46th Max Ophüls Film Festival Opens in Saarbrücken

The festival showcases 151 films across 234 screenings, highlighting emerging talents from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The festival kicked off with the political satire 'Muxmäuschenstillˣ' by Jan Henrik Stahlberg, addressing populism and party politics with humor and sharp critique.
57 films are competing for awards in categories such as feature film, documentary, medium-length film, and short film, with 38 world premieres included.
A new €10,000 'Treatment Development' prize, created in collaboration with ZDF, will support the development of debut feature film projects.
Festival themes focus on family, loss, gender identities, love, and magical realism, with fewer entries addressing migration and war compared to last year.
Highlights include a tribute to filmmaker Christian Petzold and the participation of prominent jury members like Sibel Kekilli and Lorna Ishema.