Youth 4 German Cinema 2026
The Goethe-Institut’s Step Into German program and the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival are seeking students from across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ages 14-18) to participate as jurors in the 13th program of Youth 4 German Cinema.
This offers the opportunity for young people with an interest in German arts and culture to come to San Francisco and be part of the 30th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in March 2026. Three to four applicants will be selected.
Apply Now
The application is available in four languages. There are two components: a written application and a video application.Download the Application
Important Dates & Deadlines
Deadline for Application: January 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)Participants Announced: January 16, 2026
Screening Period of Films: January 16–25, 2026
Winning Film Announced: January 26, 2026
Stay in San Francisco: March 19-22, 2026
Travel & Accommodation
A very exclusive and grand opportunity: Each participant will be provided roundtrip airfare to San Francisco, accommodation and food.Juror Duties
Participants will form the Youth 4 German Cinema jury. They will screen selected German films online (with English subtitles), engage in discussions, and choose one film to be shown at the festival.As Part of the Film Festival Experience, Participants will
- Present the Youth 4 German Cinema Awards and play an active role in an onstage Q&A with talents from the winning films.
- Walk the red carpet and go behind-the-scenes of North America’s largest festival of contemporary German cinema.
- Attend an exclusive workshop by a film arts professional.
- Visit one of the world’s most exciting cities: San Francisco!
Youth 4 German Cinema
Youth 4 German Cinema takes high-school students backstage for a glimpse into the workings of the international film festival Berlin & Beyond. In doing so, students are introduced to the German language cinema landscape and learn about filmmaking, film criticism and international films as a whole. Through the years, this program has shown films to over 7,000 visiting students.
Chosen from a pool of applications from across the US, Canada, Central America and the Caribbean, Youth 4 German Cinema allows select high-school students to participate in and to go behind the scenes of an international film festival; to meet industry professionals; to participate in artistic workshops; and to increase their cross-cultural awareness. Finally, they also help select the two winning films which are screened at the festival for hundreds of visiting students from across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.