Dear Readers,
Before we start the new year, let’s look back on what was a successful year in 2025. The presence of German productions and co-productions at the international festivals was particularly impressive. German majority productions were selected in the main competitions of the three largest festivals in Berlin (WHAT MARIELLE KNOWS, YUNAN), Cannes (SOUND OF FALLING) and Venice (SILENT FRIEND).
2026 has also begun in a similar vein. The year kicked off with Germany as the Focus Country at three important film festivals: in Palm Springs, Gothenburg and at When East Meets West in Trieste where special attention was paid to German cinema in both the festival line-up and industry programme, and also gave us the opportunity to present German productions, filmmakers as well as the German film scene’s creativity to the international industry.
German productions have also been well represented at the first leading festivals of this year. Welf Reinhardt‘s A FADING MAN screened in Rotterdam’s Tiger Competition, while Cynthia Beatt‘s HEART OF LIGHT was shown there in the Harbour sidebar. A portrait in this issue sees the Berlin-based director looking back at the film’s shoot on the Fiji Islands. Director Visar Morina was invited to the Sundance Film Festival‘s international competition with his film SHAME AND MONEY. He also gives an insight into his work in a portrait for this issue. Another German production screening at the US festival in Utah was THE WEIGHT by Padraic McKinley.
We are also pleased about the German line-up at this year’s Berlinale. A total of 80 German productions and co-productions will be shown in Berlin, 56 of which are majority German. The Berlinale will open with the world premiere of the German production NO GOOD MEN by Shahrbanoo Sadat. Three German films will compete for the Golden Bear: YELLOW LETTERS by İlker Çatak, HOME STORIES by Eva Trobisch and MY WIFE CRIES by Angela Schanelec. TRIAL OF HEIN by Kai Stänicke will be screened in the Perspective competition category.
Moreover, we are delighted that we will be showcasing seven filmmakers in this year‘s FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS campaign – each of them embodying the creativity that’s driving the German film industry. From its first edition, the annual campaign has established itself as a platform to give German film talents international visibility. They will represent German cinema abroad as ambassadors. In addition, this year, we want to look ahead to the future in GFQ and, under the heading ‘Perspective,’ focus on innovations and changes in the film landscape. Our first issue features a conversation with Kirsten Niehuus giving us an insight into her ideas and plans as the new president of the FFA.
GFQ’s first issue for 2026 will also see the introduction of a new category. German Films not only represents German cinema abroad, but is also there for German filmmakers who are active internationally. A large number of German filmmakers are scattered across the globe and work on very different kinds of international projects. We would like to briefly introduce some of them and ask them what they are currently working on. We are looking forward to an exciting 2026 – with interesting films, wonderful encounters and successful festivals.
Simone Baumann, Managing Director