This year’s eclectic program includes the Australian premiere of From Hilde, With Love and a retrospective look at the best works from Werner Herzog’s career.

Sharpen up your German and grab yourself a kransky in preparation for this year’s HSBC German Film Festival. Taking place over three weeks from May 15 to June 5, the 2024 program features the best contemporary cinema from Germany and its fellow German-speaking neighbours - Austria and Switzerland.

The Australian leg of the festival has a fantastic 27-film program made up of highlights from the Berlin International Film Festival. As well as a dazzling array of modern cinematic masterpieces, the festival also includes a celebration of 70 years of German films and a retrospective on seminal auteur Werner Herzog. The successful Kino for Kids also returns, featuring several fun films aimed at getting children interested in film.

The festival opens on Thursday May 15 with the Australian premiere of From Hilde, With Love. Based on a true story, this compelling drama focuses on a young woman (Liv Lisa Fries) who is drawn into the anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II.

Other highlights of the program include the coming-of-age festival centrepiece Foreign Language, crime thriller Scorched Earth, kids flick Lassie: A New Adventure and Herzog’s historical drama Aguirre, the Wrath of God. There will also be a screen of Herzog’s haunting remake of Nosferatu the Vampyre, which is one film you don’t want to miss.

Running for three weeks, the festival has something for everyone and is a great opportunity for cinephiles to discover the joys of German filmmaking.

The HSBC German Film Festival runs from 15 May – 5 June at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas. Check out the full program and buy tickets here.