W.I.M. Over Time

2026-03-11 – 2026-10-18

SHORT FILMS FOR ALL AGES: The Animator and His Creatures (Original version with subtitles), not specified

2026-09-11 @ 16:30

45-minute short film program (approx. 60 minutes). Recommended for ages 6 and up. Film series: Children’s Cinema. In the animated films of this moderated short film program, the artist who draws the characters appears in the films himself. He and the animated character go on adventures together, appear before the audience together, and occasionally argue with each other.

WOKABAUT BILONG TONTEN (Original Version with Subtitles), not specified

2026-09-11 @ 20:00

Director: Oliver Howes | 97 min. Australia 1972. Dir.: Oliver Howes. Cast: Turuk Wabei, Anton Sil, Elmis Nugur. 87 min. Digital. Original Version with English Subtitles Film Series: Films from Papua New Guinea Tonten, a young man from a coastal village in Papua New Guinea, sets out to search for his missing brother-in-law after the death of his wife. On his travels across the country, he meets a girl from Chimbu in the highlands and visits Port Moresby for the first time. WOKABAUT BILONG TONTEN, a drama in Tok Pisin—one of Papua New Guinea’s three official languages—based on the country’s emergence as an independent nation, was the first feature film shot in Papua New Guinea with an entirely indigenous cast.

SUITE CALIFORNIA STOPS & PASSES (PARTS 1 & 2)

2026-09-11 @ 22:30

Directed by Robert Nelson | 93 min. USA 1976/1979. Dir.: Robert Nelson. 93 min. 16mm Introduction: Francisco Algarín Navarro Film Series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days Robert Nelson is considered a central figure of the New American Cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. He founded the film department at the San Francisco Art Institute and was involved in the founding of Canyon Cinema, one of the leading cooperatives for independent film in the U.S. “SUITE CALIFORNIA is a work full of depth, insight, humor, and intelligence, in which Nelson is at the height of his formal innovation while also revealing his most personal and emotionally generous side. The SUITE CALIFORNIA films were originally conceived as a much longer, multi-part travelogue that chronicled the…

FUGE, A LIGHT’S TRAVELOGUE / ELLIPTIC

2026-09-12 @ 15:00

Director: Els van Riel | 57 min. Belgium 2017/2025. Dir.: Els van Riel. 57 min. 16mm Special Guest: Els van Riel, Daniel Swarthna Film series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days Els van Riel lives in Brussels and studied photography and film; she has worked as a film projectionist and was active in the experimental collectives Labo BxL and Cinéma Parenthèse. Her work focuses on the artistic exploration of the fundamental elements of film and cinema: light and technical equipment. Through the manipulation of exposure and focus, Van Riel’s films reveal optical and photochemical processes that typically remain subconscious in everyday perception. FUGUE, A LIGHT’S TRAVELOGUE, and ELLIPTIC place a special emphasis on the exploration of…

SHORT FILM PROGRAM: LEFT-HANDED MEMORIES

2026-09-12 @ 17:00

Director: Shellie Flemming | 67 min. LEFT-HANDED MEMORIES (US 1989. Shellie Fleming. 15 min. 16mm) PRIVATE PROPERTY (PUBLIC DOMAIN) (US 1991. Shellie Fleming. 12 min. 16mm) DEVOTIO MODERNA (US 1993. Shellie Fleming. 10 min. 16mm) LIFE/EXPECTANCY (US 1999. Shellie Fleming. 30 min. 16mm) Introduction: Arindam Sen Film Series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days The American filmmaker, poet, and photographer Shellie (Michelle) Fleming made only a handful of films in her lifetime; four of these films will be screened at exf f. in the DFF cinema. Despite her relative obscurity, these count among the most technically outstanding, detailed, and tactile films of the experimental film scene of the 1980s and 1990s. The superimposition of images, the presence of…

SHORT FILM PROGRAM: KLAUS TELSCHER (1955–2024)

2026-09-12 @ 20:00

Director: Klaus Telscher | 93 min. DEVELOPMENT PIECES (West Germany 1980. 12 min. 16mm) AMERICAN HOTEL (West Germany 1983. 13 min. 16mm) GREAT KENDO COMMERCIAL (West Germany 1985. 13 min. 16mm) WHY IS IT SO BEAUTIFUL ON THE RHINE? (West Germany 1986. 18 min. 16mm) LATE SUMMER (West Germany 1987. 30 min. 16mm) HER MONA (Germany 1992. 7 min. 16mm) Introduction: Karola Gramann, Heide Schlüpmann Film Series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days Klaus Telscher began making films in 1978. The glory of the 1960s—the era of structural film—had faded and devolved into lackluster repetitions; this opened up a space for a new generation of filmmakers to flourish. Within a nuanced, self-assured scene characterized by mutual appreciation, Telscher developed a completely…

A LOT IS HAPPENING — THE BAP FILM

2026-09-12 @ 22:30

Wim Wenders and Wolfgang Niedecken. The renowned German filmmaker and the successful German rock musician have joined forces to make a rock ’n’ roll film that defies all conventions. Through a gripping collage of recent concert footage and rare archival images, enriched by Niedecken’s unique lyrics and commentary and guest appearances by Wolf Biermann, Marie Bäumer, Joachim Krl, and the rock band Anger 77, the film creates a fascinating portrait of a band that, even after two decades, remains at the top of its game and continues to thrill an audience of millions time and time again. VIEL PASSIERT is a music film of a very special kind that will thoroughly delight not only BAP fans.

FUN AND GAMES FOR EVERYONE. ROBERT NELSON

2026-09-13 @ 13:00

Directed by Robert Nelson, William T. Wiley | 93 min. THE GREAT BLONDINO PREVIEW (US 1967. Robert Nelson/William T. Wiley. 4 min. 16mm) HAULING TOTO BIG (US 1997. Robert Nelson. 45 min. 16mm) HALF OPEN & LUMPY (US 1967/1999. Robert Nelson. 2 min. 16mm) THE GREAT BLONDINO (US 1967. Robert Nelson/William T. Wiley. 42 min. 16mm) Introduction: Francisco Algarín Navarro Film Series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days THE GREAT BLONDINO was inspired by Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker who crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope several times beginning in 1859. Nelson and Wiley’s film follows the acrobat’s wanderings through the Bay Area’s pop landscape. They use distorted lenses, time-lapse, solarization, and a range of trompe-l’œil effects to…

A TRIP TO ITALY

2026-09-13 @ 20:00

They have inherited a spacious country house and want to go see it. In the process, they realize how distant they’ve become from one another after many years of marriage. Will the trip to Italy give the couple a fresh start for a future together?

THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT

2026-09-13 @ 22:30

A gangster is determined to make his sweetheart a star by any means necessary. Frank Tashlin’s flashy rock-’n’-roll revue features the fabulous Jayne Mansfield in her first starring role.

SHORT FILM PROGRAM: FILMS BY WILHELM ORLOPP

2026-09-15 @ 20:00

Director: Wilhelm Orlopp | 83 min. VERdich (West Germany 1982–1985. Wilhelm Orlopp. 54 min. 16mm) Guest: Wilhelm Orlopp Film Series: exf f. – Frankfurt Experimental Film Days In cooperation with exf f., the DFF cinema is dedicating a program to the work of artist and filmmaker Wilhelm Orlopp, who studied at the Städelschule under Peter Kubelka. In his film *VERdich*, Orlopp works with the repetition of individual elements in sound and image. “Through an almost incantatory, repeated presentation of the individual sequences—by insisting on their duration, their temporal extension—an intensified and monumental experience of things emerges: a shift away from a linear conception of time toward one of circular movement, of recurrence.” (Oberhausen Short Film Festival)

PAPA BUKA

2026-09-15 @ 22:30

Romila, Anand, and their tour guide, Papa Buka, travel through the remote villages of Papua New Guinea, documenting the vivid memories of World War II veterans as they recount their battles against Japan, while facing unexpected challenges along the way.

THE CHEF

2026-09-16 @ 20:00

Maravan is a highly talented and passionate chef who learned his craft in Sri Lanka from his great-aunt. He now works at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Zurich—not as head chef, but as an assistant. Maravan can hardly realize his true potential there. On the contrary: he gets fired. His coworker Andrea recognizes Maravan’s skills and teams up with him. Their plan: to launch their own catering service, “Love Food,” specializing in romantic dinners. A sex therapist helps out at first, sending couples to Andrea and Maravan. Word of the catering service spreads, and it quickly attracts a diverse clientele, ranging from politicians to shady characters. Maravan isn’t sure if he should serve the latter at all, but he needs the money for his family…

FOREVER 16

2026-09-16 @ 22:15

Charlotte, Helena, and Oskar hadn't really been in touch since their experimental filmmaking group broke up. A vacation together is supposed to reunite the bitterly estranged trio, but envy and jealousy soon flare up again. Things get really complicated when Rudolph joins the group and they decide to make a film about a female serial killer.

LA PAURA

2026-09-17 @ 20:00

Irene Wagner, the wife of the respected German scientist Professor Albert Wagner, had an affair with Erich Baumann. She keeps this a secret from her husband in the hope of preserving his carefree nature and their “perfect marriage.” This fills her with fear and guilt.

WRONG MOVE

2026-09-17 @ 22:15

One misstep follows another on Wilhelm Meister’s journey through the Federal Republic—from Glückstadt to the Zugspitze. A man searching for words, driven by the desire to become a journalist. He must come to realize that what he longs for in the distance can ultimately only be found within himself. Goethe’s *Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship* serves as the basis for the second part of Wenders’ “road movie” trilogy. Winner of the German Film Award in Gold.

SUMMER IN THE CITY

2026-09-18 @ 19:30

Directed by Wim Wenders | 119 min. West Germany, 1970. Dir.: Wim Wenders. Cast: Hanns Zischler, Edda Köchl, Libgart Schwarz. 119 min. DCP. Includes an introduction to the film’s restoration and a discussion with the Wim Wenders Foundation about its work. Film series: W.I.M. Im Lauf der Zeit Wim Wenders’ first feature film, his graduation project at the HFF Munich, follows a man who has been released from prison and returns to Munich to visit old friends. He feels as though he is being stalked by his former associates. In contrast to the film’s title (a song by the Lovin’ Spoonful), Wenders primarily filmed cold, wet streets at night—long, meditative shots define the film. Music by the Kinks accompanies the film. With an introduction to the film’s restoration and a discussion with the Wim Wenders Foundation on…

Nixon

2026-09-18 @ 22:30

The determined law student Richard M. Nixon grew up in a poor Quaker family. In the early 1940s, he was elected to the House of Representatives; by the age of 37, he was already serving as a senator, and two years later, he became vice president under Eisenhower. In 1972, Richard M. Nixon was elected the 37th President of the United States of America with the votes of the “silent majority,” but was forced to resign two years later due to the Watergate scandal.

BODYGUARD AT RAFFAEL

2026-09-19 @ 20:00

65 min. Germany 2000. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel. 60 min. DCP. Supporting film: HOMMAGE À AUGUST SANDER (West Germany 1977. 22 min.) Followed by a discussion on the topic of cinematography in documentary film with Pavel Schnabel and Malte Hagener. Film Series: Pavel Schnabel. Every museum visitor knows them: the men and women who must watch over the treasures, attentively yet as unobtrusively as possible. Schnabel portrays some of the museum guards in art galleries in Munich, Dresden, and Cologne. When it’s busy, extra attention is required; when things are quiet, the job is also a battle against boredom. The supporting film is Schnabel’s classic homage to the photographer August Sander, in which he stylistically recreates photographs of farmers from the 1920s using people from the 1970s.

NOW—AFTER SO MANY YEARS

2026-09-19 @ 22:30

Directed by: Rudolf Ružicka, Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders | 60 min. West Germany 1981. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders. 60 min. DCP. Supporting film: DIE GEIGE (Rudolf Ružicka. West Germany 1985. 16 min.) Special guest: Pavel Schnabel Film series: Pavel Schnabel Before World War II, the Upper Hessian village of Rhina was home to a particularly large Jewish community. Pavel Schnabel and Harald Lüders set out to trace the history and discovered that the majority of residents would rather not recall the pogrom of November 9, 1938, and the deportation from the village. All the more so, some survivors in New York remember it vividly. The film caused quite a stir at the time. The supporting film is a short feature film produced and photographed by Pavel Schnabel about a Jewish violinist in occupied Prague in 1941.

THE SUMMER WHEN (M)I FIND MY STORY D, ages 6 and up

2026-09-20 @ 17:00

The lively Nina grows up in a creative family—her father works as a filmmaker, while her brother loves to perform magic tricks. She herself dreams of becoming a writer. With the help of her quirky neighbor, she ventures into writing her first story and becomes the main character herself. She writes about life with her family, her daily routine at school and on the sports field, and her first love. As time goes on, she delves deeper and deeper into the life of her mother, who died when she was young.

HOME IS NOT A PLACE

2026-09-20 @ 18:45

Director: Pavel Schnabel | Cast: Bernhard Bub, Anna Orkolainen, Magdalena Wielgosinska, Nazli Taleghani | 90 min. Germany 2015. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel. 88 min. DCP. Original Version with Subtitles Special Guest: Pavel Schnabel Film Series: Pavel Schnabel The antagon theater AKTion is a Frankfurt-based, internationally diverse group of performance artists. Pavel Schnabel accompanied the ensemble for an entire season with his camera and microphone: He recounts the members’ immense dedication to their art and to the collective, as well as the complex group dynamics and internal power structures. The title HOME IS NOT A PLACE refers to the ensemble’s international composition, which transcends concepts such as homeland and nation.

LISBON – PORT OF HOPE

2026-09-20 @ 20:30

Director: Pavel Schnabel | 69 min. Germany 1993. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel. Documentary. 69 min. DCP Special Guest: Pavel Schnabel To mark the inaugural Germany-wide Documentary Film Day (LETsDOK), AG DOK, in cooperation with the DFF cinema, presents Pavel Schnabel’s documentary *LISBON – PORT OF HOPE* in the presence of the director. Following the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries and the French west coast, Lisbon became one of the last free mainland ports in Europe in 1940. Salazar’s Portugal thus became an important transit point for thousands of people fleeing persecution, including prominent writers such as Heinrich Mann, Franz Werfel, and Lion Feuchtwanger. In the 1990s, Pavel Schnabel traveled to Portugal to…

THE BOHEMIAN KNOT

2026-09-20 @ 22:30

Director: Pavel Schnabel | 98 min. Germany 1994. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel. 98 min. 16mm. Original version with English subtitles. Special guest: Pavel Schnabel Film Series: Pavel Schnabel For decades, the most contentious issue in relations between (West) Germany and Czechoslovakia was the Sudetenland and the Sudeten Germans—their behavior in the 1930s and during the war, as well as their expulsion after the war. In stark contrast to the intense emotionality often associated with this issue, Pavel Schnabel approaches it with a level-headed and nuanced perspective: He interviews people on both sides with very different experiences, thereby offering a nuanced exploration of issues of belonging, exclusion, and guilt.

ONE WAY TO BONN AND BACK

2026-09-22 @ 20:00

Directed by: Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders | 45 min. West Germany 1982. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel, Harald Lüders. 45 min. 16mm short films: IN THE HEART OF GERMANY (West Germany 1978. 10 min) and MONEY ALONE MAKES... (West Germany 1982. 17 min.) Guest: Pavel Schnabel Film Series: Pavel Schnabel EINMAL BONN UND ZURÜCK uses documentary techniques to depict the political situation in West Germany during Helmut Schmidt’s chancellorship. In the form of a short fiction film, MITTEN IN DEUTSCHLAND captures the mood of the “German Autumn” period. GELD ALLEIN MACHT … is also a short fiction film, this one exploring the power of money over the individual.

HAPPY THEN, HAPPY NOW

2026-09-23 @ 20:00

Directed by Pavel Schnabel | 90 min. Germany 1997. Dir.: Pavel Schnabel. 90 min. 16mm. Followed by a discussion on editing in documentary film with Eva Voosen (editor) and Melanie Gärtner. Film series: Pavel Schnabel In the 1970s, there were quite a number of people who, as dropouts, left their former lives behind and, for example, founded rural communes. Two decades later, Pavel Schnabel sought out some of them and asked whether their dreams and hopes for an alternative life had come true.

THE TASTERS

2026-09-23 @ 22:30

Rosa Sauer, a native of Berlin, is forced—along with six other women—to taste-test food intended for Adolf Hitler. The purpose is to ensure that the Führer is not served poisoned food. Torn between the fear of death and hunger, the women form alliances and friendships. Everything changes, however, when the new commander, Albert Ziegler, takes up his post and creates a climate of fear.

THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL

2026-09-24 @ 22:00

Afghanistan in the summer of 1998: The Taliban rule the country with fear and terror. The young couple, Zunaira and Mohsen, long for a life of freedom. When Mohsen dies in an accident, Zunaira is accused of murder, imprisoned, and sentenced to death...—The animated film (2017) is based on the novel of the same name by Mohammed Moulessehoul.

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY

2026-09-25 @ 10:45

Director: Paloma Schneideman | 99 min. New Zealand 2026. Writer/Director: Paloma Schneideman. 99 min. Feature film. English with German subtitles. Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 15 and up. English original version with German subtitles GERMAN PREMIERE Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival: A Queer Awakening in the New Zealand Summer of 2006. In the mid-2000s, people chat on MSN Messenger, gossip on text-messaging cell phones, and belly-button piercings are all the rage. Fourteen-year-old Sid lives in Omaha, a town surrounded by beaches: She is still inexperienced and gets swept up in the whirlwind of an older clique while grappling with new desires and confusing feelings. Instead of the intimacy she’d hoped for with her crush, the taciturn teenager finds herself, through a series of detours, at parties with older boys who only want her body. With a reserved and…

ALMOST FOREVER

2026-09-25 @ 13:15

Directed by: Lia Hietala, Hannah Reinikainen | 90 min. *Almost Forever* Sweden/Finland 2026. Screenplay and direction: Lia Hietala, Hannah Reinikainen. 90 min. Documentary. Swedish with English subtitles. Approved for all ages. Recommended for ages 14 and up. Swedish original version with English subtitles. Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival. A long-term documentary portrait of a Stockholm clique on the cusp of adulthood. Carefree childhood summers give way to turbulent teenage years: Beginning in 2020—a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic—ALMOST FOREVER follows Jasmine, Philip, and their group of friends over the course of five years. Together, they roam the Swedish capital and spend every free minute with one another. But first loves, hurt feelings, insecurities, and new experiences begin to strain the group’s bond…

THE ALTAR BOYS

2026-09-25 @ 17:00

Director: Piotr Domalewski | 110 min. *Ministranci*. Poland 2025. Director and Screenwriter: Piotr Domalewski. 110 min. Feature film. Polish with English subtitles and German live voice-over. Rated 12 and up. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Polish original version with English subtitles. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival. Masks of the Storm in the Name of God: A gritty coming-of-age story about religiously rapping Robin Hoods. Incense and hip-hop, a rough neighborhood, and the golden, gleaming church: Filip’s life is full of contrasts. He, “Gucci,” “Chicken,” and his brother “Little Chicken” are altar boys who take their priest’s apocalyptic sermons at face value. They feel personally responsible for the injustice around them. They record confessions with a simple goal: to alleviate suffering and punish sins. Just one more rap song…

SYSTEM BREAKER

2026-09-25 @ 19:15

Foster family, group home, special education school: No matter where Benni ends up, she gets kicked out right away. The wild nine-year-old is what child welfare services call a “system-breaker.” But Benni wants only one thing: love, a sense of security, and to live with her mother again! But Bianca is afraid of her unpredictable daughter. When it seems there’s no place left for Benni and no solution in sight, anti-violence coach Micha tries to free her from the spiral of anger and aggression...

MY FIRST LOVE

2026-09-25 @ 22:00

Director: Mari Storstein | 87 min. *My First Love* Norway 2025. Dir.: Mari Storstein. Screenplay: Mari Storstein, Tomas Myklebost. 87 min. Feature film. Norwegian with English subtitles. Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 15 and up. Norwegian original version with English subtitles. Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival. First Love: Between Freedom and External Control. Ella’s long-held wish is finally coming true: the 19-year-old is moving to Lillehammer. She’s looking forward to her studies, meeting new people, and finally being able to do whatever she wants. But the authorities deny her the personal assistance she needs as a wheelchair user. Instead of living in her own student apartment, she ends up in a residential home for people with disabilities, where rigid rules dictate her daily life. When she falls in love with…

LUCAS SHORT FILM PROGRAM 3

2026-09-26 @ 12:00

70 min. LITTLE FURY. Czech Republic 2026. Dir.: Ivana Vogrinc Vidali. When Josefinas’ crush, Mikey, treats her inappropriately in front of the whole class, her infatuation turns to shame, and her shame turns to anger. Together with her friends, she decides to take her fate into her own hands and get revenge on Mikey. (AnG) MY SISTER’S SANDAL. Germany 2026. Dir.: Semih Korhan Güner. The setting: an outdoor pool. While it’s pouring on the lawn, silence reigns beneath the water’s surface. Here, amid a labyrinth of bodies, the diversity of society is revealed: young, old, fat, or thin—everyone is looking to cool off. (SiS) FLOWERS WEAR NO SHOES I fiori non hanno le scarpe. Italy 2025. Dir.: Matteo Vicentini Orgnani. In the Italian countryside, work on the farm is…

LUCAS SHORT FILM PROGRAM 2

2026-09-26 @ 14:30

74 min. France/Netherlands/Sweden/Taiwan 2025–26. R+DB: various 59 min. Original version with German live voice-over. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Original version with German live voice-over. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival DUNGEONS & SPECTRUMS, Netherlands 2025. Dir.: Wout Malestein. Ross has autism. In role-playing games, he finds stability and a way to connect with other children, because there he can shape the world according to his own rules and fill it with imagination. Little by little, he learns to let go of control and overcome obstacles together with others. (SiS) TANGLED Taiwan 2026. Dir.: Lily Ling. Soccer player Xi is in love with her teammate Yu. When his friends make fun of her curly hair, she plans to change her appearance. Online, she finds a miracle cure that promises to solve all her problems. But is this the change she…

LUCAS SHORT FILM PROGRAM 5

2026-09-26 @ 17:00

74 min. Germany/Croatia/Mexico/Norway/Peru/USA 2025–26. R+DB: various 71 min. Original version with English subtitles. Recommended for ages 15 and up. Original version with English subtitles. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival BEASTS OF DEATH Bestias de la Muerte. USA/Peru/Mexico 2026. Dir.: Sandra Powers. To rescue her mother from the realm of the dead, Claudia risks her soul in an occult ritual. In the battle against her own demons, she confronts her fear and becomes a warrior of the night. A hauntingly beautiful comic-book style meets music video. (SiS) SANDY FANNIES Sand I Tissen. Norway 2026. Dir.: Ingrid Runde Saxegaard. Aurora spends the day naked with her mother on a secluded beach. Somewhere between honesty and embarrassment, this time away sparks intimate conversations about love and sex, first times, and deep desires. But then…

JOYLAND

2026-09-26 @ 19:00

When a patriarchal family longs for the birth of a baby boy to carry on their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theater and falls in love with a transgender starlet.

THE GIRLS FROM ABOVE

2026-09-26 @ 22:00

Director: Bérangère McNeese | 96 min. *Les Filles du Ciel* France/Belgium 2026. Director and Screenwriter: Bérangère McNeese. 96 min. Feature film. French with English subtitles. Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 16 and up. French original version with English subtitles GERMAN PREMIERE Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival Sometimes you find heaven on the eighth floor of a public housing building. Héloïse has just run away from the children’s home and desperately needs a place to stay. Mallorie, who is a bit older, first rescues her from a store detective and then offers her a place to sleep in her shared apartment: Up on the eighth floor of a public housing building, in her “heaven,” which she shares with Jenna, Mona, and Mona’s baby. The rules are clear: no lying, and the roommates put all their money into a shared pot. Héloïse starts working at the club where the…

MUMBO JUMBO

2026-09-27 @ 12:00

Directed by Karsten Kiilerich, Stine Marie Buhl | 83 min. “LUCAS for Families” on September 27: Families receive free admission. No online advance ticket sales: Please reserve your tickets by phone (+49 69 961 220 – 678) or by email (lucas-info@dff.film). Since Mumbo Jumbo became a huge hit in Denmark in 2026. Dir.: Karsten Kiilerich, Stine Marie Buhl. Screenplay: Karsten Kiilerich. 83 min. Animated film. German version. Approved for all ages. Recommended for ages 5 and up. GERMAN PREMIERE Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival A colorful fairy tale about the power of friendship, courage, and being different. When Mumbo one day miraculously grows into a true giant, the young hippopotamus must embark on an adventurous journey to faraway Siberia. There, in an enchanted forest, lives the powerful witch Baba Yaga, before…

JULIÁN

2026-09-27 @ 15:30

Directed by Louise Bagnall | 85 min. “LUCAS for Families” on September 27: Families receive free admission. No online ticket sales: Please reserve your tickets by phone (+49 69 961 220 – 678) or by email (lucas-info@dff.film). Ireland/Luxembourg/Denmark/Canada 2026. Dir.: Louise Bagnall. Screenplay: Juliany Taveras. 85 min. Animated film. English, Spanish original version with English subtitles and German live voice-over. Approved for all ages. Recommended for ages 6 and up. English, Spanish original version with English subtitles and German live voice-over GERMAN PREMIERE 49th LUCAS Film Festival A colorful story about a world where imagination and identity are as fluid as water. Julián is supposed to spend the summer with his Abuela—his grandmother—in Brooklyn, whom he has never met before. She cooks strange food…

BRAVE CAT

2026-09-27 @ 17:45

Directed by Gabriel Osorio Vargas | 94 min. “LUCAS for Families” on September 27: Families receive free admission. No online advance ticket sales: Please reserve your tickets by phone (+49 69 961 220 – 678) or by email (lucas-info@dff.film). Konas Mission: Una Gata Valiente. CL 2026. Director and Screenwriter: Gabriel Osorio Vargas. 94 min. Animated film. English original version with German live voice-over. Approved for all ages. Recommended for ages 8 and up. English original version with German live voice-over Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival An extraordinary animated adventure about friendship, forgiveness, and the courage to let go. Long ago, the mother of the wildcat Kona was kidnapped by a circus. When the circus reappears in the forest years later, Kona sets off in pursuit. Reluctantly, she takes the guard dog puppy Colin along with her,…

CONGO BOY

2026-09-27 @ 22:15

Director: Rafiki Fariala | 91 min. Central African Republic/Democratic Republic of the Congo/France/Italy 2026. Dir.: Rafiki Fariala. Screenplay: Rafiki Fariala, Tommy Baron. 91 min. Feature film. Sango, Lingala, Swahili, French (original version with English subtitles). Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 16 and up. Sango, Lingala, Swahili, French (original version with English subtitles). Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival A multifaceted portrait of a refugee’s experience, carried by gentle optimism Poverty and civil war are part of everyday life in the Central African Republic, including in the capital, Bangui. Right in the middle of it all is 17-year-old Robert, who fled the Congo with his family and now has to take care of his four siblings on his own. His parents’ imprisonment, the approaching final exams, numerous odd jobs, and the…

TO FETCH A PAIL OF WATER

2026-09-28 @ 10:45

Directed by Abhay Punjabi | 108 min. Pukam Pukai, India 2026. Dir.: Abhay Punjabi. Cast: Akshita Namjoshi, Abhay Punjabi, Manish Devkunsh, Aakash. 108 min. Feature film. Hindi with original audio and English subtitles (optional) or German live voice-over. Approved for ages 6 and up. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Original Hindi version with English subtitles; optionally with German live voice-over. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival. In New Delhi, three children help each other make their dreams come true. Santoo wants to build his own swimming pool, his buddy Chintoo is making a documentary, and their friend Fiza wants to play cricket on the national team. But how do you get enough water, how do you build a pool, and who’s even allowed to go to the tryouts? In any case, Santoo, Chintoo, and Fiza can’t count on their parents’ approval…

KOSCHKA

2026-09-28 @ 13:15

Shortly before summer vacation, a stray cat follows Jan home, gives birth to kittens there, and—despite initial reservations on his part and that of his friends Sami and Martha—is taken in by them. The children care for the animals with great dedication, even though this means major changes, sacrifices, and health problems for Jan. In the process, they experience a special time that strengthens their bond and completely transforms their everyday lives.

LUCAS SHORT FILM PROGRAM 4

2026-09-28 @ 16:30

80 min. Germany/Iran/Norway/USA/Vietnam 2025–26. R+DB: various 65 min. Original version with English subtitles / Original version with English subtitles and live German voice-over. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Original version with English subtitles / original version with English subtitles and live German voice-over. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival ROOFTOP LEMPICKA Lempicka Trên Mái Nhà. Vietnam/USA 2025. Dir.: Nguyen Luong Hang. Thi befriends Ngoc, a club waitress who sublets a room from her family. Through her, her mother, and an art book by the painter Tamara de Lempicka, Thi encounters different portrayals of femininity. (EW) TROPHY. Germany 2026. Dir: Benjamin Hujawa. For 14-year-old Max, a family trip to the beach turns into a confrontation with his father’s archaic gender roles. Will he…

ILUMINADA

2026-09-28 @ 22:00

Director: Nicolás Rincón Gille | 127 min. Belgium 2026. Director and Screenwriter: Nicolás Rincón Gille. 127 min. Feature film. Spanish with English subtitles. Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 16 and up. Spanish original version with English subtitles GERMAN PREMIERE Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival A poetically told drama in which the past, present, and future are inextricably intertwined Iluminada, known as Lumi for short, was born in Chocó, western Colombia: This rainy region, with its lush flora and fauna, remains shaped to this day by the cultural traditions of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. Her family now lives in a Bogotá suburb plagued by poverty and gang crime, where there is no room for individual dreams. Her recurring visions of the past and the future,…

HIJRA

2026-09-29 @ 10:45

Director: Shahad Ameen | 114 min. Egypt/Iraq/Saudi Arabia/United Kingdom 2025. Director and Screenwriter: Shahad Ameen. 114 min. Feature film. Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, English (original version with English subtitles). Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 14 and up. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival A thought-provoking road movie about female perspectives on freedom and identity Sarah and Janna are traveling with their grandmother to Mecca for the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage. When teenage Sarah suddenly disappears during a stopover, the strict grandmother decides not to tell her father about it for the time being. Instead, she sets out alone with 12-year-old Janna to search for her older granddaughter. By chance, the two meet Ahmed…

CORPUS DELICTI

2026-09-29 @ 13:15

Director: Lena Stahl | Cast: Hannah Herzsprung, Damian Hardung | 108 min. Free admission! No online ticket sales: Please reserve your seats by phone (+49 69 961 220 – 678) or by email (lucas-info@dff.film). Germany 2026. Director and Screenwriter: Lena Stahl. 103 min. Feature film. German original version. FSK 12. Recommended for ages 14 and up. Film series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival “In the near future, ‘The Method’ represents a society that promises health and maximum safety for all. Scientist Mia Holl’s life changes abruptly when her brother Moritz is accused of murder. The evidence is overwhelming—and yet Mia is convinced of his innocence. A contradiction that forces her to take action—against a system that allows for no doubt. But who can she still…

IRON BOY

2026-09-29 @ 19:30

Director: Louis Clichy | 90 min. Le Corset France/Belgium 2026. Dir.: Louis Clichy. Screenplay: Louis Clichy, Franck Salomé. 90 min. Animated film. French with German subtitles. Recommended for ages 12 and up. French original version with German subtitles Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival A coming-of-age story animated with light, fluid lines about being confined—and breaking free. Christophe simply keels over: while eating, at school, in church, on the tractor, and when photos are being taken. Because there’s something wrong with his back, he has to wear a rigid corset from now on. Christophe’s world is thrown off balance. As if it weren’t enough that he can’t live up to his father’s expectations! But then Christophe discovers a passion for playing the organ—which leads to even more problems…

A GIRL UNKNOWN

2026-09-29 @ 22:00

Director: Zou Jing | 125 min. China/France 2026. Screenplay and Direction: Zou Jing. 125 min. Feature film. Chinese with English subtitles. Approved for ages 12 and up. Recommended for ages 16 and up. Chinese original version with English subtitles. Film Series: 49th LUCAS Film Festival An atmospheric coming-of-age drama about a girl who is not an isolated case. Zou Jing’s feature film debut traces the childhood and adolescence of Wang Juan over several years, as she is passed from foster family to foster family at an early age. For her, affection proves to be nothing more than a fleeting experience. What remains, however, is the desire to find a permanent home. Yet even with her latest set of parents in the city, a sense of security remains elusive. Nevertheless, the girl repeatedly experiences moments when she feels as though she has finally found a place to belong. This feeling…