About Filmfest München

Welcome to FILMFEST MÜNCHEN, Germany’s largest summer film festival, which screens some 150 films annually. Countless filmmakers come to Munich from all over the world to present their latest work in person and interact directly with audiences in a relaxed summertime setting.

Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson,
FFMUC 2018
Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel,
FFMUC 2019

Filmfest München offers unique experiences, unlimited emotions and international encounters.

Diana Iljine, Festival Director,
Filmfest München
Diana Iljine
Diana Iljine,
FFMUC 2019
Fatoumata Diawara
Fatoumata Diawara,
FFMUC 2016
Bong Joon Ho
Bong Joon Ho,
FFMUC 2019

FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is also a major event for representatives of the film industry, who come together to exchange ideas and initiate new projects. This is the place to explore the whole spectrum of contemporary global cinema, from independent gems to star-studded German and international films.

Even in times of the pandemic, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN took place both in 2020 in a pop-up version and in 2021 also as a presence festival, in each case with a reduced number of films but with film enjoyment on the big screen. In 2021, under the motto LIVE IN DER GANZEN STADT (LIVE IN THE WHOLE CITY), the festival was held from July 1 to 10, mainly in open-air locations but also in our festival cinemas, which fortunately were able to reopen right at the start of the festival.

In 2023, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN took place from June 23 to July 1. The festival edition of 2024 will be from June 28 to July 7.

Berlin may be the best-known film festival in Germany, but for sunnier weather head to Munich in June. First held in 1983, it shows about 200 films and attracts starry guests such as Melanie Griffith, Michael Caine, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes and Antonio Banderas. The Kinderfest strand welcomes young people to special screenings. As a city, Munich has more than enough to keep you busy, from 80+ museums to the famous beer gardens – perfect for discussing a day’s movie viewing.

The Guardian, 2022

THE HISTORY OF Filmfest MÜNCHEN

Summer, sun, and Munich: what better setting could there be for a film festival? FILMFEST MÜNCHEN was an idea that simply had to happen. In the early 1980s, a group of filmmakers sought to create an internationally appealing platform especially for German films. The first FILMFEST MÜNCHEN was held in 1983, with Eberhard Hauff as director and a first-rate program of films that had an international component. Bill Forsyth’s tragicomedy LOCAL HERO, screened at the Gloria Filmpalast at Stachus, was the first of 82 films to be shown that year. Today, around 200 films are screened at festival theaters as world premieres or as European or German premieres. Succeeding Eberhard Hauff and Andreas Ströhl, Diana Iljine directed the festival between August 2011 and September 2023. She and her team presented the best of contemporary cinema each year. In October 2023 Christoph Gröner takes over as festival director.

Renowned actors and actresses including Melanie Griffith, Michael Caine, Ellen Burstyn, Bryan Cranston, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, and Antonio Banderas have graced the festival in recent years, while leading directors such as Sofia Coppola, Lucrecia Martel, Alexander Payne, and Bong Joon Ho have also come to Munich to see their work honored in retrospectives. Of all festivals, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN screens the most world premieres of German films. These have included such works as OH BOY by Jan-Ole Gerster and ALLES IST GUT by Eva Trobisch, both of which went on to receive multiple awards.

50 COUNTRIES

150 FILMS

460 SCREENINGS

FFM2005 G Judidench 21 EH
FFM2000 G Spikelee 02

 

Young audiences also appreciate what’s on offer for them at the Kinderfilmfest and the FILMFEST MÜNCHEN youth events. The “New German TV Movies” section, very popular as well, puts selected German television productions on the big screen well before their broadcast date, with the film team in attendance. Under the direction of Diana Iljine, television series were presented in theaters for the first time,  in cooperation with Seriencamp. Since 2023 TC series were also included in the section od "New German TV productions" and can win a new Bernd Burgemeister Award in the category "serial production".With the CINEVISION and CINEMASTERS competitions, the festival supports up-and-coming filmmakers as well as established filmmakers. The lucrative CineCoPro Award honored 2019 outstanding co-productions that have had German involvement.

 

FFM12 G Heikemakatsch 02 BS
FFM16 G Jannisniewoehner 04 KK

 

In 2013, international game developers flocked to Munich for a Game Special. Since then, individual events at the festival have been dedicated to the world of video games. Collaborations with other cultural institutions in the city have often made it possible for the festival to present series with specialized themes. These have included award-winning artist Arthur Jafa’s highlights of “Black Cinema” (2019, in cooperation with Museum Brandhorst) and spectacular 360-degree virtual-reality experiences (“Virtual Worlds”, 2019, in cooperation with the Bavarian Film Centre).

FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is truly one of a kind. Nowhere else can you see so many stars so up close and personal.

Frankfurter Allgemeine

In all these ways, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is extensively engaged with both the past and present of cinema while continually looking ahead to its multifaceted future.