Autumn in Berlin: This is cinema time. The first Oscar candidates and promising new discoveries are running in the cinemas. In addition, Berlin's cinemas offer a wide range of opportunities to discover new and unknown film worlds, especially in November, as numerous film festivals such as "Around the World in 14 Films" and the "Italian Film Festival" get underway. There is probably even a film festival every day in some Berlin cinema, celebrating Italian, French or Berlin films, the horror genre or simply the top films of all film festivals together.
Tip 1: Lithuanian Film goes Berlin
See short and feature-length films from Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia at the Lithuanian Film Festival. The program includes current productions, highlights from other festivals and classics. This year there is a retrospective of films by Artūras Barysas-Baras, the "father of the modern Lithuanian avant-garde".You can talk about the films at the brunch with Lithuanian specialities on Sunday.
When: 10 - 12 November 2023
Where: Acud Cinema & Sputnik Cinema
Tip 2: Portuguese Cinema Days
A broad mix of very different themes and genres from current Portuguese cinema can also be discovered in November at the Portuguese Cinema Days. The two films Mal viver and Viver mal, which have already been screened at the Berlinale and tell a story from different perspectives, will also be there. Mal viver, by the way, even won a Silver Bear Jury Prize. So if you missed it, now you have another chance to see it and its counterpart.
When: November 11 - December 10, 2023
Where: Moviemento cinema Berlin, Kreuzberg
Tip 3: Italian Film Festival Berlin
At the Italian Film Festival Berlin you can get an impression of the current Italian cinema.Among them are two films that have already been screened at the Berlinale. Disco Boy was the only Italian entry in the competition. And L'ultima notte di Amore with the super cool leading actor Pierfrancesco Favino thrilled the audience. This year's tribute is dedicated to director Marco Bellocchio, in whose Il Traditore Pierfrancesco Favino also appears.
When: 16 - 22 November 2023
Where: Cinema in the Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg
Tip 4: Interfilm – Internationales Kurzfilmfestival Berlin
Sometimes shorter is simply better. At the Interfilm Short Film Festival, only short films are shown, but around 400 films . There will also be workshops and many events. The films revolve around the current issues of departure and self-realization.
When: 14 - 19 November 2023
Where: Miscellaneous Places
Tip 5: AFRIKAMERA
The AFRIKAMERA festival shows current films from Africa under the motto "Future & Utopias". In the focus are films with visions of the future from the metropolises of Africa, which imagine them from an African perspective. Recent highlights such as the documentary Coconut Head Generation or Mami Wata and Banel & Adama, which also screened at major festivals, are also in the program.
When: November 14-19, 2023.
Where: Kino Arsenal, BrotfabrikKino, fsk und Sinema Transtopia.
Tip 6: French Film week
The next festival will follow at the end of November. The film week offers a foretaste of the upcoming films from France. You'll see in advance which French films the cinema-goers will actually be able to look forward to later. Around 20 films from all kinds of genres are planned, reflecting the diversity of French film.
When: 23 - 29 Novemberr 2023
Where: Cinema Paris, Kurfürstendamm 211, Charlottenburg and other cinemas
Tip 7: Around the world in 14 films
The festival "Around the World in 14 Films" is a cinematic trip around the world. At the festival of festivals you will see excellent films from Cannes or Venice and other international festivals that have not yet been screened in Germany. Among the first films already announced are the winning Locarno film Critical Zone and the French film Àma Gloria.
When: December 1 - 9, 2023
Where: Kino in der Kulturbrauerei, delphi LUX and Neues Off.
Around the World in 14 Films
Tip 8: Film festival Cinebrasil
Brazil in all its diversity is brought to you by Cinebrasil, where you can discover the different worlds and regions in documentaries and feature films.
The focus is on German-Brazilian works and films that were made without a big budget.The film Marte Um about a family under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro will kick off the festival.
When: November 16 - 22, 2023
Where: Babylon Cinema
Tipp 9: Winter-Film-Fest at Nikolaiviertel
Not quite a film festival, but a lot of fun: At the Winter Film Festival in the Nikolaiviertel, only one film is playing. You can watch the legendary German classic movie Die Feuerzangenbowle with Heinz Rühmann three times a day, if you have made yourself comfortable on the armchairs and sofas under the open sky. Of course, you can also get the drink Feuerzangenbowle at the nostalgic stalls at the Christmas market in the idyllic Nikolaiviertel.
By the way: Everyone with name Pfeifffer with three "F" have free admission.
When: November 10, 2023 - January 1, 2024
Where: Nikolaiviertel Mitte
Winter-Film-Fest im Nikolaiviertel
Tip 10: Berlinale
Only in February the Berlinale takes place, but it is simply Berlin's biggest and most important film festival. For 10 days the film world watches Potsdamer Platz, where the films celebrate their brilliant premieres in competition and the international top stars stand on the red carpet in a flurry of flashlights. In addition, there are countless other works from all over the world, which take the audience with them to foreign countries and other lives.
By the way, we report live from the film festival every year in our BerlinaleBlog.
When: 16 - 26 February 2023
Where: Berlinale Palast at Potsdamer Platz and other cinemas
Tip 11: Greek Film festival
Greek film now also has its own festival in Berlin, which has successfully established itself in recent years. The festival shows you the fascinating diversity of Greek film, which unfortunately gets far too little attention in the current programme. So it's worth taking a look at the programme!
When: 20 - 24 March 2024
Where: Babylon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 30, Mitte
