German Currents
Oct 8-13, 2026

GERMAN CURRENTS, the Festival of German Film in Los Angeles, takes place October 8–13 at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre & Los Feliz 3, at the Wende Museum, the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, and the Gardena Cinema.

The milestone edition opens on October 8 with the red-carpet West Coast Premiere of FATHERLAND, the new film by acclaimed director Paweł Pawlikowski (IDA, COLD WAR), starring Sandra Hüller (PROJECT HAIL MARY, ANATOMY OF A FALL). The screening will be followed by a conversation with Pawlikowski and an opening-night celebration.

For two decades, GERMAN CURRENTS has connected Los Angeles audiences with outstanding German cinema and fostered cultural exchange through film. This anniversary edition emphasizes the festival’s mission of building empathy and understanding through storytelling, especially in today’s polarized world. The 2026 program features 12 screenings, including seven award-winning feature films, two documentaries, two youth films, and the NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER short film program.

A special focus this year is on European co-productions and international collaboration, showcased through films such as FATHERLAND, A LAND WITHIN (Zweitland) by Michael Kofler, and THE FROG AND THE WATER by Thomas Stuber. Several filmmakers will attend in person, including Paweł Pawlikowski, Michael Kofler, Florian Baron, Laura Laabs, and Bernd Sahling, offering audiences opportunities for discussions and Q&As. Educational screenings and family programming remain an important part of the festival.

GERMAN CURRENTS will conclude with a special Closing Night screening of BERLIN HERO (Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße), the final film by celebrated German filmmaker Wolfgang Becker (Good Bye, Lenin!), presented as its U.S. Premiere.

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.
 

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.