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    Festival Highlights

    Festival Highlights

    Opening Night

    Long Story Short

    Feste und Freunde – Ein Hoch auf uns!

    Featuring an all-star cast including Laura Tonke, Ronald Zehrfeld and Trystan Pütter, this hilarious and poignant celebration of love and friendship follows a group of friends through a series of special occasions, in a rewarding, feel-good ensemble comedy.

    Australian Premiere

    Book TicketsMore Info

    Centrepiece

    Hysteria

    .

    Direct from the 2025 Berlinale, this clever behind-the-scenes conspiracy thriller featuring rising star Devrim Lingnau follows an assistant director drawn into a dangerous game of secrets, lies and paranoia when a burned Quran is found on a film set.

    Australian Premiere

    Special Presentation

    Riefenstahl

    .

    This acclaimed documentary delivers a captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime.

    Australian Premiere

    Special Presentation

    Two to One

    Zwei zu eins

    Starring Sandra Hüller, this German box office hit based on true events follows a group of East Germans who take advantage of the chaotic economic situation in East Germany in 1990 and pull off a highly entertaining heist of soon-to-be-worthless East German marks.

    Australian Premiere

    Closing Night

    Mother's Baby

    .

    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, direct from the 2025 Berlinale.

    Australian Premiere

    Direct from the Berlinale

    Direct from the Berlinale

    Aselection of films in this year’s HSBC German Film Festival premiered at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival or ‘Berlinale’. The Berlinale is a unique place of artistic exploration and entertainment and one of the largest public film festivals in the world.

    Cicadas

    Zikaden

    Nina Hoss and Saskia Rosendahl star in this intriguing drama direct from the 2025 Berlinale, which sees an unexpected bond form between two women from vastly different backgrounds.

    Australian Premiere

    Book TicketsMore Info

    I Want It All

    Ich will alles. Hildegard Knef

    A portrait of a unique artist and remarkable woman, this documentary showcases the unwavering spirit of German actress, singer and writer Hildegard Knef, using archival material spanning six decades.

    Australian Premiere

    What Marielle Knows

    Was Marielle weiß

    The scathingly funny new comedy-of-manners from writer/director Frédéric Hambalek 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?

    Australian Premiere

    Closing Night

    Mother's Baby

    .

    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, direct from the 2025 Berlinale.

    Australian Premiere

    Kino for Kids

    Circusboy

    Zirkuskind

    This enchanting documentary chronicles the lives of the Frank travelling circus family over one year, capturing eleven-year-old Santino’s experience growing up among an extended family and animals, in a world of storytelling.

    Australian Premiere

    New German Cinema

    New German Cinema

    Cicadas

    Zikaden

    Nina Hoss and Saskia Rosendahl star in this intriguing drama direct from the 2025 Berlinale, which sees an unexpected bond form between two women from vastly different backgrounds.

    Australian Premiere

    Book TicketsMore Info

    Dying

    Sterben

    Celebrated auteur Matthias Glasner’s compelling drama Dying assembles an outstanding all-star cast led by the incredible Lars Eidinger as a successful, middle-aged orchestra conductor negotiating the chaos of his volatile private life.

    Centrepiece

    Hysteria

    .

    Direct from the 2025 Berlinale, this clever behind-the-scenes conspiracy thriller featuring rising star Devrim Lingnau follows an assistant director drawn into a dangerous game of secrets, lies and paranoia when a burned Quran is found on a film set.

    Australian Premiere

    I Want It All

    Ich will alles. Hildegard Knef

    A portrait of a unique artist and remarkable woman, this documentary showcases the unwavering spirit of German actress, singer and writer Hildegard Knef, using archival material spanning six decades.

    Australian Premiere

    John Cranko

    Cranko

    Sam Riley delivers a revelatory performance as famed choreographer John Cranko in this cinematic, dance-infused drama from Joachim Lang that follows the amazing revitalisation of the Stuttgart Ballet in the 1960s.

    Australian Premiere

    Opening Night

    Long Story Short

    Feste und Freunde – Ein Hoch auf uns!

    Featuring an all-star cast including Laura Tonke, Ronald Zehrfeld and Trystan Pütter, this hilarious and poignant celebration of love and friendship follows a group of friends through a series of special occasions, in a rewarding, feel-good ensemble comedy.

    Australian Premiere

    Closing Night

    Mother's Baby

    .

    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, direct from the 2025 Berlinale.

    Australian Premiere

    Münter & Kandinsky - The Blue Rider

    Münter & Kandinsky

    Rich with art and passion, this gorgeous historical drama 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.

    Australian Premiere

    Old White Man

    Alter weißer Mann

    A smash box office hit in Germany, satirical comedy Old White Man, written and directed by Simon Verhoeven, is a sharply observed, provocative exploration of contemporary society’s generational and cultural divides.

    Australian Premiere

    Special Presentation

    Riefenstahl

    .

    This acclaimed documentary delivers a captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime.

    Australian Premiere

    Kino for Kids

    The Chaos Sisters and Penguin Paul

    Die Chaosschwestern und Pinguin Paul

    Adapted from the popular book series, this fun family adventure follows four sisters who must work together to save a dancing penguin who has been kidnapped from the local zoo.

    Australian Premiere

    The Door-to-Door Bookstore

    Der Buchspazierer

    Based on the best-selling novel by Carsten Henn, which was inspired by a real bookstore in Aachen, THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE is a charming and heartfelt ode to books and readers.

    Australian Premiere

    The Mystery of Love

    Die Ironie des Lebens

    A lonely yet highly successful comedian reconnects with his ex-wife at a turning point in his life, learning to appreciate family and love anew in this bittersweet tragicomedy from Markus Goller.

    Australian Premiere

    Special Presentation

    Two to One

    Zwei zu eins

    Starring Sandra Hüller, this German box office hit based on true events follows a group of East Germans who take advantage of the chaotic economic situation in East Germany in 1990 and pull off a highly entertaining heist of soon-to-be-worthless East German marks.

    Australian Premiere

    What Marielle Knows

    Was Marielle weiß

    The scathingly funny new comedy-of-manners from writer/director Frédéric Hambalek 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?

    Australian Premiere

    Kino for Kids

    Winners

    Sieger Sein

    Winner of the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children’s Film, in this uplifting coming-of-age story, eleven-year-old Mona, a Syrian refugee in Berlin, joins a competitive girls' football team where she learns the value of teamwork and belonging.

    Beyond Borders

    Beyond Borders

    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 ensemble comedy from Sönke Wortmann set in the picturesque Tyrolean Alps.

    Australian Premiere

    Book TicketsMore Info

    Peacock

    Pfau - Bin ich echt?

    A witty, existential black comedy with a touch of the surreal, Peacock stars an incredible Albrecht Schuch as the head of the successful Rent-A-Friend agency who begins to experience an identity crisis.

    Australian Premiere

    The Tasters

    Le assaggiatrici

    Set in 1943, this gripping drama adapted from Rosella Postorino’s bestselling novel 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.

    Australian Premiere

    Kino For Kids

    Proudly presented by Goethe-Institut Australia

    Kino For Kids

    Proudly presented by Goethe-Institut Australia

    Kino for Kids

    The Chaos Sisters and Penguin Paul

    Die Chaosschwestern und Pinguin Paul

    Adapted from the popular book series, this fun family adventure follows four sisters who must work together to save a dancing penguin who has been kidnapped from the local zoo.

    Australian Premiere

    Book TicketsMore Info

    Kino for Kids

    Winners

    Sieger Sein

    Winner of the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children’s Film, in this uplifting coming-of-age story, eleven-year-old Mona, a Syrian refugee in Berlin, joins a competitive girls' football team where she learns the value of teamwork and belonging.

    Kino for Kids

    Circusboy

    Zirkuskind

    This enchanting documentary chronicles the lives of the Frank travelling circus family over one year, capturing eleven-year-old Santino’s experience growing up among an extended family and animals, in a world of storytelling.

    Australian Premiere

    45th Anniversary: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz

    45th Anniversary: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz

    Commemorating 45 years of German New Wave director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, follows Franz Biberkopf’s tragic descent in Weimar Berlin, blending crime, existentialism, and surrealism in a bleak, hypnotic masterpiece.

    Berlin Alexanderplatz: Part 1

    .

    Commemorating 45 years of German New Wave director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, follows Franz Biberkopf’s tragic descent in Weimar Berlin, blending crime, existentialism, and surrealism in a bleak, hypnotic masterpiece. Part One: Episodes 1 - 5

    Berlin Alexanderplatz: Part 2

    .

    Part Two: Episodes 6 - 10

    Berlin Alexanderplatz: Part 3

    .

    Part Three: Episodes 11 - 14

    Documentaries

    Documentaries

    Kino for Kids

    Circusboy

    Zirkuskind

    This enchanting documentary chronicles the lives of the Frank travelling circus family over one year, capturing eleven-year-old Santino’s experience growing up among an extended family and animals, in a world of storytelling.

    Australian Premiere

    I Want It All

    Ich will alles. Hildegard Knef

    A portrait of a unique artist and remarkable woman, this documentary showcases the unwavering spirit of German actress, singer and writer Hildegard Knef, using archival material spanning six decades.

    Australian Premiere

    Special Presentation

    Riefenstahl

    .

    This acclaimed documentary delivers a captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime.

    Australian Premiere

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