Experience the Excitement: Discover New Films from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at Das Filmfest
19th Das Filmfest will be held in Prague from 15 to 19 October at Lucerna and Edison Filmhub and Ponrepo cinemas. It continues from 20 to 26 October at the Art Cinema in Brno and from 1st to 5th November in the updated Central Hall of the Olomouc City Museum, with its final days running from 10 to 12 November at Cinema Hraničář in Ústí nad Labem. This film festival has been showcasing a variety of the latest films from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland since 2006, while also providing a space for enriching interactions between the audience and European filmmakers. The films are categorised into six sections.
In the Shadow of the 20th Century
The first section focuses on films that highlight wars, dictatorships, and the fight for human rights. While the films often portray tragic circumstances, the festival will also feature a comedy called Two to One. This story revolves around a group of friends who stumble upon several million East German marks in 1990 and attempt to trade the now-valuable currency for goods. The dramatic film Amrum Island follows a twelve-year-old boy who assists his mother by fishing and working in the fields towards the end of World War II. It serves as the opening film of the festival.
Pearl brings us to 1980s Vienna, where a Czechoslovakian immigrant will do anything for her daughter. Meanwhile, The Fierda Case is a 1904 drama depicting the trial of a woman, aged 25, who killed her stepson. The biographical film The Traitor presents the story of an outsider seeking a better life, only to fall prey to a Nazi spy.
Candidates for Ocar 2026
Among the nominations for the 2026 Oscars, the festival will showcase a German film called A View into the Sun by Mascha Schilinski, which was awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes. The story involves four girls—Alma, Erika, Angelika, and Lenka—who grow up on the same farm, sharing similar hopes and life choices despite being separated by decades.
A satirical debut that blends dry humor with situational comedy, The Peacock by director Bernhard Wenger, has also been submitted for Austria’s prestigious award. The film follows Matthias, a successful “professional companion” capable of stepping into any role, but he faces his greatest challenge yet—being true to himself.
Documentaries and family films at Das Filmfest
This year, documentaries hold a significant place in the festival’s program documentaries. Thanks to Das Filmfest, Czech cinemas will screen the film Riefenstahl created by filmmaker Andres Veiel and television journalist Sandra Maischberger. This film reconstructs the life of the controversial director Leni Riefenstahl, who played a major role in Nazi propaganda using extensive film archives, photographs, letters, and recorded conversations.
The series of documentaries Unbreakable I and Unbreakable II – Good Morning, Beauties!, directed by Torsten Körner, explore the roles of women in politics and society in both former West and East Germany.
Young audiences will also find films that appeal to them. Within the festival’s schedule, families can enjoy films for everyone such as Warm Greetings from Mars and The Secret of Grandhotel Europe, along with the adventurous movie Checker Tobi and his journey to the floating rivers, featuring one of Germany’s beloved YouTubers.
Visit the website dasfilmfest.cz for the complete program details. The festival is co-organized by the Goethe-Institut Czech Republic, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague, and the Swiss Embassy in the Czech Republic. All films will be screened in their original versions, accompanied by Czech and English subtitles.
