Youth 4 German Cinema

Attention Young Movie Fans

The Goethe-Institut’s Step Into German program and the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival are seeking students from across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ages 14-18) to participate as jurors in the 13th program of Youth 4 German Cinema. This offers the opportunity for young people with an interest in German arts and culture to come to San Francisco and be part of the 30th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in March 2026. Three to four applicants will be selected.

Apply Now

The application is available in four languages. There are two components: a written application and a video application. Deadline is January 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time).

Please download the PDF file:
English
German (Deutsch)
Spanish (Español)
French (Français)

Important Dates & Deadlines

Applications Launched: November 21, 2025
Deadline for Application: January 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
Participants Announced: January 16, 2026
Screening Period of Films: January 16-25, 2026
Winning Film Announced: January 26, 2026
Stay in San Francisco: March 19-22, 2026

Travel & Accommodation

A very exclusive and grand opportunity: Each participant will be provided roundtrip airfare to San Francisco, accommodation and food.

The 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 30th Anniversary Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in March 2026. 

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

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 7,000 visiting students. In the past 12 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, “The Ordinaries” with actor Noah Tinwa in person on the special occasion of its 10th Anniversary, and recently in March 2025, Soleen Yusef’s “Winners” with actor Sherine Ciara Merai in person.

The 2025 Program:

The 2024-25 Youth 4 German Cinema jury chose Soleen Yusef’s “Winners” as the 2025 winning film. Two very special screenings of “Winners” took place on Friday, March 28th at the Roxie and Vogue Theaters, and were attended by over 400 students. The jury members were Leander Coskun, (Canada), Jessica Han (USA), Juan Andrés Roman Morales (Guatemala), and Ana Sofia de la Puente Serrano (México).

The 2024 Program:

Marc Rothemund’s father-and-son soccer drama “Weekend Rebels” was the 2024 winning film. Two special screenings of “Weekend Rebels” took place on Friday, April 19th, 2024 at the Roxie Theater, and were attended by over 400 students. The jury members were Oyinkansola Adekonye (Lawrenceville, Georgia), Serafina Hwang (Walnut Creek, California), and Kaibo Zhang (Montréal, Canada).

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

29th Festival – March 27-31, 2025 (12th Y4GC)

Youth 4 German Cinema Award
Winners (Sieger sein)
Dir. Soleen Yusef (Germany, 2024)
Special Guest: Sherine Ciara Merai (Actor)

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