A BEACON OF TOGETHERNESS

FILMFEST MÜNCHEN means meeting up in person, even in the summer of 2021: attending open-air film premieres, seeing national and international directors and actors, and bringing the German film industry together in person at the first-ever Filmfest Beergarden Convention. For ten days starting on June 24, the festival will be the backbone of a creative network in Munich — in unusual locations, with lots of new and long-standing partners and a streamlined program of promising films.

"Already we’re looking forward to ten days of citywide festival buzz, even under the prevailing circumstances. We aim to be a beacon of togetherness in the arts! As with all organizers, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN’s plans for the second summer of the coronavirus involve some question marks and a lot of flexibility. But as last summer showed, there are some viable solutions. With FILMFEST MÜNCHEN Pop-Up in 2020, we were able to celebrate magnificent premieres in the open air; we’re aiming to expand that format this summer. All the films will be shown to a large audience at one of our open-air cinemas and of course — as we’re all hoping — at our partnering movie theaters as well," says festival director Diana Iljine.

FILMFEST MÜNCHEN expects to have at least six open-air locations during the festival period. With a streamlined program of around 60 films, the festival will, as usual, present exciting world premieres from Germany along with highlights of international cinema.

Citywide screenings

Audiences can look forward to enjoying films together in person all over Munich. To make this possible, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN has teamed up with several familiar and popular open-air cinemas. The established open-air institutions Kino am Olympiasee and Kino, Mond & Sterne in the Westpark, both of which have experience operating during the pandemic, will be Filmfest venues throughout the festival period. Further open-air screenings will he held, for example, on the grounds of the Institut Français in Schwabing. Bahnwärter Thiel in the Schlachthofviertel will also be part of FILMFEST MÜNCHEN on selected evenings, as will the Pasinger Fabrik.

As things now stand, one of our shareholders will also be contributing a venue to FILMFEST MÜNCHEN: "Bayerischer Rundfunk is delighted to make the courtyard on its premises at Rundfunkplatz 1 available to FILMFEST MÜNCHEN as an open-air venue, provided, of course, that the coronavirus regulations in effect at the time allow for this."

In cooperation with further partners such as the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism and the Amerikahaus in the Museum District, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is planning a multifaceted supporting program. This joint effort will create an arts network across Munich which will promote dialogue and interaction and thus be an important sign of life from the arts.

The latest safety and hygiene measures will of course be implemented at all screening locations and cooperative venues. As a member of the Association of Munich Arts Venues (VDMK e.V.), FILMFEST MÜNCHEN supports the joint effort of Munich’s arts venues, which had approached the City of Munich with a request for an overarching trial concept for local arts venues as well as catering — a trial concept that would allow people to circulate more freely and, above all, to once again experience the arts together in person.

A cordial invitation to filmmakers

Even in this extraordinary year, it’s still a focal point of the festival that filmmakers and festival audiences be able to meet and interact safely. They’ll be able to do this at the various venues and online, with the Gasteig festival center continuing to play a pivotal role.

"Digital tools complement real-world encounters. We’re working on being able to present one or more guests for each film — which of course also means looking into appealing hybrid formats that could enhance our events,” says Christoph Gröner, the festival’s artistic director. The festival will also create numerous opportunities for industry representatives to meet, foremost among them the "Beergarden Convention", which will celebrate its premiere at Hofbräu in 2021 and facilitate business meetings according to the slogan "The Munich Way the Industry Works".

Save the date

FILMFEST MÜNCHEN from June 24 to July 3, 2021 — CITYWIDE LIVE — numerous festival venues throughout Munich, some 60 film premieres, including an exciting program for children at KINDERFILMFEST MÜNCHEN.