Palace in collaboration with German Films is delighted to unveil the 2025 programme of the HSBC German Film Festival which will take place from 30 April – 28 May at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas. The 2025 line-up features a standout selection of twenty films. Superb cinema offerings include six films direct from the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), compelling biopics and documentaries that delve into the lives of Germany’s most iconic artists, delightful comedies and charming family films plus provocative and exciting Australian premiere screenings from a bold new generation of German filmmakers.
Long term collaborators German Films commented “We are having another successful year for German cinema – you can see the strong presence of German films at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) with films like WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS and HYSTERIA. A very special event will be the screening of the documentary RIEFENSTAHL with director Andres Veiel in attendance. We wish all our Australian viewers a wonderful cinematic experience.”
Opening the festival is one of Germany’s biggest box office hits, the romantic comedy LONG STORY SHORT (Feste und Freunde – Ein Hoch auf uns!) featuring an all-star cast including Laura Tonke, Ronald Zehrfeld and Trystan Pütter. A hilarious and poignant celebration of love and friendship, the film follows a group of friends through a series of special occasions.
From the 2025 Berlinale, where it gained much attention, is Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s provocative thriller HYSTERIA, the festival Centrepiece. A piercing reflection on the power of images and the dynamics of perception, projection and social hysteria, the film features one of European cinema’s most exciting new stars Devrim Lingnau as an assistant director intern who is drawn into a dangerous game of secrets, lies and paranoia on a film set when a burned Quran is discovered.
Closing Night is the Berlinale hit MOTHER’S BABY from Austrian director Johanna Moder. Marie Leuenberger delivers a standout performance alongside Hans Löw and Claes Bang in this chilling psychological thriller about a woman’s strange experience in a private fertility clinic.
German box office hit comedy TWO TO ONE (Zwei zu eins) with an all-star cast, led by Academy Award Nominee Sandra Hüller, is a festival Special Presentation. Directed by Natja Brunckhorst (who starred as Christiane F. in the iconic 1981 film of the same name), the film is based on incredible true events set in 1990 when a group of East Germans take advantage of the chaotic economic situation to pull off a highly entertaining heist of soon-to-be-worthless East German marks.
The Festival’s documentary Special Presentation is the highly acclaimed RIEFENSTAHL directed by celebrated filmmaker Andres Veiel. Having gained unprecedented access to the private estate of 20th Century filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, Veiel explores the legacy of the woman who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will. This insightful and riveting documentary draws on incredible archival material and footage from Riefenstahl, who continually denied any close ties to the Nazi regime.
In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Australia, the festival is thrilled to be welcoming RIEFENSTAHL director Andres Veiel, where he will be participating in a series of Q&A events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
Direct from the 2025 Berlinale is WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS (Was Marielle weiß), a scathingly funny new comedy-of-manners from writer/director Frédéric Hambalek that centres on a tantalising premise: what would happen if everything a family had been keeping private from each other was suddenly out in the open? Sharply executed, the film is a fascinating exploration of hypocrisies and contradictions, as uncomfortable truths are revealed.
CICADAS (Zikaden) reunites director Ina Weiss and star Nina Hoss (their previous collaboration was THE AUDITION Das Vorspiel, from the 2021 Festival). The intriguing drama, also starring Saskia Rosendahl, comes direct from the 2025 Berlinale and tells the story of an unexpected bond that forms between two women from vastly different backgrounds.
Celebrated auteur Matthias Glasner’s compelling and Franzenesque drama DYING (Sterben) assembles an all-star cast led by the incredible Lars Eidinger, treading the line between drama, tragedy and black humour. Set between Berlin and Hamburg, Eidinger stars as a successful orchestra conductor negotiating the chaos of his volatile private life.
A portrait of a unique artist and remarkable woman, documentary I WANT IT ALL (Ich will alles. Hildegard Knef), showcases the unwavering spirit of German actress, singer and writer Hildegard Knef, using archival material spanning six decades. Knef was a global German star, style icon and grand dame of chanson, known to be opinionated, controversial and simultaneously an archetype and antithesis of her time.
The Festival’s ‘Beyond the Borders’ sidebar features a selection of German language films from neighbouring Austria and Switzerland. Sönke Wortmann’s (How About Adolf?, Family Affairs) third film reunites the all-star ensemble including Iris Berben, Florian David Fitz, Christoph Maria Herbst and Janina Uhse in comedy A FAMILY DILEMMA (Der Spitzname). Amidst the chaos of acting dreams, career obstacles, overprotective parents, and mischievous teens, a couple’s Alpine wedding hangs in the balance in this biting comedy set in the picturesque Tyrolean Alps.
Also from Austria is PEACOCK (Pfau – Bin ich echt?), a witty, existential black comedy with a touch of the surreal. Starring an incredible Albrecht Schuch as the head of the successful Rent-A-Friend agency, who begins to experience an identity crisis as he finds the real challenge is just being himself.
Set in 1943, Swiss/Italian co-production THE TASTERS (Le assaggiatrici) is a gripping drama adapted from Rosella Postorino’s bestselling novel. It tells the incredible true story of a group women tasked with testing Adolf Hitler’s meals at the Führer’s headquarters in the Wolf’s Lair.
In the stunning biopic JOHN CRANKO (Cranko) Sam Riley delivers a revelatory performance as famed choreographer John Cranko. Joachim Lang’s cinematic, dance-infused drama follows the amazing revitalisation of the Stuttgart Ballet in the 1960s.
Rich with art and passion, gorgeous historical drama MÜNTER & KANDINSKY – THE BLUE RIDER (Münter & Kandinsky) explores the complex relationship of artist-lovers Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky who were highly influential in the Blue Rider expressionist art movement at the start of the 20th Century.
For German comedy lovers comes German box office smash OLD WHITE MAN (Alter weißer Mann). The satirical comedy, written and directed by Simon Verhoeven, is a sharply observed, provocative exploration of contemporary society’s generational and cultural divides. Plus, THE MYSTERY OF LOVE (Die Ironie des Lebens) in which a lonely yet highly successful comedian reconnects with his ex-wife at a turning point in his life. He learns to appreciate family and love anew in this bittersweet tragicomedy from Markus Goller.
Based on the best-selling novel by Carsten Henn is THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE (Der Buchspazierer). Inspired by a real bookstore in Aachen, The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a charming ode to books and readers.
From the popular ‘Kino for Kids’ sidebar, presented by the Goethe-Institut Australia, is a delightful selection of films for the whole family to enjoy. Winner of the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children’s Film, WINNERS (Sieger Sein) tells the story of eleven-year-old Mona, a refugee from Syria, whose talent for football is discovered. An uplifting coming-of-age story, WINNERS explores the importance of resilience, teamwork, friendship, and belonging.
Enchanting documentary CIRCUSBOY (Zirkuskind), direct from the 2025 Berlinale Generation K-Plus selection, chronicles the lives of the Frank travelling circus family over one year, capturing eleven-year-old Santino’s experience growing up among extended family and animals, in a world of storytelling.
THE CHAOS SISTERS AND PENGUIN PAUL (Die Chaosschwestern und Pinguin Paul) is adapted from the popular book series and follows four sisters who must work together to save a dancing penguin who has been kidnapped from the local zoo.
The 2025 HSBC German Film Festival will take place from 30 April – 28 May
Canberra: 30 April – 21 May, Palace Electric
Sydney: 1 May – 21 May, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central, Palace Moore Park
Melbourne: 2 May – 21 May, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, The Astor Theatre, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Penny Lane
Ballarat: 2 May – 21 May, Palace Regent Ballarat
Brisbane: 7 May – 28 May, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Adelaide: 7 May – 28 May, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 8 May – 28 May, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square
Byron Bay and Ballina: 8 May – 28 May, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
www.germanfilmfestival.com.au
