28/05/2025 - From 11 to 15 June, the Spanish capital will showcase the latest in German cinema, featuring films by Laura Laabs, Christina Friedrich and Nicolette Krebitz, among others

The German Film Fest Madrid will celebrate its 17th edition from 11 to 15 June at Cines Embajadores in the Spanish capital, offering an overview of the most recent German film productions with titles chosen by journalist Rosana G Alonso, actress Rocío Saiz (recently seen in the series La canción [+see also:
series review
series profile]), film reporter Javier Zurro and critic Emilio M. Luna.

Opening this year is the debut film by young Berlin director Laura Laabs, Red Stars Upon the Fields, which had its world premiere in the Bright Future section of the most recent IFFR. The film offers a visual and narrative journey through 20th and 21st century German history from the perspective of a post-modern artist. Another newcomer, Justine Bauer, will present Smell of Burnt Milk [+see also:
film review
interview: Justine Bauer
film profile], based on her own upbringing on an ostrich farm, it portrays a female universe struggling to keep the place afloat in the technological age. Türker Süer will showcase his first feature film, Edge of Night [+see also:
film review
film profile], which premiered in the Orizzonti Extra section at the latest Venice Film Festival. A war thriller set against the Turkish conflicts, the film explores the dilemma of two military brothers caught between family honour and legality.

Christina Friedrich, a filmmaker already known to festival audiences thanks to her previous project Zone [+see also:
film review
interview: Christina Friedrich
film profile], returns to Madrid with The Night Is Dark and Colder than the Day, a work that compiles the conscious and unconscious fears of a group of children through their own testimonies. In a completely different register, the most commercial entry in this edition is Dominik Galizia’s Rock 'n' Roll Ringo, a dramatic comedy about a scaffolder who finds in the circus a second chance to rebuild his life. Meanwhile, Bernd Sahling's Tomorrow I'll be Brave (Ab morgen bin ich mutig) explores adolescence by following the adventures of a boy who tries to adapt to his environment while falling in love as the school year is drawing to a close.

Inspired by the transgressive energy of the artist Peaches, whose documentary Teaches of Peaches [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philipp Fussenegger, Judy L…
film profile] features in the programme, the festival highlights the excellent momentum of German cinema, both independent and commercial, and its growing international relevance. The film, by Philipp Fussenegger and Judy Landkammer, captures the essence of the iconic singer and serves as a statement of intent for this edition.

There will also be a special cycle, Focus Goethe, dedicated to Nicolette Krebitz, one of the most distinctive and multifaceted voices in contemporary German cinema. The programme includes Katja von Garnier's film Bandits (1997), in which Krebitz stars; Wild [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and The Heart is a Dark Forest [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by her; as well as a masterclass for film students. The festival will also present eleven short films from the 14th edition of the Next Generation Short Tiger initiative and a special screening of Adiós Buenos Aires, a German-Argentine co-production directed by German Kral.

This event is an initiative of German Films in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Madrid, Amigos del Goethe and with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Madrid and Filmin.

(Translated from Spanish)