Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in San Francisco
January 14-17th
Castro Theatre
429 Castro Street
January 18-20th
Goethe-Institut San Francisco
530 Bush Street
January 31st
Janet Leigh Theatre
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95211
For eight days and nights this January, the Bay Area hosts one of the largest German-language film fests outside Europe. This year, the San Francisco Berlin & Beyond Film Festival celebrates 20 years of rich culture-sharing, as more than two dozen cinematic masterworks from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland screen at the historic Castro Theatre, the Goethe-Institut SF, and Janet Leigh Theatre. Since its inception in 1996, the festival has presented over 500 films audiences of 10,000+ each year.
About the Festival's Main Venue
Things kick-off with an Opening Night Party and three days of screenings at San Francisco's 1,400-seat, Golden Era darling, the Castro Theatre – just 10 minutes from our Union Square hotel. Built in 1922, it houses possibly the last remaining "leatherette" ceiling in the world (a technique inimitable today), so be sure to look up before the curtain rises.
The 20th Anniversary Lineup
This year is an all-out celebration of German-language cinema, featuring timeless classics and groundbreaking new releases. Highlights include:
- January 14th – Opening Night Party with drinks, appetizers, and a screening of Spotlight Award-Winner, Who Am I – No System is Safe.
- January 15th – Head Full of Honey was Germany's most popular film of 2014, winner of the 2015 German Film Awards' Audience Award.
- January 17th – Castro Closing Night: Berlin, Symphony of a Great City. A screening of the 1927 silent film is accompanied by live music from ALP.
- January 31st – The Shorts Program features an incredible selection of short films in nearby Stockton.