The Berlinale, English Cinemas & Theatres in Berlin
Finding movies, theatre or comedy in English in Berlin is not as hard as you might think. This multicultural city is full of international artists, and all mediums cater to those preferring English movies and theater in Berlin. Read on as we at Archer Relocation share our favorite English cinemas, comedy clubs, theatres and movie festivals in Berlin.
English Movies and Theatre in Berlin
If you like going to the movies, don’t be scared to head to the cinema in Berlin. There is a huge movie-going public in the city and a massive industry for dubbing English films into German. However, there are many cinemas in town that play films in their original language and use German subtitles. In the program or on the cinema’s web site, look for ‘OV’ (meaning Original Verson) or ‘OmU’ (meaning Original Version with Subtitles) following the movie title.
The three biggest and best cinemas in the city for English film screenings are Kino in der Kulturbrauerei, CineStar CUBIX at Alexanderplatz, Kino International at Karl-Marx-Allee, and the Odean in Schöneberg, but there are many more around. Anglo Info updates the best and most comprehensive list each week, so you will be sure to see your favourite latest releases listed there.
Film festivals in Berlin
There are hundreds of film festivals in Berlin every year. Highlights include The Down Under Berlin Film Festival from Australia and New Zealand (you can read our blog post on this festival here), The XPOSED International Queer Film Festival, That Film Festival, Webfest Berlin Web-series Festival and even a Weihnachtsfilmfestival (Christmas Film Festival). There is a network of Berlin film festivals called Festiwelt, which represents over 50 of the best and most popular film festivals in Berlin. Festiwelt also has their own 24-hour-long film festival in August, called the Lange Nacht der Filmfestivals (Long Night of the Film Festivals). At this festival, all of the other represented festivals get a session to show their stuff. It is an awesome adventure for film buffs, and a great overview if you can’t get to all the festivals throughout the year.
The biggest film festival in town – The Berlinale!
If you are living in Berlin and enjoy a film or two, you simply must immerse yourself in the Berlinale! Every February the Berlin International Film festival (Berlinale) is celebrated, and it seems to get bigger every year. It is full of movie makers and artists enjoying, not only the thrill of the film program, but workshops and the European Film Market. As a simple punter, you get to watch, too! If you are not part of the industry or press, then you can buy tickets online up to three days in advance. If you are unable to get tickets to the film that you wish to see, then do us the other Berliners do — line up at the box office. The box office will open 30 minutes before the screening, but you need to queue much earlier. All screenings are usually 12 Euros, unless otherwise stated.
The city is alive at Berlinale time, especially around Potsdamer Platz or Zoo, so get in on it!
Or, do you like the theatre?
English Theatre in Berlin
The English Theatre Berlin has a variety of English language shows, but they are not restricted to using native English performers. That’s what is so interesting about this international performing arts centre, where you can see an eclectic program of works by artists from all over the globe. They run an in-house producing series, an educational stream, and an Expat expo, plus lots of regular comedy and improv nights. Check out the program from time to time, and you will certainly find something interesting to see!
Berlin English Repertory Theatre Company (BERT)
Relatively new on the Berlin English theatre scene is BERT, the Berlin English Reparatory Theatre Company. Running up to three shows simultaneously, BERT captures both the traditional English plays, such as ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘The Importance of Being Ernest’, and, of course, a touch of Shakespeare. They also produce original small works, providing Berlin with an array of English theatre throughout the year.
Want to go for a laugh?
English Comedy Nights
English comedy is rife in Berlin! Expats and Berliners love a giggle, and you can easily experience stand-up comedy and improvisational nights (which are particularly entertaining) from international artists and locals. The best way to keep up to date is to search Facebook for various comedy nights in Berlin.
https://www.facebook.com/adorablecomedy/
https://www.facebook.com/events/318179455342013/
https://www.facebook.com/gemused/
https://www.facebook.com/CSzBerlin/
You can also go to http://comedyinenglish.de/ for what’s on in Berlin and check out their monthly listing of upcoming shows.
Contributed by Charmaine.
Charmaine Gorman is an Australian actress and writer living in Berlin with her family. As a content writer and editor, she works for many clients around the world, and along with her husband, is the founder and content manager of the online travel guide My Guide Berlin.
Do you have any more English cinema or Theatre tips? Please add them in the comments!
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