Palace Cinemas in collaboration with German Films brings yet another exciting lineup of the best German-language cinema at 2021's German Film Festival. It features 30 feature films expanding to 18 locations with 27 Australian premieres and a festival line-up that includes box office hits and award-winning dramas straight from this year's Berlinale. A fantastic celebration of German culture and filmmaking that includes productions from neighbouring Austria, you'll find thrillers and documentaries, to feel-good comedies all set to amuse, inspire and entertain.
Cultural partner Goethe-Institut again present a great lineup of Kino For Kids that showcases six films for our younger audiences and families. Stay in touch for updates and information via the website and Facebook page. The festival will screen in various states as follows.
The festival kicks off with Opening Night Film Next Door and stars self-deprecating Daniel Brühl. Written for the screen by best-selling German author Daniel Kehlmann, Brühl's two-hander combines verbal sparring with 'Schadenfreude' for a wryly entertaining comedy of wits and secrets that will have you going home and making sure you know who lives next door. The opening night reception includes a glass of wine and German delicacies.
Your Closing Night Film is Berlin Alexanderplatz which is a slick modern adaptation of Alfred Döblin's influential 1929 novel of the same title. Francis (the magnetic Welket Bungué) has survived his escape from Guinea Bissau. When he wakes up on a beach in the south of Europe after an illegal crossing over the Mediterranean Sea, he is determined to live a normal life. But he winds up in Berlin, where a refugee without a work permit is treated mercilessly. As it's time to say auf Wiedersehen, the closing of the Festival will be celebrated with 4 Pines beer and pretzel in hand before the screening.
Another special event is the Centrepiece - Fabian: Going to the Dogs. Capturing a world of moral decline and disillusionment, this 'Bildungsroman' is an enthralling dive into Weimar Germany on the edge of self-destruction. Grandparenting 101 on the other hand is a selection from the Young At Heart Seniors Film Festival. It's a charming comedy that connects old and young who discover that it is never too late to start a new chapter in life.
As aforementioned, Thanks to Goethe-Institut, you have an offering of Kino for Kids . Out of the 6 films on offer, 5 of them are Australian Premieres. There's A Voluntary Year, a captivating domestic coming of age story; Dear Mr. Führer, an important tale of belonging and based on the childhood memories of scriptwriter Josef Einwange; Madison: A Fast Friendship, an exciting debut film from director Kim Strobl about the ambitious 13 year old Madison, for whom cycling is everything; Max & The Wild Bunch is an entertaining tale based on the children's book series Max und die wilde 7; The Peppercorns & The Secret of the Deep Sea, when two young friends find themselves embroiled in an adventure they can only master with the help of their new Peppercorn friends; and Too Far Away which screens only in Brisbane, about 11 year old Ben trying to fit in.
There are of course many exciting other event groupings like Focus on Fassbender that includesLola, which follows a seductive cabaret singer in her outrageous quest to elevate herself in a world where everything and everyone is for sale; and Enfant Terrible that looks at the intense short life and excesses of iconic New German Cinema auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Austrian Cinema co-presented by the Austrian Embassy includes 3 films, one that takes a fascinating look behind the scenes of the Vienna State Opera, and the other a bittersweet odyssey about the many ways to perceive the world in order to survive; including a film set in the 1950s when the youngest son of an established Austrian dynasty of confectionery millionaires discovers the power of love, humour and his own extraordinary ability to shape his realities. This Festival is going to take some going through the programme with an eagle eye.
When:25 May to 20 Jun 2021: SYDNEY 25 May – 13 June CANBERRA 26 May – 13 June MELBOURNE 27 May – 13 June BRISBANE 1 – 20 June ADELAIDE 2 – 20 June PERTH 3 – 20 June BYRON BAY 4 – 20 June