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

This year’s dynamic line-up of contemporary German cinema, a number arriving direct from the 2025 Berlinale, includes thought-provoking dramas, insightful and timely documentaries, delightful comedy and charming family films. The 2025 HSBC German Film Festival takes place across the country at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas.

A Special Presentation at this year’s festival is the highly acclaimed documentary 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 documentary draws on incredible archival material and footage from Riefenstahl, who continually denied any close ties to the Nazi regime.

The festival is thrilled to be welcoming RIEFENSTAHL director Andres Veiel to Australia, where he will be participating in a series of Q&A events in selected cities.

The 2025 Festival Centrepiece arriving directly from the recent Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) is Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay’s thriller HYSTERIA. 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 rising 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.

In the second Special Presentation of the Festival, Sandra Hüller leads an all-star cast including Ronald Zehrfeld, Peter Kurth and Max Riemelt in German box office hit TWO TO ONE (Zwei zu eins). Based on incredible true events, the film follows a group of East Germans in 1990 who take advantage of the chaotic economic situation in East Germany to pull off a highly entertaining heist of soon-to-be-worthless East German marks in this lighthearted comedy with its heart in the right place.

A sensation at last year’s Berlinale, celebrated auteur Matthias Glasner’s compelling drama DYING assembles an all- star cast led by the incredible Lars Eidinger. Set between Berlin and Hamburg, Eidinger stars as a successful, middle- aged orchestra conductor negotiating the chaos of his volatile private life. Treading the line between drama, tragedy and black humour, DYING has been described as an indelible, richly rewarding experience.

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.

Lastly, 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 and heartfelt ode to books and readers.

The 2025 HSBC German Film Festival will take place from 30 April – 28 May!

The full programme will be announced and tickets will be on sale early April. Listing details:
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

This year’s Festival opens with A STASI COMEDY (Stasikomödie), a fresh release direct from Germany starring festival favourites David Kross and Tom Schilling and set in Communist East Berlin in the early 1980s. Ludger (played by Kross) is hired by the Stasi to infiltrate a subversive countercultural movement in the district of Prenzlauer Berg. After falling in love with the mysterious Nathalie and sleeping with his first target, Corinna, Ludger ends up living two lives – one as an underground poet and one as a Stasi agent – both of which eventually come back to haunt him 30 years later.

Festival organisers are delighted to announce award winning director FRANZISKA STÜNKEL will be attending the festival in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney as a special guest to present her new film THE LAST EXECUTION (Nahschuss) and participate in a number of Q&As. Based on a true story of the last death sentence in the socialist DDR (East Germany), the film premiered at Filmfest Munich 2021 where it was awarded the prize for new German Cinema.

Simone Baumann, Managing Director German Films (festival collaborator) commented; “Together with Palace, we are pleased to once again be able to present the latest German films to the Australian audience. The colorful collection of German comedies, dramas and films about German history will be a special experience for all fans of German cinema this year thanks to the presence of director Franziska Stünkel.”

The Festival Centrepiece, direct from its Berlinale premiere, is THE FORGER (Der Passfälscher), based on the true story of Samson “Cioma” Schönhaus, a Jewish graphic artist who hid in plain sight in 1940s Berlin, moving freely about the city using fake documents, while secretly forging IDs to help hundreds of others. Louis Hofmann masterfully embodies Schönhaus and leads an exceptional, young cast, directed by Maggie Peren.

This year’s Festival Special Presentation is DEAR THOMAS (Lieber Thomas), a historical monochrome biopic of East German writer and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, starring rising star Albrecht Schuch (Fabian: Going to the Dogs and Berlin Alexanderplatz GFF21). It follows Brasch as he transforms into a prolific writer and poetic rebel but struggles with the reality of censorship in communist East Germany.

To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the Goethe-Institut in Australia, a specially curated selection of outstanding German cinema from the last five decades will delight film lovers and includes:

The 1979 Academy-Award winning THE TIN DRUM (Die Blechtrommel) remains as strikingly original and continuously surprising as when it was first made. In Volker Schlöndorff’s adaptation of the eponymous Günter Grass novel, a three-year-old is determined to boycott the adult world and remain a child forever.

The 1980 film SOLO SUNNY follows an aspiring singer on tour and in the underground music scene in East Berlin, capturing the East Germany of the 1970s and longings and frustrations of East German youth through its gritty-glitzy visuals and catchy soundtrack.

The 1998 smash hit RUN LOLA RUN (Lola rennt) is directed by Tom Tykwer and stars Franka Potente as the flame-haired Lola. After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.

From 2003 comes the highly awarded audience favourite GOOD BYE, LENIN! In his breakout role, Daniel Brühl stars as a young man who must protect his fragile mother, recently awoken from a coma, from learning that her beloved East Germany is no more after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

2015’s VICTORIA is a technical masterpiece which scooped the pool at the German Film Awards that year. A breathtaking cinematic adventure, shot in one continuous take, it follows a young Spanish woman who finds her flirtation with a local Berlin man turn potentially deadly on a night out with his friends.

Austria and Switzerland’s new cinema is profiled in the ‘Beyond Berlin’ sidebar. New Austrian Cinema, co-presented by the Austrian Embassy, features the Olympic biopic CHASING THE LINE (Klammer) which follows legendary Austrian downhill skiing legend Franz Klammer over several days during the 1976 Winter Olympics. RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS (Risiken und Nebenwirkungen) is a dark comedy from Austria starring Inka Friedrich and Samuel Finzi which follows a woman’s kidney transplant journey that threatens to break-up her friendships and marriage.

New Swiss cinema highlights include CAGED BIRDS (Bis wir tot sind oder frei), starring Marie Leuenberger and Jella Hasse. Based on a true story, this intriguing 1980’s drama delves into the unlikely alliance between a young lawyer fighting Switzerland’s antiquated prison system and a criminal. MONTE VERITÀ (Monte Verità – Der rausch der freiheit), is a gorgeous historical drama set in the early 20th century that centres on a young mother and a group of society dropouts who search for a free-thinking paradise at Monte Verità.

Based on the bestselling book, the wickedly funny comedy IT’S JUST A PHASE, HONEY (Es ist nur eine Phase, Hase) follows a couple approaching their 50s who set out to regain their long-lost youth. The crime-comedy THE BLACK SQUARE (Das Schwarze Quadrat) stars Bernhard Schütz and Sandra Hüller; two art thieves who have stolen a famous painting plan to meet their clients on a cruise ship and all does not go as planned. In the clever comedy CONTRA a law student prepares for a debating competition with the help of a cynical professor who has been given a final chance to redeem himself after a video of him insulting a student goes viral.

Other new German dramas include MY SON (Mein Sohn), an emotional drama about a young man and his mother who go on a journey together after nearly losing one another; THE GERMAN LESSON (Deutschstunde) about a young man in juvenile detention who is forced to write an essay, bringing memories flooding back of his childhood during the Second World War; THE SEED (Die Saat) an accomplished and gritty drama about a building site manager who toils day to day for the survival of his family and becomes involved in a struggle for social justice and THE PATH, (Der Pfad), in which a journalist father, two children and a dog must navigate a hazardous path to escape the Nazi occupation in France in a tale of courage and solidarity.

Set in the near future, THE HOUSE (Das Haus) is a gripping AI thriller about a journalist and his wife who retreat to their high-tech holiday home, but the smart home’s artificial intelligence soon develops a life of its own.

The Goethe-Institut is pleased to present the popular sidebar “Kino for Kids”, films especially curated for children, teens and families. This year’s programme includes:

MISSION ULJA FUNK – 12-year-old astronomy geek Ulja, armed with a stolen hearse and a classmate as driver, journeys across Eastern Europe to monitor the impact of an asteroid.

SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS (Die Schule der magischen Tiere) – A live-action family film that centres on the new girl at an unusual school, where the children receive a magical animal as a companion.

TALES OF FRANZ (Die Geschichten vom Franz) – Family comedy based on Christine Nöstlinger’s bestselling book series about a primary school student, the smallest in his class, who seeks the advice of an influencer much to the scepticism of his best friends.

THE WALL BETWEEN US (Zwischen uns die Mauer) – When Anna from West Germany and GDR citizen Philipp meet in East Berlin in the mid-1980s, it is love at first sight, but the love-struck teenagers are separated by the heavily guarded border.

The German Film Festival will take place nationally from 24 May to 22 June in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay.

2022 German Film Festival
Sydney: 24 May – 19 June, Palace Norton St, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central
Canberra: 25 May – 19 June, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 25 May – 19 June, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre (selected sessions)
Brisbane: 1 – 22 June, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Adelaide: 2 – 22 June, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 2 – 22 June, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square
Byron Bay: 3 – 19 June, Palace Byron Bay

For more information, please visit www.germanfilmfestival.com.au