FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is celebrating its 40th anniversary! And we cordially invite all of you to take this opportunity to join us in reviewing the experiences we’ve shared. In this section of our website, you’ll find everything worth knowing about our history. Starting it off — as befits a digital commemorative publication — are greetings from our shareholders, who have remained loyal to us since the early days. And then we take a trip down memory lane. How did it all begin, and who all was there at FILMFEST MÜNCHEN? Which films were a hot topic, and which issues were on the minds of the industry and the audience during these four decades? And who recalls what about the Filmfest? Some lovely anecdotes are told, and treasures from the image and video archive come to light.

Browsing is one thing; celebrating and sharing are another. And even before this year’s festival begins, there are already a few opportunities to celebrate with us. With the help of our partners, we’re preparing some special events for young people, for families, for those who feel nostalgic or are interested in political issues. Just stop by from time to time to see what will be held where and when — and of course, starting on June 23, we’ll see you at the festival theaters, outdoors, and at the festival center at the Amerikahaus!

We’re not only looking at the past, but also at the here and now as well as the future. We will be having interviews that deal with very topical issues.

We’d like to express our sincere thanks to Michael Stadler and Barbara Oswald, who were responsible for the editing and design of this section. A big thank you also goes to our partners and shareholders as well as to our enthusiastic audience — because without all of you, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN would not exist. Here’s to the next 10, 20, 30, 40... years!