The Goethe-Institut proudly announces the return of its annual German film festival, KinoFest, now on its fourth edition, bringing compelling stories and thought-provoking cinema to audiences across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. From October to November 2025, the festival will tour the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.
In Manila, film lovers can look forward to screenings from October 16 to 19, 2025 at Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas (Cinema 3 & Premiere Cinema). This year’s line-up features eight contemporary German films and five Filipino short films, offering a rich showcase of storytelling across cultures. The program spans documentary, adventure, drama, comedy, animation, and thriller, with selections highlighting themes of memory, reimagining, and confronting perspectives, while also delving into family, belonging, and care. KinoFest continues to celebrate cinema’s unique ability to connect people across borders by fostering dialogue between German and Filipino voices.
The Manila opening night on October 16 at 6:00 PM will present Riefenstahl (2024), a provocative documentary revisiting the controversial life and legacy of filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. The film interweaves rare archival material with contemporary reflections, sparking debate on the dual nature of cinema as both an artistic triumph and a tool of political propaganda. The screening will be followed by a hybrid Q&A with renowned producer Sandra Maischberger, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with one of the most contested figures in film history. Riefenstahl will be presented in German with English subtitles.
On October 18, KinoFest Special: Stories Across Continents will showcase five Filipino short films that tackle the climate crisis through the lenses of love, myth, displacement, and grief. The program features works by Krystahl Guina and Miko Reyes (Baradiya), Carl Joseph Lara (Rumbles of the Earth), and Whammy Alcazaren (Water Sport). Following the screenings, writer and transfeminist artist Jaya Jacobo will moderate a discussion with the filmmakers, opening conversations about the climate crisis as both an ecological and human reality.
The festival will close on October 19 at 5:00 PM with the screening of the German film Vena, followed by an in-person talkback with producer Svenja Vanhoeffer. Audiences will gain behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the film and a deeper understanding of contemporary German cinema.
KinoFest 2025 is jointly organized by eight Goethe-Instituts in Southeast Asia and New Zealand, and in Manila, it is presented in partnership with Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas under the Culture in Focus program, with support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines. With its bold line-up of German and Filipino works, KinoFest 2025 invites audiences in Manila to engage with cinema not only as entertainment, but as a mirror to histories, communities, and the urgent challenges of our time.
For full program details, visit: www.goethe.de/manila/kinofest
