Twin Cities German Film Festival

The Twin Cities German Film Festival returns to The Main Cinema from October 22 to 25, 2026. This is the festival's fifth year, and it's produced by the Germanic-American Institute in partnership with the Goethe-Institut. The programming runs the gamut from family-friendly films and documentaries to dramas, and every screening is in German with English subtitles.

Thursday, October 22 opens with two screenings: Wochenendrebellen (Weekend Rebels, 2023) at 10:30 AM, and Spione unter uns (The Spies Among Us, 2025) at 7 PM. Wochenendrebellen is based on a true story, directed by Marc Rothemund, and picked up the Youth 4 German Cinema award at the 2024 Berlin & Beyond film festival. Friday, October 23 brings Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen (Phantoms of July, 2025) at 7 PM. Saturday, October 24 is a double bill: Lene und die Geister des Waldes (Lene and the Spirits of the Forest, 2020) at 1 PM, followed by Silent Friend (2025) at 6:45 PM. Sunday, October 25 closes the festival with Faust (1926) at 7 PM, shown with a live musical score.

That closing is the big one. Faust is a pinnacle of German Expressionist cinema, and this screening marks the film's centenary. The live score is provided by ten thousand lakes, so you'll hear the movie played out in the room rather than just from a track. It's a 1926 silent film, so it's a different experience from the rest of the lineup.

Tickets range from $5 to $17, and the festival runs at The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main St, Minneapolis, MN 55414. The full schedule is Thursday, Oct 22: Wochenendrebellen at 10:30 AM and Spione unter uns at 7 PM; Friday, Oct 23: Sehnsucht in Sangerhausen at 7 PM; Saturday, Oct 24: Lene und die Geister des Waldes at 1 PM and Silent Friend at 6:45 PM; Sunday, Oct 25: Faust at 7 PM.