German Currents Film Festival returns on October 22

The sixth annual German Currents Film Festival returns to Balboa Park this weekend, and with it comes the usual fine array of five films you’re not likely to find anywhere else in town.

The call came in from GCFF Director of Communications Patrick Schultheis, asking if I would once again participate in this year’s festival. Of course I would, under one stipulation: no Heidi remake! The masterful Alan Dwan version starring Shirley Temple gives me nightmares to this day. I still shudder when Grandfather screams, “Get out of here!” It doesn’t help that the new version stars Bruno Ganz — the man who launched a thousand Hitler memes — in the role originated by Oscar’s #1 humanitarian, Jean Hersholt.

Patrick replied, “I fully understand the Shirley ‘Heidi’ Temple issue at hand... great piece on the ‘Top 10 movie Führers,’ by the way!” All this and he compliments me on my Hitler piece? What time do you want me to show up?

The festivities kick off on the roof of the San Diego Natural History Museum this Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with a pre-show VIP champagne celebration. The opening night film, Me and Kaminski, hits the screen at 7:30 p.m., and I’ll be on hand after the movie to host a discussion with director Wolfgang Becker. The evening will be crowned by a gala post-show reception in the NAT’s atrium with German food and drinks.

All other films will be screened at MoPA’s Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theatre. The complete lineup is as follows:

Oct. 22: Me and Kaminski, 7:30 pm at the Natural History Museum

Oct. 23: Heidi, 10:30 a.m. at MoPA

Oct. 23: Offline: Are You Ready for the Next Level?, 1:30 p.m. at MoPA

Oct. 23: 24 Weeks, 4 p.m. at MoPA

Oct. 23: I’m Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago, 7 p.m. at MoPA

Tickets to the opening night gala run between $48 and $60 while Sunday’s features run $14 for general admission tickets and $12 for students and seniors. Children’s tickets for Heidi will set you back $9.

For more information visit German Currents. See you there!