Welcome to the 2011 Festival
Willkommen beim 16. Berlin & Beyond Filmfestival!
Welcome to Light, Love & Revolution in film!
Celebrate with us this October 20th–26th, 2011 at the legendary movie palace Castro Theatre in San Francisco and on October 29th at Camera 12 Cinemas in San Jose.
A presentation of the Goethe-Institut San Francisco, Berlin & Beyond has been America’s premier festival of new cinema from Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 1996. The festival serves as a gateway for the American public to experience the diversity, history and progression of the Germanspeaking countries in Europe, while celebrating the universal spirit and vision of filmmakers from this global region. In the last 15 years, over 500 films have been presented to 110,000 people, along with the memorable presence of hundreds of guest artists.
We invite you to join us on an illuminating and spirited adventure with captivating feature and documentary films from seasoned masters and up-and-coming innovators — along with short films from bright new talents. Highlights: The curtains open with the multicultural family comedy Almanya – Welcome to Germany. Cinema for the young-at-heart leads with Centerpiece film, Bold Heroes, about teenage boys in a Swiss hospital with big dreams; and The Poll Diaries, a coming-of-age epic of a girl living at the edge of World War I. From Austria, commune secrets come forth in The Fatherless, while struggling teenage refugees reveal their lives in Little Alien. For late night movie-goers, we have a special treat: witness the Swiss Alps horror folktale Sennentuntschi. Explosive and revolutionary stories of Germany inspire Closing Night’s If Not Us, Who and the documentary Joschka & Mr. Fischer.
At San Jose’s Encore Day: Be enchanted by an 18th century story of life and love with Young Goethe in Love; and be fascinated by a special and unconventional love triangle in Berlin, with 3.
A star-studded roster of over a dozen visiting directors, actors, and luminaries — including Pepe Danquart, Milan Peschel, Nesrin and Yasemin Samdereli, Michael Steiner, and Andres Veiel — will join us live on stage!
We are happy to join forces for the second year with our sister festival, German Currents of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, as a united West Coast German Film Event, sharing a selection of prominent films and talents.
Thank you to: our festival team; our generous partners and sponsors; filmmakers, producers and actors for cinematic works with us; our dedicated volunteers; our patrons for their empowering support; the Castro Theatre staff; and the staff of the Goethe-Institut San Francisco.
