The German Film Festival is excited to expand its footprint in 2019, screening at Palace Cinemas across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide from 21 May. With some of the best new films from Germany, this year’s program, presented in collaboration with German Films, showcases festival favourites, works of auteurs as well as some bright new talent.
The opening selection, Balloon by Michael Bully Herbig, is a true story of two ordinary families who extraordinarily escape from East to West Germany in a homemade hot air balloon. Starring Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Friedrich Mücke and Alicia von Rittberg, the story of the 1979 flight from the German Democratic Republic is perfectly timed for the 30 year anniversary of the fall of the wall.
Another highlight of the festival is the Bauhaus Spirit: 100 Years of Bauhaus. Set against the backdrop of its 100 year anniversary, this documentary portrays the fascinating history of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus which is one of our century’s most influential architectural schools that still shapes our society today.
100 Things is a hilarious comedy which sees childhood friends Paul, played by Florian David Fitz, and Toni, played by Matthias Schweighöfer, make an impossible vow to rid themselves of all possessions for 100 days. Competing in both San Sebastián and Toronto Film Festivals, The Innocent by Swiss director, Simon Jaquemet, is a psychological thriller which boldly approaches spiritualism with a scepticism that both challenges and embraces people’s capacity to believe.
Straight from competition at the Berlin International Film Festival comes Austrian production, The Ground Beneath my Feet. The psychological drama and thriller written and directed by Marie Kreutzer, follows the life of a workaholic who is torn between the corporate world and family.
The Goethe-Institut will again contribute the popular sidebar dedicated to children and teenagers, Kino for Kids. Director Sonja Griegoschewski said,“We congratulate our long-term partners Palace Cinemas and German Films on yet another exciting festival. For the Goethe-Institut, it is a fantastic opportunity to reach out to young audiences, schools and families. Kino for Kids makes learning German more fun and helps to keep multilingualism alive in Australia. Hopefully the festival will also inspire a new generation of cinema lovers.“
The German Film Festival 2019 will be held in Brisbane from the 30 May to the 12 June at Palace Cinemas.
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