Press Release – 2023 Films
27th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival
March 23-27, 2023
Announcement of the 2023 Official Selections
Media Contact: Steve Indig PR, steve@steveindigpr.com
(February 23, 2023) San Francisco’s Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, presented by the Goethe-Institut San Francisco, announces the full film program. The 27th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival will take place March 23-25, 2023 at the historic Roxie Theater in San Francisco, March 26th virtually, and March 27th at the Rialto Cinemas Elmwood in Berkeley.
All details at: berlinbeyond.com
The Roxie Theater was the principal venue for previous editions of the Berlin & Beyond Autumn Showcase. This will be Berlin & Beyond’s first event at the Elmwood; six previous festival editions in the East Bay have taken place at the shuttered California Theatre and Shattuck Cinemas.
The 2023 program also marks the 10th Anniversary of the educational and international jury program, Youth 4 German Cinema.
LISTINGS SUMMARY
27th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival
March 23-25 and 27, 2023
Single Tickets (Roxie and Elmwood screenings, excluding Roxie Opening Film and Youth 4 German Cinema)
$16.00 general, $13.00 senior (62+) & ADA, $9.00 student (at door with ID)
Youth 4 German Cinema screening of “The Ordinaries”
By invitation only. Now at capacity.
Opening Night Film “Everything Will Change” at the Roxie Theater
$25.00 general (no discount)
Virtual Programs
$10.00 per program (24-hour viewing window)
Opening Night Party
By invitation only.
Roxie Priority Film Pass (priority entry to Roxie screenings on March 23-25, excluding Youth 4 German Cinema screening. No admission for special events.)
$125.00 general public
Tickets go on sale by Tuesday, February 28th. Details at: berlinbeyond.com
PRESS INFORMATION
Press images can be found at: berlinbeyond.com/2023/press/
Screeners for select films will be available for the press.
Select films with US distribution will have hold review restrictions.
2023 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Everything Will Change
Dir. Marten Persiel –– 93 min. | Germany, The Netherlands | 2022
San Francisco Premiere
In a dystopian 2054, three friends go on a road trip into the past.
Official Selection: Zurich (Competition)
In English
Starring: Noah Saavedra, Jessamine-Bliss Bell, Paul G Raymond, Wim Wenders, Markus Imhoof
View Trailer
DOC SPECIAL
Werner Herzog – Radical Dreamer
Dir. Thomas von Steinaecker –– 102 min. | Germany, United Kingdom | 2022
Northern California Premiere
Werner Herzog: Master film maker, poet, truth seeker, pith helmeted explorer, brand, meme, actor, lauded voice artiste, doomsayer, legend… a portrait of an iconic artist of our time.
Official Selection: Telluride, IDFA, Santa Barbara
In English and German with English subtitles
Featuring: Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Chloé Zhao, Joshua Oppenheimer, Wim Wenders, Nicole Kidman, Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson
View Trailer
CINEMA PANORAMA
Axiom
Dir. Jöns Jönsson –– 112 min. | Germany | 2022
West Coast Premiere
An eloquent museum keeper invites his colleagues on a sailing trip, but little by little it turns out that Julius is not who he seems to be.
Official Selections: Berlin (Encounters), Karlovy Vary
In German and some English, with English subtitles
Starring: Moritz von Treuenfels, Ricarda Seifried, Thomas Schubert
View Trailer
Family Affairs (Der Nachname)
Dir. Sönke Wortmann –– 87 min. | Germany | 2022
US Premiere
The equally caustic sequel to “How About Adolf?” A family reunion wrangles into complicated lines of inheritance, pregnancies, and family concepts.
Official Selection: Zurich (Gala)
In German and some Spanish and English, with English subtitles
Starring: Iris Berben, Christoph Maria Herbst, Florian David Fitz, Caroline Peters, Justus von Dohnányi, Janina Uhse
View Trailer
The Forger (Der Passfälscher)
Dir. Maggie Peren –– 116 min. | Germany, Luxembourg | 2022
Berlin, 1942. Audacious Cioma poses as a marine officer and forges documents to help fellow Jews escape Nazi Germany.
Official Selection: Berlin (Gala)
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Louis Hofmann, Jonathan Berlin, Luna Wedler, André Jung
View Trailer
Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush (Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush)
Dir. Andreas Dresen –– 119 min. | Germany, France | 2022
Northern California Premiere
A housewife and loving mother from Bremen battles for the release of her son Murat from Guantanamo.
Official Selection: Berlin (Competition)
Award Selection: 2022 German Film Awards Best Film (Silver), Best Actress Meltem Kaptan, Best Supporting Actor Alexander Scheer
In German, Turkish, and English with English subtitles
Starring: Meltem Kaptan, Alexander Scheer, Charly Hübner, Nazmi Kirik
View Trailer
Rhinegold (Rheingold)
Dir. Fatih Akin –– 140 min. | Germany, The Netherlands, Morocco, Mexico | 2022
North American Premiere
Based on German rapper Xatar’s autobiography “All or Nothing,” the path of Giwar Hajabi’s life from the drug underworld to the top of the music charts.
Official Selection: Hamburg, Rome
In German and some Kurdish, Dutch, Arabic, English, and Turkish with English subtitles
Starring: Emilio Sakraya, Mona Pirzad, Kardo Razzazi, Ilyes Raoul, Sogol Faghani
View Trailer
GOETHE FORUM
Piaffe
Dir. Ann Oren –– 86 min. | Germany | 2022
West Coast Premiere
A foley artist goes on a voyage of self-discovery while growing the tail of a horse.
Official Selection: Locarno, San Sebastián, São Paulo, BFI London
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Simone Bucio, Sebastian Rudolph, Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau
View Trailer
SWISS FILM & TALKS
Golden Years (Die goldenen Jahre)
Dir. Barbara Kulcsar –– 92 min. | Switzerland | 2022
Northern California Premiere
A retired couple heading on a Mediterranean cruise ends up on separate journeys of self-discovery.
Official Selection: Zurich
In Swiss German, German, and French with English subtitles
Starring: Stefan Kurt, Esther Gemsch, Ueli Jäggi
View Trailer
YOUTH 4 GERMAN CINEMA 2023 WINNER
The Ordinaries
Dir. Sophie Linnenbaum –– 120 min. | Germany | 2022
West Coast Premiere
In a repressive three class-society, Paula, a simple Supporting Character, is about to face the most important test of her life.
Official Selection: Karlovy Vary, Munich, Zurich
Award Selection: 2022 Filmfest München German Cinema New Talent Award for Director
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Fine Sendel, Jule Böwe, Henning Peker, Noah Tinwa
View Clip
SHORTS 2023
All four short films will screen altogether in one program. 100 min.
Almost Home
Dir. Nils Keller –– 30 min. | Germany | 2022
Northern California Premiere
When they learn of an outbreak of a dangerous virus shortly before their long-awaited return to Earth, a teenager and his mother struggle to decide whether to land or return to space aboard their confined spaceship.
Award Selection: 2022 Student Academy Award Narrative Gold
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Stephan Kampwirth, Jeremias Meyer, Susanne Wolff
View Trailer
Aralkum
Dirs. Daniel Asadi Faezi and Mila Zhluktenko –– 14 min. | Germany, Uzbekistan | 2022
California Premiere – Documentary Format
A few lonely rusty shipwrecks. Low desert scrub grows around them, holding the sand together in the merciless storms. Aralkum, the Aral Desert, is the bare seabed, the last thing left of the Aral Sea.
Award Selection: 2022 Visions du Réel Nyon Jury Prize for the Best Short Film
In Kazakh with English subtitles
View Trailer
Nakam
Dir. Andreas Kessler –– 33 min. | Germany | 2022
Ukraine 1942. 12-year-old violinist Mitka plays in a Ukrainian restaurant with pianist Yegor. Nobody knows that Mitka is part of a Jewish partisan movement.
Award Selection: 2022 Cleveland International Film Festival Best Live Action Short
In German, Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Russian with English subtitles
Starring: Anton Krymskiy, Peter Miklusz, Jevgenij Sitochin, Rostyslav Bome, Irina Usova
View Trailer
Rooms (Eigenheim)
Dir. Welf Reinhart –– 23 min. | Germany | 2021
Northern California Premiere
Every tenant’s worst nightmare becomes reality for a senior citizen couple in Munich when their new landlady hands them a notice to vacate their apartment.
Award Selection: 2022 Student Academy Award Narrative Silver
In German with English subtitles
Starring: Ingrid Farin, Reinhart Firchow, Christiane Bärwald
View Trailer
2023 FILM SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 23 – Roxie Theater, San Francisco:
6:00 PM: Everything Will Change 93 min.
9:00 PM: The Forger 116 min.
Friday, March 24 – Roxie Theater, San Francisco:
10:00 AM: The Ordinaries 112 min.
6:00 PM: Piaffe 86 min.
8:30 PM: Family Affairs 87 min.
Saturday, March 25 – Roxie Theater, San Francisco:
1:00 PM: Werner Herzog – Radical Dreamer 102 min.
3:15 PM: Golden Years 92 min.
6:00 PM: Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush 119 min.
8:45 PM: Rhinegold 138 min.
Sunday, March 26 – Virtual:
Axiom 98 min.
Shorts Program 100 min.
(Online rental. Watch period and geoblocked regions to be announced.)
Monday, March 27 – Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, Berkeley:
6:00 PM: Everything Will Change 93 min.
8:30 PM: Family Affairs 87 min.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Click for Details:
Roxie Theater, San Francisco
Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, Berkeley
BERLIN & BEYOND
Since 1996, the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival has been the leading festival of contemporary German cinema in the Americas, and has presented over 500 motion pictures, along with the presence of celebrated film figures, including Fatih Akin, Moritz Bleibtreu, Daniel Brühl, Lars Eidinger, Hannelore Elsner, Florian David Fitz, Bruno Ganz, Werner Herzog, Frederick Lau, Maria Schrader, Dan Stevens, Barbara Sukowa, and Wim Wenders.
The 2023 sponsors and partners include: the Goethe-Institut San Francisco as Presenter; San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in San Francisco, the Excelsior German Center, and DW (Deutsche Welle) as Premiere Sponsors; the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, German Films / German Film Office, and The Orchard Hotel as Signature Sponsors. Full list of sponsors and partners are listed at BerlinBeyond.com
Official Website: berlinbeyond.com
Social Media: @berlinbeyond #BerlinBeyond2023
THE GOETHE-INSTITUT
The Goethe-Institut is Germany’s official cultural center comprised of 157 institutes in 98 countries. The Goethe-Institut exists to promote art and films from Germany, the study of the German language, and encourage the international cultural exchange with Germany. Having celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2017, the San Francisco branch has been promoting German culture and language since 1967. Its year-round cultural activities include art exhibitions, film screenings, and special events with local cultural institutions.
Official Website: goethe.de/sf
Social Media: @sfgoethe
BerlinBeyond.com
@BerlinBeyond
#BerlinBeyond2023
