Youth 4 German Cinema 2024-25

Youth 4 German Cinema, now in its 12th year, is an educational initiative of the Goethe-Institut’s Step Into German youth portal and the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, focused on connecting middle school and high school aged students with contemporary German films and filmmakers. Youth 4 German Cinema has brought youth jury members from across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Central America, and through the years has shown films to over 6,000 visiting students.

The 2023-24 Youth 4 German Cinema jury chose Marc Rothemund’s “Weekend Rebels” as the 2024 winning film. Two very special screenings of “Weekend Rebels” took place on Friday, April 19th at 10:00 AM and 12:45 PM and were attended by over 400 students. In the photograph above (in order), the 2023-24 Y4GC youth jury members were Oyinkansola Adekonye (Lawrenceville, Georgia), Serafina Hwang (Walnut Creek, California), and Kaibo Zhang (Montréal, Canada).

2024-25  Youth Jury Contest – Apply Today!

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION via Step Into German’s site

Important Dates:
Applications Launched: December 16, 2024
Deadline for Application: February 1, 2025 at 8:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
Participants Announced: February 7, 2025
Screening Period of Films: February 7-13, 2025
Winning Film Announced: February 14, 2025
Stay in San Francisco: March 27-30, 2025

You can be a special part of our next Y4GC program! We are now accepting applications from students from across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ages 14-18) for the 2024-25 program. Youth 4 German Cinema offers the opportunity for young people with an interest in German arts and culture to come to San Francisco and be part of the 29th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in March 2025. The jurors will be offered roundtrip airfare to San Francisco, accommodation, and food.

Before the festival, the jurors will watch select German films online, discuss and choose the winning film to be shown at the festival. At the festival, jurors will present the Youth 4 German Cinema Award and lead the Q&A with a talent from the winning film. They will 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, and visit one of the world’s most exciting cities: San Francisco! 

Participation in Youth 4 German Cinema not only makes a great addition on the students’ resumes and college applications, it also allow students to learn the fundamentals of film analysis, film production, and how to network and make connections for future endeavors.

 

         

THE ARCHIVE

In the past 11 years, Y4GC has awarded several noteworthy contemporary German films and welcomed to San Francisco a vibrant roster of film talents. Including “My Brother Simple” with Director Marcus Goller and actor Frederick Lau in 2018, Til Schweiger’s “Head Full of Honey” in 2016, “Run Boy Run” with Academy Award-winning Director Pepe Danquart in 2015, “Windstorm” with Director Katja von Garnier in 2014, and “The Ordinaries” with actor Noah Tinwa in person, on the special occasion of its 10th Anniversary.

The 2021 Program: Youth 4 German Cinema Reunion

At the 25th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival Drive-In in 2021, amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was a reunion of select youth jury members from past festival editions  – Ana Sofía Vázquez Partida (Jury 2019) from Guadalajara, México, Katie O’Leary (Jury 2019) from California, Léa Pailassard (Jury 2018) from Montreal, Canada,  Patrick Thomas Keen (Jury 2016) from Wisconsin, Rodrigo Cardona (Jury 2018) from Puebla, México, and Sebastian Ortiz Wilkins (Jury 2015) from Guadalajara, México – in conversation with Sebastian Grobler, Director of “Lessons of a Dream” (“Der ganz große Traum”). “Lessons of a Dream” celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021. 

 

Previous Youth 4 German Cinema Programs

28th Festival – April 18-22, 2024 (11th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Weekend Rebels (Wochenendrebellen)
Dir. Marc Rothemund (Germany, 2023)
Special Guests live Q&A via audio – the film’s real-life subjects that inspired the motion picture: Mirco Juterczenka and Jason von Juterczenka

27th Festival – March 23-27, 2023 (10th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
The Ordinaries
Dir. Sophie Linnenbaum (Germany, 2022)
Special Guest: Noah Tinwa (Actor)

26th Festival – March 11-16, 2022 (9th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Mission Ulja Funk
Dir. Barbara Kronenberg (Germany, Luxembourg, Poland 2021)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
Wet Dog (Ein Nasser Hund)
Dir. Damir Lukacevic (Germany, 2021)
Special Guest: Doguhan Kabadayi (Actor)

25th Festival – May 25-June 6, 2021 (8th Y4GC)

Special Reunion of Former Jurors
Special Drive-In Presentation
Lessons of a Dream (Der ganz große Traum)
Dir. Sebastian Grobler (Germany, 2011)
Special Guest: Sebastian Grobler (Director)

24th Festival – February 7-13, 2020 (7th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Too Far Away (Zu weit weg)
Dir. Sarah Winkenstette (Germany, 2019)
Special Guest: Sarah Winkenstette (Director)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
All About Me (Der Junge muss an die frische Luft)
Dir. Caroline Link (Germany, 2018)

23rd Festival – March 8-14, 2019 (6th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Mountain Miracle – An Unexpected Friendship (Amelie rennt)
Dir. Tobias Wiemann (Germany, Italy, 2017)
Special Guest: Philipp Budweg (Producer)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
A Jar Full of Life (Vielmachglas)
Dir. Florian Ross (Germany, 2018)

22nd Festival – February 9-15, 2018 (5th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
My Brother Simple (Simpel)
Dir. Markus Goller (Germany, 2017)
Special Guest: Markus Goller (Director, Co-Screenwriter) and Frederick Lau (Actor)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
Rock My Heart
Dir. Hanno Olderdissen (Germany, 2017)

21st Festival – February 3-8, 2017 (4th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
At Eye Level (Auf Augenhöhe)
Dirs. Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf (Germany, 2016)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
Hanna’s Sleeping Dogs (Hannas schlafende Hunde)
Dir. Andreas Gruber (Germany, Austria, 2016)
Special Guest: Fritjof Hohagen (Producer/Line Producer)

20th Festival – January 14-20, 2016 (3rd Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Head Full of Honey (Honig im Kopf)
Dir. Til Schweiger (Germany, 2014)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
The Spiderwebhouse (Im Spinnwebhaus)
Dir. Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt (Germany, 2015)
Special Guest: Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt (Director)

19th Festival – January 29-February 3, 2015 (2nd Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Run Boy Run (Lauf Junge lauf)
Dir. Pepe Danquart (Germany, France, 2013)
Special Guest: Pepe Danquart (Director)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
Macondo
Dir. Sudabeh Mortezai (Austria, 2014)

18th Festival – January 15-21, 2014 (1st Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Windstorm (Ostwind)
Dir. Katja von Garnier
(Germany, 2013)
Special Guest: Katja von Garnier (Director)

Youth 4 German Cinema Runner-up
Your Beauty is Worth Nothing (Deine Schönheit ist nichts wert)
Dir. Hüseyin Tabak
(Austria, Turkey, 2012)

Photo credits: Barak Shrama and Sophoan Sorn