The international market for German films more than doubled in 2025 compared to the year before, as majority-German productions, including Pablo Larrain’s Maria and Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, generated total box-office revenues of €94.9m from 13.1m admissions, up from the total €53.5m takings from 7.08m tickets sold in 2024.
Komplizen Film’s co-production of Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic Maria was the most successful majority-German film in 2025, with theatrical releases in 60 countries and box-office takings of over €16.6m generated from 2.24m admissions.
In the first half of 2026, Pandora Film’s co-production of Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend was the most successful majority German release, with € 2.1m box office from 15 countries.
Additionally, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound Of Falling and the animated feature Grand Prix Of Europe secured the widest releases outside Germany, each opening in 23 countries.
“Europe remains the main market for German films,” says Simone Baumann, managing director of export organisation German Films Service + Marketing.
The European market, including UK/Ireland, accounted for 72.4% of the total box-office revenues for majority-German productions, led by Italy and Spain, which released 122 and 76 German films, respectively.
“You’ll find select titles going to South America and maybe up to seven titles being sold each year to North America,” Baumann explained.
She added Asian markets remained a challenge. “The audiences there have different tastes in films and are more interested in such genres as horror and mystery, and China has issues with censorship.”
Baumann suggested the Japanese market for independent German films has not fully picked up since the Covid pandemic. Exceptions included films by established names such as Wim Wenders and Fatih Akin, who both have a dedicated following. Distributor Bitter’s End is a regular buyer of Akin’s films, including In The Fade, Rheingold and Amrum.
Taiwan is the exception to the rule with up to 10 German arthouse titles acquired and released each year. The recent roster from Taipei-based Swallow Wings included Silent Friend, Kilian Riedhof’s biographical drama Stella, A Life, and Nge The Chau’s The Door-to-Door Bookstore. Eagle International Communication recently opened Marc Rothemund’s tragicomedy Weekend Rebels.
Festival impact
Baumann suggested the uptick in international distribution is tied to the greater visibility of films by German producers and directors at major festivals.
“More than 20 majority German productions were invited to Locarno this year, such as Ann Oren’s Objet a in the main competition and Nilkas Chryssos’ Bloody Tennis on the Piazza Grande,” she pointed out. ‘We have also had a strong presence in Venice, Toronto as well as San Sebastian where Fatih Akin’s Ghost Song opened the festival.”
Ghost Song is now playing at Filmfest Hamburg.
Studio Zentral’s Lucas Schmidt, who produced Sound Of Falling, recalled that after its premiere in competition at Cannes 2025 “the film went on to enjoy a highly successful international run, screened at all the major festivals around the globe and was sold to a vast number of territories by our sales company mk2.
“Mubi secured the rights for the US, UK, Ireland, Turkey and India, and the film also had a cinema release in Japan as well as in many parts of Asia and South America.”
In addition to receiving numerous awards, including every possible award at this year’s German Film Awards, Schilinski was able to “establish outstanding contacts in the international film market”.
“And for Studio Zentral, too,” Schmidt adds, “the film represents a new level of attention and recognition in both the national and international markets.”
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