October 8 - October 13, 2026 German Currents 2026 Series | FATHERLAND, THE FROG AND THE WATER, A LAND WITHIN, BERLIN HERO
ABOUT THE SERIES: German Currents celebrates its 20th anniversary October 8–13, 2026, bringing outstanding German cinema and acclaimed filmmakers to Los Angeles. A co-production of the Goethe-Institut and the American Cinematheque, the festival continues its two-decade tradition of fostering transatlantic dialogue through film. The landmark edition opens with an exclusive red-carpet West Coast premiere of FATHERLAND (Vaterland), the new film by award-winning director Paweł Pawlikowski, who will attend for a post-screening conversation. Additional filmmaker guests include Michael Kofler, presenting his acclaimed historical drama A LAND WITHIN (Zweitland), former Villa Aurora fellow Florian Baron with his documentary SPEARA and Laura Laabs with her award-winning debut feature RED STARS UPON THE FIELD (Rote Sterne überm Feld). The warm and adventurous road movie THE FROG AND THE WATER (Der Frosch und das Wasser) screens as part of this year’s lineup at the Los Feliz 3 on October 10. The festival concludes with the U.S. Premiere of BERLIN HERO (Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße), the final film by celebrated director Wolfgang Becker (GOOD BYE, LENIN!), honoring his enduring contribution to German cinema. The 20th anniversary edition of German Currents promises to be both a celebration of the festival’s legacy and a forward-looking exploration of the future of German and European cinema, bringing together some of today’s most exciting filmmakers and stories for audiences in Los Angeles. For more information and to register for complimentary tickets to this year’s screenings, please click the following link: www.germancurrents.com The German Currents Film Festival 2026 is a co-production of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque with the support of the Friends of Goethe, ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America), Condor, the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, Paulaner USA, Paulaner Sunset, Tupetz Wine Connection, KRUU.COM, and in cooperation with the German Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V., the German Film Office, the Wende Museum, and DEFA Film Library as well as our media partners Deutsche Welle, KPFK Radio, Campus Circle, and our educational outreach partners ELMA and Creating Creators.