German Talents From ‘Babystar’, ‘Silent Friend’ & ‘Elaha’ Among Those Selected For German Films’ Face To Face Campaign 2026

EXCLUSIVE : German Films , the outfit responsible for promoting German cinema globally, has revealed the seven participants for the 11 th edition of its annual Face to Face campaign. This year’s selection includes actors Bayan Layla and Enzo Brumm, writer-directors Anna Roller and Joscha Bongard, director Isa Willinger, cinematographer Lotta Kilian and makeup artist Lydia Geissler. They follow in the footsteps of renowned filmmakers and internationally acclaimed stars such as Sandra Hüller, Christian Friedel, Burhan Qurbani, Tom Schilling, Louis Hofman, Jonas Nay, Jördis Triebel, Valeska Grisebach and Jannis Niewöhner, all of whom have been part of the campaign in previous editions. German Films’ Face to Face initiative aims to spotlight some of the most influential creative voices in contemporary German cinema and has long been considered an important platform for showcasing German talents to the global film and television industries. Watch on Deadline “We have an exceptionally vibrant and diverse film landscape in Germany, driven by the creativity and vision of its filmmakers,” said German Films Managing Director Simone Baumann. “Across all disciplines, we see talented people constantly exploring new ideas, questioning conventions and redefining what film and cinema can be. “At German Films, we see it as our responsibility to support these creatives and accompany them on their path to international success. We are proud to present seven filmmakers as ambassadors of our campaign this year - each of them embodies the spirit of innovation that propels the film industry forward.” This year’s campaign will kick off with a Deadline Virtual Event on February 4, where Deadline sits down with four of the participants - Bongard, Brumm, Layla and Willinger - to discuss major issues currently facing the German film and television industries. The seven talents will then take part at a panel event organized by German Films during the Berlin Film Festival on February 16. Bongard first worked in Cologne for the YouTube network TubeOne (now We Are Era). He then worked as a production assistant at Iconoclast Germany in Berlin and began studying directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in 2017. In 2019 he received a scholarship from the academy and directed a short film at La Fémis in Paris; in 2022 he completed a masterclass at UCLA Extension. His short film Jung Fragil premiered in Riga in 2020 and was broadcast on German television. In addition to narrative films, he has directed commercials for brands including Mercedes, Bose and Amazon Prime. His documentary debut Pornfluencer premiered at DOK.fest Munich in 2022, was released theatrically nationwide and was nominated for the German Documentary Film Award 2023. His feature debut BABYSTAR celebrated its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at further international festivals. Brumm began his career as an international model, working on the runways of Paris, Milan, London and New York for designers including Versace, Rick Owens, Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton. In 2018 he quit modeling to focus entirely on acting and studied at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna until...

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