi

2026, Germany / Czech Republic / Luxemburg / Iran

Fiction Feature, 92'

Production: PakFilm

Sales: Totem Films

© Heimat Film

THE EDUCATION OF JANE CUMMING

by Sophie Heldman

2026, Germany / Switzerland / UK

Fiction Feature, 114'

Production: Heimatfilm

Sales: Global Constellation

PANORAMA DOKUMENTE

© Zeno Legner, Trimafilm

AROUND PARADISE

by Yulia Lokshina 

2026, Germany

Documentary Feature, 120'

Production: Trimafilm

Sales: Filmotor

© Medea Film Factory/Dschoint Ventschr/Meret Madörin

SIRI HUSTVEDT – DANCE AROUND THE SELF

by Sabine Lidl 

2026, Germany / Switzerland

Documentary Feature, 110'

Production & Sales: Medea Film Factory

© Daniel Chein, Corso Film

TWO MOUNTAINS WEIGHING DOWN MY CHEST

by Viv Li 

2026, Germany / Netherlands

Documentary, 85'

Production: Corso Film

Sales: Mediawan Rights

GENERATION 14PLUS

  • THE LIGHTS, THEY FALL by Saša Vajda 

  • HOTEL OBLIQUE by Merlin Flügel

BERLINALE SHORTS

  • GRAFT VERSUS HOST by Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze (DE/GE)

  • WITH A KIND REGARD by Pavel Mozhar

  • UNIDENTIFIED NONFLYING OBJECTS (UNO) by Sasha Svirsky 

FORUM

  • CHRONOS – FLOW OF TIME by Volker Koepp 

  • EINAR SCHLEEF – NO GERMANY DID I FIND by Sandra Prechtel 

  • FLYING TIGERS by Madhusree Dutta (DE/IN)

  • FOREIGN TRAVEL by Ted Fendt 

  • SCENARIO by Marie Wilke

  • SOMETIMES, I IMAGINE THEM ALL AT A PARTY  by Daniela Magnani Hüller 

  • WOMEN AS LOVERS by Koxi (DE/LX)

FORUM SPECIAL

  • LOVE YOUR NAILS! by Narges Kalhor 

  • MEGATRASHWANNABEBIGSTARXD by Ava Leandra Kleber, Elisa Deutloff

  • WOMEN IN BERLIN by Chetna Vora (GDR)

FORUM EXPANDED

  • EXPRMNTL 4 KNOKKE by Claudia von Alemann, Reinhold E. Thiel

  • KATABASIS by Martin Moolhuijsen (DE/IT)

  • METANOIA by Bigum + Björge (DE/FI)

  • THIS SUFFOCATING NOW by Vika Kirchenbauer

  • WARNINGS TO THE DISTANT FUTURE  by Juliane Jaschnow, Stefanie Schroeder

FURTHER GERMAN CO-PRODUCTIONS

COMPETITION

ROSE by Markus Schleinzer (AT/DE, Walker+Worm, ROW Pictures)

ROSEBUSH PRUNING by Karim Aïnouz (IT/DE/ES/UK, The Match Factory)

 

PERSPECTIVES

WHERE TO? by Assaf Machnes (IL/DE, Iconoclast Film)

 

BERLINALE SPECIAL GALA

THE BLOOD COUNTESS (DIE BLUTGRÄFIN) by Ulrike Ottinger (AT/LU/DE, Heimatfilm, Ulrike Ottinger Filmproduktion)

HEYSEL 85 by Teodora Ana Mihai (BE/NL/DE, Leitwolf Filmproduktion)

 

BERLINALE SPECIAL MIDNIGHT

SLEEP NO MORE (MONSTER PABRIK RAMBUT) by Edwin (ID/SG/JP/DE/FR, In Good Company)

 

PANORAMA

FOUR MINUS THREE (VIER MINUS DREI) by Adrian Goiginger (AT/DE, Giganten Film)

IVÁN & HADOUM by Ian de la Rosa (ES/DE/BE, Port au Prince Film & Kultur)

NARCISO by Marcelo Martinessi (PY/DE/UY/BR/PT/ES/FR, Pandora Filmproduktion)

SAFE EXIT by Mohammed Hammad (EG/LY/TN/QA/DE, ODEH FILMS)

 

GENERATION KPLUS

GHOST SCHOOL by Seemab Guul (PK/DE/SA, Red Balloon Film)

TEGENWOORDIG HEET IEDEREEN SORRY (HEUTE HEISSEN ALLE SORRY) by Frederike Migom (BE/NL/DE, Cala Film)

 

FORUM

EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOISE by Nicolás Pereda (MX/DE)

 

FORUM SPECIAL

MY BROTHER’S WEDDING by Charles Burnett (US/DE)

 

FORUM EXPANDED

IKI LABORANTIN YORGUN SAATLERI (THE WEARY HOURS OF TWO LAB ASSISTANTS) by Burak Çevik (TR/DE/UK/HR)

MUSCLE by Karimah Ashadu (IT/UK/US/DE/NG)

THE RECCE by Daniel Mann (UK/DE)

THIS DESIRABLE DEVICE by Mina Simendić (RS/DE)

 

FORUM EXPANDED - EXHIBITION

BUTTERFLY STORIES: MALAISE II by Laurence Favre (CH/DE)

INDUSTRIES OF DENIAL, STAGE 10: FROM MUSA DAGH TO PORT SAID by Angela Melitopoulos, Kerstin Schroedinger (DE/GR/FI)

THE SUN THAT FELL INTO THE WATER by Lena Kocutar (DE/SI)

 

RETROSPEKTIVE

ALLEMAGNE ANNÉE 90 NEUF ZÉRO (DEUTSCHLAND NEU(N) NULL) by Jean-Luc Godard (FR/DE)

BELLS FROM THE DEEP. FAITH AND SUPERSTITION IN RUSSIA (GLOCKEN AUS DER TIEFE. GLAUBE UND ABERGLAUBE IN RUSSLAND) by Werner Herzog (DE/US)

BERLIN, BAHNHOF FRIEDRICHSTRASSE 1990 by Konstanze Binder, Lilly Grote, Ulrike Herdin, Julia Kunert

EASTERN LANDSCAPE (ÖSTLICHE LANDSCHAFT) by Eduard Schreiber (DEFA-Studio für Dokumentarfilme)

GORILLA BATHES AT NOON by Dusan Makavejev (YU/DE)

IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD by Gabor Steisinger (DEFA-Studio für Animationsfilm)

IN THE SPLENDOUR OF HAPPINESS (IM GLANZE DIESES GLÜCKES) by Johann Feindt, Jeanine Meerapfel, Helga Reidemeister, Dieter Schumann, Tamara Trampe

JOHANNA D’ARC OF MONGOLIA by Ulrike Ottinger (Ulrike Ottinger Produktion)

LOLA UND BILIDIKID by Kutlug Ataman (Zero Film)

ORANZHEVYE ZHILETY (ORANGE WESTEN) by Yury Khashevatsky (BY/DE, ABC-Studio, Bremer Institut)

PRINCE IN HELL (PRINZ IN HÖLLELAND) by Michael Stock

RUN LOLA RUN (LOLA RENNT) by Tom Tykwer (X Filme Creative Pool)

SECRETS OF A SOUL (GEHEIMNISSE EINER SEELE) by Georg Wilhelm Pabst (Neumann-Filmproduktion)

SHORTCUT TO INSTANBUL (SO SCHNELL ES GEHT NACH ISTANBUL) by Andreas Dresen (GDR/DE, Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen KONRAD WOLF)

SUNNY POINT by Wolf Vogel (Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen der DDR, Spigelfilm)

THE BOARDER GUARD (DER KONTROLLEUR) by Stefan Trampe

VIDEOGRAMME EINER REVOLUTION by Harun Farocki, Andrei Ujica (Harun Farocki Filmproduktion, Bremer Institut)

 

BERLINALE CLASSICS

GEHEIMNISSE EINER SEELE by Georg Wilhelm Pabst (Neumann Filmproduktion)

LA KERMESSE HÉROIQUE (CARNIVAL IN FLANDERS) by Jacques Feyder (FR/DE)

 

TEDDY 40

UNA MUJER FANTÁSTICA (EINE FANTASTISCHE FRAU) by Sebastián Lelio (CL/US/DE/ES, Komplizen Film)

LOVE, JEALOUSY AND REVENGE (LIEBE, EIFERSUCHT UND RACHE) by Michael Brynntrup (MBC Filmproduktion)

QUEENS DON’T CRY (TUNTEN LÜGEN NICHT) by Rosa von Praunheim (Rosa von Praunheim Filmproduktion)

SEDUCTION: THE CRUEL WOMAN (VERFÜHRUNG: DIE GRAUSAME FRAU) by Elfi Mikesch, Monika Treut (Hyena Films)

GERMAN FILMS BOOTH AT EFM

Come find us at Booth #18 at Gropius Bau on the following days:

German Films Counter:

phone +49 30 25920 840



Impressum


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Tel +49-89-59 97 87-0
Fax +49-89-59 97 87-30