German Currents Los Angeles
GERMAN CURRENTS FILM FESTIVAL 2024
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Film, unlike any other art form, has the power to connect us as human beings. It allows us to empathize with others and step into their shoes, to travel across borders, and even travel through time. As the new director of the Goethe-Institut in Los Angeles, I am proud to present some of the best new German cinema to the audiences of Southern California.
The 18th annual festival takes place from October 11th – 14th with screenings at the American Cinematheque and the Goethe-Institut. German Currents 2024 opens Friday, October 11th, at the Egyptian Theatre, with the exclusive red-carpet LA premiere of multi-award-winning writer-director Sonja Heiss’ German box office and festival favorite, WHEN WILL IT BE AGAIN LIKE IT NEVER WAS BEFORE, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Joachim Meyerhoff and starring Devid Striesow (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, THE COUNTERFEITERS, AGE OF CANNIBALS). A gala reception at the Egyptian Theatre will follow the premiere.
The festival weekend continues with the US premiere of the popular short film showcase NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER 2024. The US premiere of director Sarah Neumann’s feature-length film debut, BEYOND THE BLUE BORDER, depicts the absurdities of life under East German rule and stars Lena Urzendowsky (FRANKY FIVE STAR, Netflix’s DARK, and HOW TO SELL DRUGS ONLINE (Fast)). Writer-director Fabian Stumm’s relationship drama, BONES AND NAMES, dives into the Berlin art scene and into the relationship between two creatives. Come and see them at the Goethe-Institut.
At the American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3 theater, German Currents presents the LA premiere of multi-award-winning cinematographer-director Judith Kaufmann and director Georg Maas’ historical drama THE GLORY OF LIFE, capturing the final year and romance in the life of writer Franz Kafka, as well as US premiere of writer-director Aslı Özarslan’s ELBOW, based on the novel "Ellbogen" by Fatma Aydemir.
Completing the festival program, the annual German Currents children's matinee returns to the Goethe-Institut on Sunday, October 13th. It will bring to the audience a free LA Premiere screening of Soleen Yusef’s winner of the German Film Award for best Youth and Children’s Film, WINNERS, that will also be presented as a special invite-only educational screening for LA area schools on Monday, October 14th, at the Gardena Cinema. A discussion with Soleen Yusef is planned following both events.
On behalf of our partners, supporters, and the German Currents team, I look forward to welcoming you to the festival and to the opportunity to meet and engage with you, our audience and share the transformative power of cinema with you all.
Best,
Luisa Rath-John & the German Currents team
The German Currents Film Festival is produced by the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque in kind cooperation with the German Consulate General, and with the support of The Friends of Goethe, Condor, ELMA, The Villa Aurora, and the German Film Office
