KinoFest, the Goethe-Institut’s annual film festival in Southeast Asia, celebrates contemporary German cinema and caters to local film enthusiasts. This year’s edition is set to take place in late October across the country, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Lam Dong, Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Bac Ninh.
Kinofest 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City will take place from October 21 to 27, showcasing seven films across various genres, including “Afire,” “Vena,” “The Last Taboo,” “Koln 75,” “Late Shift,” and “Greeting from Mars.” The festival will also feature the animated adventure “Niko—Beyond the Northern Lights,” presented in both subtitled and dubbed versions.
In a special highlight marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany, KinoFest 2025 will present a curated selection of short films by German-Vietnamese filmmakers. These works offer nuanced and heartfelt reflections on memory and cultural connection between the two nations. Notable titles include “Only at Night Could We Be Sad” by Melanie Nguyen and “Alles gehört zu dir” (Everything Belongs to You) by Mani Pham Bui.
The opening ceremony of KinoFest 2025 will take place at 6:00 p.m. on October 21 at Galaxy Nguyen Du, located at No. 116 Nguyen Du Street, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The evening will feature a screening of two films, “Only at Night Could We Be Sad” and “Afire” (Roter Himmel) by Christian Petzold. The latter won a Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in 2023.
