Opening day celebrations and red-carpet premieres for the 30th anniversary of America’s leading festival of contemporary German cinema, happening March 19-23, 2026, in San Francisco and Berkeley.

Thursday, March 19: The Castro Theatre, San Francisco

10:30 AM: 22 Lengths (by invitation only) 102 min. + Q&A
3:00 PM: Bad Painter 80 min.
6:00 PM: Köln 75 112 min. + Opening Ceremony & Q&A

NorCal Premiere
Directed by Albert Oehlen
Starring Udo Kier, Kim Gordon, Charlotte Taschen
Albert Oehlen deconstructs the artist’s portrait by blurring reality and artifice. Directed by Oehlen from behind the lens, Udo Kier plays the artist in a fictionalized version of Oehlen’s own life, while Kim Gordon provides the “inner voice.” Together, they navigate the friction between creative motivation and an all-consuming art world. (80 min. Germany, USA / 2025. English and some German with English subtitles)