Boasting a multifaceted programme, Germany’s second most important festival is ready for its 37th edition, which will take place from 27 June-6 July in the Bavarian capital of Munich. This year, Filmfest München will be showing 180 recent films from 62 countries (including 118 German and 48 world premieres). The movie that will have the honour of opening the festival this year is Riley Stearns' US comedy The Art of Self-Defense, which stars Jesse Eisenberg in the leading role. Furthermore, both Antonio Banderas and Ralph Fiennes will be honoured with the CineMerit Award at the festival’s 37th edition. The overarching themes among this year's movies include alternative concepts of reality and innovative variations on international genre cinema.

“This year's festival begins the expansion that we announced last year. We are delighted that in 2019, we're already able to break new ground and look to the future by introducing the prestigious CineCoPro Award and a new virtual-reality section,” says Filmfest München director Diana Iljine. “Additionally, in our two retrospectives this year, we will be honouring Bong Joon Ho and Mads Brügger, two critical directors whose work reflects the current state of international cinema, and whose films masterfully combine entertainment and sophistication.”

In the CineMasters section, pictures by internationally acclaimed directors (with the exception of German filmmakers) will be competing for the ARRI/OSRAM Award (services from ARRI and OSRAM worth €50,000). Abounding in titles that celebrated their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, this year’s CineMasters selection includes Bacurau [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Jul…
scheda film] by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles (Brazil/France), Between Two Waters [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Isaki Lacuesta
scheda film] by Isaki Lacuesta (Spain/Switzerland/Romania), Blaze by Ethan Hawke (USA), Cold Case Hammarskjöld [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Mads Brügger
intervista: Mads Brügger
scheda film] by Mads Brügger (Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Belgium), An Easy Girl [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Rebecca Zlotowski
scheda film] by Rebecca Zlotowski (France), Fire Will Come [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Oliver Laxe
scheda film] by Oliver Laxe (Spain/France/Luxembourg), Liberté [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Albert Serra (France/Spain/Portugal/Germany), Peterloo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Mike Leigh
scheda film] by Mike Leigh (UK), The Place of No Words by Mark Webber (USA) and Parasite by Bong Joon Ho (South Korea), this year’s Palme d’Or winner.

Furthermore, this edition’s CineVision Competition will feature ten films by emerging international filmmakers: Angelo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Markus Schleinzer
scheda film] by Markus Schleinzer (Austria/Luxembourg), Animals [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Sophie Hyde (UK/Australia/Ireland), The Art of Self-Defense by Riley Stearns, The Climb by Michael Angelo Covino (USA), Judy and Punch by Mirrah Foulkes (Australia), Land of Ashes [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Sofía Quirós Ubeda (Costa Rica/Chile/Argentina/France), The Man Who Surprised Everyone [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov (Russia/Estonia/France), Manta Ray [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand/France/China), Song Without a Name [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Melina León (Peru/Spain/Switzerland) and Winter After Winter by Jian Xing (China).

For the first time, nine co-productions involving German co-producers will be competing for the CineCoPro Award, a prize endowed with €100,000. The selection of this newly created competitive section includes Gaza [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell (Germany/Ireland/Canada/UK), Yesterday [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Bálint Kenyeres (Hungary/Germany/France/Netherlands/Sweden/Morocco), The Invisible Life of Euridíce Gusmāo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Karim Aïnouz
scheda film] by Karim Aïnouz (Brazil/Germany), It Must Be Heaven [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Elia Suleiman
scheda film] by Elia Suleiman (France/Germany/Canada/Turkey/Qatar), The Orphanage [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Shahrbanoo Sadat
scheda film] by Shahrbanoo Sadat (Denmark/Germany/Luxembourg/France/Afghanistan), Saturday Afternoon by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh/India/Germany), Stay Still [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Elisa Mishto (Germany), The Traitor [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Marco Bellocchio
scheda film] by Marco Bellocchio (Italy/France/Germany/Brazil) and Corneliu Porumboiu’s The Whistlers [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Corneliu Porumboiu
scheda film] (Romania/France/Germany).

At its 37th edition, the Filmfest München will also present its first-ever section for virtual reality (in collaboration with the Bavarian Film Centre). Titled Virtual Worlds, the new section features a selection of the most innovative and important international VR experiences.

Finally, 18 movies by emerging German filmmakers will compete in the New German Cinema section of the festival, which will also showcase a variety of films for children and television productions.

The complete programme can be found here.