German Films Quarterly 70 years of German Films

1954

May 7, 1954: Foundation of the Export-Union der Deutschen Filmindustrie e.V.

SOLANGE DU DA BIST by Harald Braun
in Cannes Competition

1955

First foreign representation in Paris and Rome

1957

ROSE BERND by Wolfgang Staudte
in Cannes Competition

1958

DAS WIRTSHAUS IM SPESSART by Kurt Hoffmann
in Cannes Competition

1959

KRIEGSGERICHT by Kurt Meisel
in Cannes Competition

ARMS AND THE MAN (HELDEN) by Franz Peter Wirth
in Cannes Competition

1960

Oscar® Winner Best Documentary for
SERENGETI SHALL NOT DIE (SERENGETI DARF NICHT STERBEN) by Bernhard Grzimek

SERENGETI SHALL NOT DIE © Prof. Bernhard Grzimek / OKAPIA

1962

THE BREAD OF THOSE EARLY YEARS (DAS BROT DER FRÜHEN JAHRE)
by Herbert Vesely in Cannes Competition

1964

DEAD WOMAN FROM BEVERLY HILLS (DIE TOTE VON BEVERLY HILLS)
by Michael Pfleghar in Cannes Competition

1966

YOUNG TÖRLESS (DER JUNGE TÖRLESS)
by Volker Schlöndorff in Cannes Competition

IT (ES) by Ulrich Schamoni
in Cannes Competition

YESTERDAY GIRL (ABSCHIED VON GESTERN) by Alexander Kluge
Venice Film Festival 1966 – The Golden Lion

YESTERDAY GIRL © Kairos-Film Dr. Alexander Kluge

1967

A DEGREE OF MURDER (MORD UND TODSCHLAG)
by Volker Schlöndorff in Cannes Competition

1968

January 1, 1968: first German Film Law (FFG) comes into effect

ARTISTS UNDER THE BIG TOP PERPLEXED (DIE ARTISTEN UNTER DER ZIRKUSKUPPEL: RATLOS)
by Alexander Kluge in Venice Competition + Winner Golden Lion

1969

MAN ON HORSEBACK (MICHAEL KOHLHAAS)
by Volker Schlöndorff in Cannes Competition

1970

Cannes – Seven German productions in the official sections

MALATESTA by Peter Lilienthal
by Alexander Kluge in Cannes Competition

1974

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF)
by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in Cannes Competition

1975

THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER (JEDER FÜR SICH UND GOTT GEGEN ALLE)
by Werner Herzog in Cannes Competition

1976

KINGS OF THE ROAD (IM LAUF DER ZEIT)
by Wim Wenders in Cannes Competition

1977

New location: Export Union moves from Wiesbaden to Munich

THE AMERICAN FRIEND (DER AMERIKANISCHE FREUND)
by Wim Wenders in Cannes Competition

1978

DESPAIR (DESPAIR – EINE REISE INS LICHT)
by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in Cannes Competition

THE LEFT-HANDED WOMAN (DIE LINKSHÄNDIGE FRAU)
by Peter Handke in Cannes Competition

1979

THE TIN DRUM (DIE BLECHTROMMEL) by Volker Schlöndorff
in Cannes Competition + Winner Palme d‘or ex aequo with APOCALYPSE NOW by Francis Ford Coppola

WOYZECK by Werner Herzog in Cannes Competition

DAVID by Peter Lilienthal
in Berlinale Competition + Winner Golden Bear

1980

Oscar® Winner Best Foreign Language Film for
THE TIN DRUM (DIE BLECHTROMMEL) by Volker Schlöndorff

YESTERDAY GIRL © Kairos-Film Dr. Alexander Kluge

1981

ANGELS OF IRON (ENGEL AUS EISEN) by Thomas Brasch
in Cannes Competition

MARIANNE AND JULIANE (DIE BLEIERNE ZEIT) by Margarethe von Trotta
in Venice Competition + Winner Golden Lion

1982

FITZCARRALDO by Werner Herzog
in Cannes Competition

FITZCARRALDO © Werner Herzog Film

DAY OF THE IDIOTS (TAG DER IDIOTEN)
by Werner Schroeter in Cannes Competition

THE STATE OF THINGS (DER STAND DER DINGE)
by Wim Wenders in Venice Competition + Winner Golden Lion

1984

PARIS, TEXAS by Wim Wenders
in Cannes Competition + Winner Palme d’or

PARIS, TEXAS © Wim Wenders Stiftung

1985

THE WOMAN AND THE STRANGER (DIE FRAU UND DER FREMDE)
by Rainer Simon in Berlinale Competition + Winner Golden Bear

1986

STAMMHEIM by Reinhard Hauff
in Berlinale Competition + Winner Golden Bear

1987

WINGS OF DESIRE (DER HIMMEL ÜBER BERLIN)
by Wim Wenders in Cannes Competition

1988

BUTTERFLIES (SCHMETTERLINGE) by Wolfgang Becke
in Locarno Competition + Winner Golden Leopard

1991

MALINA by Werner Schroeter
in Cannes Competition

1993

Christian Dorsch becomes Managing Director

1995

1st edition of Festival of German Films in Paris

THE DEATHMAKER (DER TOTMACHER) by Romuald Karmakar in
Venice Competition (Award Best Actor for Götz George)

1997

January 1, 1997: Rebranding from association to be known as Export-Union des Deutschen Films GmbH

February: Export Union is a founding member of European Film Promotion (EFP)

Launch of the project Next Generation

1998

1st edition of EFP’s Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars with Franka Potente and Jürgen Vogel © Kurt Krieger

1st edition of Festival of German Films in London

The Bundestag calls on the Federal Government to examine how “the Export Union of German film can be restructured and put on a better financial footing and how the level of awareness of German cinema in the world can be improved.”

1999

Relaunch Kino-Magazin: new layout, thematic reports, director portraits,
now only in English

1st editions of the Festival of German Films in Buenos Aires & Madrid

Festival de Cine Aleman © German Films

Expert report on the “External representation of German film” commissioned by the BKM, subsequently commissioned by the ExU Supervisory Board “Expert opinion on the Export Union of German Film”

2000

German Documentaries: Cooperation German Films and AG DOK

Berlinale/EFM moves to Potsdamer Platz: Joint booth at EFM (in debis-Haus) “German Boulevard” (Export-Union, sponsors, international distributors, AG DOK), constructed by Bavaria Studios

Cannes: trailer as give-away: VHS for industry representatives with trailers of the German films in the official programme, and in the “New German Films” market showcase, with a foreword by the BKM (until 2006, from 2002 as DVD)

1st edition of Festival of German Films in Los Angeles

2001

Oscar® Winner Best Foreign Language Feature Film for
NOWHERE IN AFRICA by Caroline Link

New Location: office moves from Türkenstraße 93 to Sonnenstraße 21 in Munich

“German Pavilion“ together with Focus Germany in Cannes

“Focus on German Cinema“ at Montreal World Film Festival (20 feature films + 23 short films)

1st edition of „German Films Previews“ in Munich (formerly known as “Munich Previews”:
2001–2003 during Oktoberfest, 2004-2006 during Filmfest Munich)

2002

THE LONGING (DAS VERLANGEN) by Iain Dilthey
in Locarno Competition + Winner Golden Leopard

1st edition of Festival of German Films in Australia

2003

1st edition of German-French Rendez-vous in Lyon

25 Years of German Cinema: the Museum of Modern Art – MoMA – in New York put together its own series of German cinema films in collaboration with the Export-Union

Alfred Hürmer becomes chairman of the board

GUN-SHY (SCHUSSANGST) by Dito Tsintsadze
in San Sebastian Competition, Winner Golden Shell

2004

Rebranding from Export-Union to German Films Marketing + Service GmbH

1st edition of „German Short Films“ catalogue

HEAD-ON (GEGEN DIE WAND) by Fatih Akin
in Berlinale Competition + Winner Golden Bear

Change of name: „Kino Magazin“ to „German Films Quarterly“

THE EDUKATORS (DIE FETTEN JAHRE SIND VORBEI)
by Hans Weingartner in Cannes Competition

German Films booth at Frankfurter Buchmesse (only once)

DOWNFALL (DER UNTERGANG) by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Gala World Premiere in Toronto

Festival director Piers Handling, leading actor Bruno Ganz and producer Bernd Eichinger (from left) at the premiere in Toronto © German Films

2005

New Location: office moves from Sonnenstraße 21 to Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 16

1st edition of „Focus Germany“ Shanghai Film Festival

German Films Distribution Support funding program established

1st edition of Festival of German Films in Tokyo

2006

1st edition of Soirée Allemande Clermont-Ferrand

EFM in Gropius Bau, new German Films booth with FFA, Focus Germany, AG DOK, AG Kurzfilm

1st edition of „Long Night of German Shorts“ at Molodist Festival Kyiv

1st participation at MIPCOM

2007

Oscar® Winner Best Foreign Language Film for
THE LIFE OF THE OTHERS (DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN) by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (AUF DER ANDEREN SEITE) by Fatih Akin
in Cannes Competition (Award for Best Screenplay)

2008

PALERMO SHOOTING by Wim Wenders
in Cannes Competition

2009

THE WHITE RIBBON (DAS WEISSE BAND) by Michael Haneke
in Cannes Competition, Winner Palme d’or

THE WHITE RIBBON © X Filme Creative Pool / Wega Film / Lucky Red

2010

Launch VOD platform German Films website: B2B Streaming for buyers and festivals

2011

Martin Moszkowicz becomes chairman of the board

Mariëtte Rissenbeek becomes Managing Director

Next Generation Short Tiger

2012

1st edition of Tyske Filmdage in Copenhagen

2013

Emerging Artists - Contemporary Experimental Film and Video Art from Germany – biennial programme

1st edition of Festival of German Films in China

2015

Peter Herrmann becomes chairman of the board

1st edition of Festival of German Films in Türkiye

2016

1st edition of FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS –
Launch at BFI London Film Festival in October 2016

FACE TO FACE 2016 © Mathias Bothor

TONI ERDMANN by Maren Ade
in Cannes Competition

Festival Scope Pro Platform – German Films Label

2017

Start of Animation Germany (Animation Germany UG)

IN THE FADE (AUS DEM NICHTS) by Fatih Akin
in Cannes Competition (Award Best Actress Diane Kruger)

2019

Simone Baumann becomes Managing Director

2020

Animation Germany included in German Films

AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD (UND MORGEN DIE GANZE WELT)
by Julia von Heinz in Venice Competition

Starting SHORT TAKE – A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST

2021

Berlinale showreel with Helena Zengel

TV series and films – country focus Series Mania

Philipp Kreuzer becomes chairman of the board

2022

HOLY SPIDER by Ali Abbasi
in Cannes Competition

Starting DEEP DIVE GENRE – A GERMAN FILMS PODCAST

2023

Oscar® Winner Best International Feature Film for
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES) by Edward Berger

2024

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG (DIE SAAT DES HEILIGEN FEIGENBAUMS)
by Mohammad Rasoulof in Cannes Competition

MARIA by Pablo Larraín
in Venice Competition

70 YEARS ANNIVERSARY GERMAN FILMS

A Timeline 1954-2024