Filmfest München
Deutsches Theater presents six events of FILMFEST MÜNCHEN 2026
This event is in the past.
Munich Film Festival x Deutsches Theater
The Munich Film Festival is once again transforming our theater into the city’s largest movie theater. Six fantastic premieres are on the program. And we’re expecting many stars, including director Pedro Almodóvar, to walk the red carpet along the Isar.
Stars Live in Munich
The incomparable Pedro Almodóvar, grand master of Spanish cinema, will personally present his brand-new film *Bitteres Fest*. We will also welcome the who’s who of German cinema at four world premieres. Whether it’s *23,000 Lives* with Mala Emde and Louis Hofmann, LIEBLINGSMENSCHEN – DIE AUSSERGEWÖHNLICHE FREUNDSCHAFT VON AGNES & AMIR starring Katharina Thalbach and Bardo Böhlefeld, SPAZIERGANG NACH SYRAKUS starring Charly Hübner and Lina Beckmann, or the series DIE FALSCHE TOCHTER based on a screenplay by best-selling author Juli Zeh. Fashion and drama are also on the agenda with the film COUTURE, produced by Angelina Jolie and starring Ella Rumpf in one of the leading roles.
Cinema for Everyone
The Munich Film Festival is the premier platform for the German-language film scene. Nowhere else are all facets of German filmmaking celebrated so comprehensively—from cinema to TV, from emerging to established talent, from experimental to special entertainment cinema. Here you’ll discover the talents that will shape the future of film. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of film and celebrate special cinematic moments with us and many stars in the heart of the city!
Overview of all films
World Premiere | SPAZIERGANG NACH SYRAKUS
A literary adaptation starring Charly Hübner and Lina Beckmann about a somewhat different kind of escape—from acclaimed director Lars Jessen.
Paul Gompitz plans to travel to Sicily to follow in the footsteps of the poet Johann Gottfried Seume. There’s just one problem: it’s 1982, and Paul lives in the GDR. All attempts to obtain permission to leave the country fail. So Paul has no choice but to flee. What doesn’t make things any easier: He wants to return home afterward.
Germany 2026 | Runtime: 97 min. | Original with German subtitles | Not rated by the FSK, therefore for ages 18 and up | Directed by Lars Jessen | Written by Heide Kersten and Andreas R. Kersten | Starring Charly Hübner, Lina Beckmann, Thorsten Merten, Bruno Di Chiara, and Melanie Fouché
Photo: Sammy Hart
World Premiere | LIEBLINGSMENSCHEN – DIE AUSSERGEWÖHNLICHE FREUNDSCHAFT VON AGNES & AMIR
A heartwarming film starring the wonderful Katharina Thalbach, based on a true story: Friendship knows no (age) limits!
What do a 31-year-old gay refugee from Iran and a 101-year-old Berlin character have in common? The answer: the apartment. Because Agnes, the elderly woman, needs Amir as a roommate to avoid having to move into a nursing home. What begins as a skeptical partnership of convenience grows over time, and the two find support, courage, and new perspectives on life.
Germany 2026 | Runtime: 108 min. | Original with subtitles | Not rated by the FSK, therefore for ages 18 and up | Directed by Helena Hufnagel | Written by Malte Welding | Starring Katharina Thalbach, Bardo Böhlefeld, Ulrike Kriener, Noah Saavedra, Ronald Zehrfeld
Photo: Nordpolaris
World Premiere | 23 000 LEBEN
A gripping drama inspired by a true story—starring Mala Emde, Louis Hofmann, Katharina Stark, and Frederick Lau.
Unwilling to stand idly by while countless people fleeing to Europe die in the Mediterranean, a group of young adults decides to take action themselves. They buy an old ship, which they name Iuventa, and begin conducting sea rescues. But what starts as a mission full of hope soon puts their understanding of law and justice to the test.
Germany, Italy 2026 | Runtime: 112 min. | Original with subtitles | Rated 12 | Directed by Markus Goller | Written by Oliver Ziegenbalg and Michele Cinque | Starring Louis Hofmann, Mala Emde, Katharina Stark, Frederick Lau, and Maria Dragus
Photo: Netflix
World Premiere | DIE FALSCHE TOCHTER
A gripping series about the cutthroat world of equestrian sports—based on a screenplay by best-selling author Juli Zeh.
Ina is an exceptionally talented rider, but she sometimes breaks the rules. After a tournament, she is suspended by the equestrian association. Marco offers Ina a job riding horses at his family’s farm. He and his mother, Cora, are struggling with dissatisfied customers and rising costs at their business. But Cora is reluctant to take Ina in because of a dark shared past.
Germany 2026 | Runtime: 85 min. (Episodes 1 & 2) | Original with subtitles | FSK 12 | Show Creator: Juli Zeh | Written by Juli Zeh and Lukas Becker | Cast: Lili Epply, Joshua Hupfauer, Karoline Eichhorn, Heino Ferch, Margarita Broich
Photo: Krzysztof Wiktor
Starkino | COUTURE
The world of fashion beyond the glamour: A French star-studded film starring Angelina Jolie!
Director Maxine isn’t really into fashion. But the offer to shoot a short film for a Paris fashion show is too lucrative to pass up. After all, she’s in the midst of a crisis, both financially and personally. While working on the project—and meeting, among others, up-and-coming model Ada and makeup artist Angèle—she receives a devastating diagnosis.
France, USA 2025 | Runtime: 106 min. | Original with subtitles | Not rated by the FSK, therefore for ages 18 and up | Directed by Alice Winocour | Written by Alice Winocour and Jean-Stéphane Bron | Starring Angelina Jolie, Anyier Anei, Ella Rumpf, Louis Garrel, and Vincent Lindon
Photo: Carole Bethuel
Straight from Cannes | BITTERES FEST
A treat for the audience: Star director Pedro Almodóvar once again proves himself a master of cinematic reflections.
Raúl hasn’t directed a film in many years. Now he finally has the right idea: he tells the story of Elsa, a director making a film for the first time in many years. In doing so, he increasingly blurs the lines between his own life and that of the characters, causing friction on multiple levels.
Spain 2026 | Runtime: 111 min. | Original with German subtitles | Rated 12 | Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar | Starring Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado
Photo: Studiocanal