The German Film Festival Offers Up Exceptional Cinema Directly From The Berlinale

The German Film Festival returns to Sydney this year with a standout selection of 20 films and promises to be a film festival which lovers of world cinema should not miss out on.

Festival Director Elysia Zeccola explained that this is the biggest and best German Film Festival which has been presented in Australia.

“The line-up is full of exceptional titles directly from the Berlinale in February so audiences will have the chance to see the very best of new German cinema featuring stars like Nina Hoss, Sandra Hüller and Lars Eidinger. Plus, we have a Q&A with our festival guest director Andres Veiel for the riveting doco Riefenstahl.”

Previous years the opening night film genres have varied from thrillers to black comedies and this year’s film opening the festival should prove to be a crowd-pleaser.

“This year, we were looking for a change of pace, a film to delight and entertain, an antidote to the daily news stories, a chance to escape so we are opening with a fun ensemble comedy called Long Story Short, with a big afterparty and it’s selling fast!” enthused Zeccola.

Comedies are always a popular choice and Zeccola says there are so many to choose from this year, but there are two standouts.

“Box office hit Two To One stars Sandra Hüller. Set in the 90s during reunification, with the East German Ostmarks about to become worthless, a group of East Germans hatch a plan to pull off a heist – it’s a joyride of a film.

“First there was What About Adolf? Then came Family Affairs, now director Sönke Wortmann is back with A Family Dilemma, the third instalment of his popular all-star cast comedies, this time set against the stunning backdrop of the Tyrolean Alps.”

There are three films screening in Kino For Kids, a program especially catered for families and school outings for students.  Zeccola emphasized that it’s important for family movies to be incorporated in film festivals.

“Encouraging young people to see world cinema opens their minds to new perspectives. If your kids can read, they can watch a foreign language film, you don’t have to be German! German-Australians and the students of German-English bilingual schools also make up a large part of the audience, keen to be exposed to the language in modern day scenarios.”

Circusboy is a documentary which delves on an eleven-year-old boy who travels around the country with his circus family. The Chaos Sisters and Penguin Paul is a charming family favourite about a dancing penguin which appears on the family’s doorstep. Winners is the uplifting story of a family who have fled from Syria to Berlin and her love for football.

When asked whether attending this film festival could be the first step in audiences deciding to travel to Germany on their next holiday Zeccola was quick to respond.

“Absolutely! The beauty of foreign film is that it transports the audience to an alternate destination through the use of language and sense of place. Many of the films in this year’s festival feature stunning locations, just waiting to be visited in real life.”

Zeccola’s must-see films at the 2025 German Film Festival

HYSTERIA

There was huge buzz around HYSTERIA when it premiered at the 2025 Berlinale. This clever behind-the-scenes conspiracy thriller stars rising talent Devrim Lingnau as an assistant director who becomes entangled in a perilous web of secrets, lies, and paranoia after a burned Quran is discovered on a film set has a gripping plot and intense atmosphere, touching on a number of contemporary issues.

RIEFENSTAHL

The critically acclaimed and award-winning biographical documentary RIEFENSTAHL is a nuanced examination of the infamous Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. Directed by Andres Veiel, an award-winning writer and director of both feature films and documentaries, it offers a profound exploration of Riefenstahl’s complex legacy.

MOTHER’S BABY (Closing Night Film)

Austrian filmmaker Johanna Moder’s MOTHER’S BABY, from Competition at this year’s Berlinale, follows forty-year-old Julia, a successful conductor, and her partner Georg who yearn for a child. They turn to Dr. Vilfort, a fertility specialist (brilliantly portrayed by Claes Bang of THE SQUARE), who offers them hope with an experimental procedure. What follows is a thrilling, paranoid, and dark comedic ride. It’s a bold choice to close the festival, but MOTHER’S BABY is a film that lingers long after the credits roll.

The German Film Festival is on from May 1 – 21. For more information, visit germanfilmfestival.com.au.