Film Restored 2026: “Risky Business”

From 21 to 25 October 2026, the Deutsche Kinemathek invites you to the eleventh edition of the “Film Restored” film heritage festival. This year, the festival is focusing on the theme of risk in cinema. Exciting, dangerous, unconventional and inspiring – “Film Restored” is showcasing how risk is handled in films, in film history and in film archives. 

Festivalgoers can look forward to digital restorations, workshops, panel discussions and live music. The program features works from twenty countries, numerous international guests and films spanning the years from 1927 to 2010 – including many premieres of restored versions. 

The festival is opening with the world premiere of the digital restoration of ‘Cyankali’ (Germany, 1930), one of six restorations in the festival made possible by the German Film Heritage Program (FFE). A drama which condemned the law criminalizing abortion, ‘Cyankali’ is an excellent example of the festival’s films that dared to break social taboos and whose complex restoration posed significant material and ethical challenges for the archives. The screening, accompanied by live music, is taking place in the former machine hall at the E-Werk, now home of the Deutsche Kinemathek. 

Further festival highlights include the comedy ‘Chameleon Street’ (USA, 1989), described by ‘Sight & Sound’ magazine as a “lost masterpiece of Black American cinema”. Piercingly funny and aesthetically mischievous, the film exposes discrimination based on race and class and lays bare the excesses of capitalism. The film’s distributor, Yaël Halbron, will introduce the screening. 

Numerous events with international guests will address topics of persecution, flight and emigration, with speakers including the founders of Roya Film House. Established in 2003 as Afghanistan’s first women-led film production company, Roya Film House is now forced to operate from exile. A wide-ranging program also features other prominent guests and their films which all focus in one way or another on the topic of “Risky Business”, including Thomas Arslan (‘Im Schatten’, Germany, 2010), Maxim Dessau and Peter Badel (‘Erster Verlust’, GDR, 1990), Uli M Schueppel (‘Vaterland’, Germany, 1992) and Ana Díez (‘Ander eta Yul’, Spain, 1988). The festival is culminating with a screening of the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning cult crime thriller, ‘Fargo’ (USA, 1996). 

Audiences are invited to attend evening events in the Kinemathek’s Halle in the E-Werk in Berlin-Mitte, while daytime events are taking place at Sinema Transtopia in Berlin-Wedding. From Wednesday to Friday, interested cinemagoers can also enjoy a supplementary program of screenings in the Kinemathek’s Studiokino. 

The “Film Restored” festival creates a dialogue between diverse perspectives. It is not just about experiencing films on the big screen but also discussing them. The festival highlights how films went down in history – or were marginalized from it – and what they have to say to us today. It is an event for everyone who loves cinema. 

Additional Program Items 

The Prize of the Association of German Cinematheques (24 October): As in previous years, the award ceremony is taking place as part of “Film Restored” and honors municipal cinemas and film culture initiatives. 

“Selects: Risky Business” streaming program (1 October 2026 – 31 January 2027): Running alongside the festival, “Selects” presents the 17th edition of a separate film program curated from the Kinemathek’s collection. The program is free of charge and does not require a subscription. 

Program Overview 

The complete program is listed on the Film Restored website at: 

deutsche-kinemathek.de/filmrestored 

Festival Pass 

The festival pass (€30/€10 concessions) is an easy way not only for industry professionals but all film fans to attend the entire festival and grants access to all events and screenings. Please register by 9 October at: deutsche-kinemathek.de/festivalpass26. The pass will then be issued for you to collect at the Kinemathek. 

Tickets 

You can of course also access the entire festival program without a festival pass by purchasing tickets for single events. Tickets are on sale from the beginning of October. Further information can be found at: deutsche-kinemathek.de/filmrestored and sinematranstopia.de

Festival Venues 

Deutsche Kinemathek, Mauerstraße 79, 10117 Berlin 

Sinema Transtopia, Lindower Straße 20/22, 13347 Berlin 

The festival is taking place in cooperation with Sinema Transtopia. 

The Prize of the Association of German Cinematheques is an event organized by the Deutsche Kinemathek for the Association of German Cinematheques and is supported by special funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. 

The Deutsche Kinemathek receives funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.