Mala Emde to Receive Spotlight Award at “Berlin & Beyond” Film Festival

San Francisco will host the 30th anniversary of “Berlin & Beyond,” the largest German-language film festival in the United States, in March. The festival will open with a spotlight on actress Mala Emde, who will receive the Spotlight Award for her performance in “Köln 75.”

Festival Highlights and Emde’s Role

The Goethe-Institut San Francisco will present “Berlin & Beyond,” showcasing feature films, documentaries, and short films from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The festival’s opening night, scheduled for March 19th, will feature the film “Köln 75” starring Mala Emde.

In “Köln 75,” Emde portrays Vera Brandes, the 18-year-old who organized a 1975 concert by jazz musician Keith Jarrett. The concert, known as “The Köln Concert,” became a legendary and commercially successful live recording.

Spotlight Award and Previous Recipients

Mala Emde, born in Frankfurt, will be honored with the Spotlight Award recognizing her acting achievements. Her previous roles include performances in “Meine Tochter Anne Frank” (My Daughter Anne Frank) and “Die Mittagsfrau” (The Midday Woman).

Director Ido Fluk will also be in attendance at the festival. Previous Spotlight Award recipients include Christiane Paul, Bjarne Mädel, Lars Eidinger, Frederick Lau, Julia Jentsch, Tom Schilling, and Ronald Zehrfeld.

About “Berlin & Beyond”

“Berlin & Beyond” has been a significant platform for German-language cinema in the United States for three decades, fostering cultural exchange and showcasing the diversity of filmmaking from the German-speaking world.