Sooner Exclusives

Sooner curates a diverse range of captivating film experiences that are a testament to the creativity of international filmmakers. From Cannes to Sundance, Sooner presents an exclusive selection of what these renowned festivals have to offer, ensuring users have access to undiscovered film gems. With a keen eye for quality and a commitment to nurturing emerging talent, Sooner provides filmmakers with a platform to share their individual stories and visions with a global audience, making it a must-read for anyone looking for inspiring, culturally diverse and visually intriguing films.
  • Rot

    Rot

    Shorts

    2004

    3min

    16+

    Eduard loves everything that is red, but Beate knows nothing of it and only wears yellow.


  • A Bed for Three

    A Bed for Three

    Comedy, Queer

    2022

    17min

    16+

    A movie about the extraordinary and surprising complexity of bedroom furniture and polyamory.


  • Kumru

    Kumru

    Drama, Independent

    2020

    43min

    16+

    In the mountain village of Kumru, a whistled language is a central part of communication. However, Berat cannot whistle.


  • Points of Light

    Points of Light

    Documentary, Independent

    2024

    27min

    16+

    An experimental documentary about fireflies going extinct, and our relationship to nature.


  • Your Beautiful Hell

    Your Beautiful Hell

    Drama, Independent

    2023

    1h.57min

    16+

    Bond villain Detlef Bothe tells the story of two people who would have been better off never meeting.


  • Pinky Swear - Whatever She Wants

    Pinky Swear - Whatever She Wants

    Independent, Thriller

    2024

    1h.31min

    16+

    In this Berlin thriller, lollipops serve as a gateway to extraordinary adventures and reveal sweet and dangerous secrets.


  • The Bitter Apple From the Tree

    The Bitter Apple From the Tree

    Documentary, Independent

    2015

    29min

    16+

    A feminist return from Germany to Korea to her own mother, who “never had a life of her own”.


  • Beckerbillett

    Beckerbillett

    Documentary, Icons & Media Art

    1992

    18min

    16+

    This documentary draws viewers' attention to an equally neglected and essential process in the cultural economy: the ticket.


  • Quitt

    Quitt

    Animation, Drama

    2023

    16+

    QUITT = art, comic, trash, from the Alps and the Wild West, with plastic mannequins as actors, real landscapes and in-between songs.


  • Double Suicide or it wasn't love

    Double Suicide or it wasn't love

    Drama

    2023

    20min

    16+

    Five women, each endowed with magical powers, break out of their prescribed roles to (re)write their own history.


  • Islands in the City

    Islands in the City

    Comedy, Queer

    2021

    23min

    16+

    A soft-apocalyptic rom-com featuring sunsets and sweets.


  • Surviving Brandenburg

    Surviving Brandenburg

    Independent, Comedy

    2024

    1h.20min

    16+

    László reluctantly stands as a candidate for mayor to prevent his village in Brandenburg from sinking into the right-wing swamp.


  • Breakthrough Stage

    Breakthrough Stage

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    1h.20min

    16+

    An inspiring film about courage, talent and the vision of a theater world that recognizes and promotes all talents equally.


  • The Investigator

    The Investigator

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    1h.13min

    16+

    An ex-investigator of the Hague Tribunal searches for justice in the Balkans. He shows his mission and its influence on the collective memory.


  • Treu

    Treu

    Shorts, Love & Sex

    2015

    12min

    16+

    Javier loves two women, and that is more than he can handle.


  • The Circle in Which She Travels

    The Circle in Which She Travels

    Drama, Independent

    2010

    25min

    16+

    A young woman's search for her family roots leads her to Mexico and on the trail of a revolutionary.


  • Teheran Kitchen

    Teheran Kitchen

    Documentary, Shorts

    2009

    17min

    16+

    Between oversalted soup and grumbling students, three chefs and a kitchen hand toil in the small university cafeteria in Tehran.


  • Elysium

    Elysium

    Shorts, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

    2009

    5min

    16+

    A brief vision of a capitalistic-dystopian future in which even dying is commercialized.


  • Inside you

    Inside you

    Drama, Shorts

    2008

    22min

    16+

    In this perceptive coming-of-age drama, 16-year-old Suse feels like a fifth wheel since her mom started dating.


  • Star Chasers

    Star Chasers

    Documentary, Shorts

    2007

    14min

    16+

    What does the night do to people? A documentary with a poetic look at three Berlin night workers and their very own rhythm.


  • Five to Six

    Five to Six

    Shorts, Love & Sex

    2004

    6min

    16+

    Erotic fairy tale about sexual fantasies in the hectic atmosphere of a large kitchen.


  • The World Is Blue at Its Edges

    The World Is Blue at Its Edges

    Icons & Media Art

    2021

    14min

    16+

    A mother shares her thoughts with her unborn child. It is a glimpse into an uncertain future and yet full of hope.


  • Storm

    Storm

    Drama

    2009

    1h.45min

    16+

    The war crimes tribunal in The Hague is fighting with itself and war criminals from the former Yugoslavia.


  • Digital Life

    Digital Life

    Independent, Comedy

    2023

    1h.31min

    16+

    A digital flat share in the middle of the pandemic. Everyone is always reachable. Love and hate are close together. A comic nightmare by Malte Wirtz.


  • Kick It Like a Girl

    Kick It Like a Girl

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    16+

    "Girls can't play soccer" - Pauline, Chayenne, Eriona and Liv prove that this is obviously nonsense in this documentary series.


  • Adam Ondra: Pushing the Limits

    Adam Ondra: Pushing the Limits

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.17min

    16+

    Climber Adam Ondra, best in his field, is known for his fearless, record-breaking ascents. An intimate portrait explores his life beyond the headlines


  • Europa Passage

    Europa Passage

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.29min

    16+

    A movie about people who have no chance but still try to make the best of it. And about the price they have to pay for it.


  • Talk to Me

    Talk to Me

    Drama

    2023

    1h.19min

    16+

    When a mother and her daughter take a vacation at the Baltic Sea, it quickly turns into a journey into the past that opens up old wounds.


  • Babyboy

    Babyboy

    Drama, Romance

    2023

    48min

    16+

    A teenager grapples with masculinity amid family splits and first loves, reflecting the rawness of youth in a German town.


  • Uncanny Me

    Uncanny Me

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    44min

    16+

    Lale creates a digital clone to escape the stressful world of fashion. UNCANNY ME explores identity, technology and the nature of reality.


  • Fragile Memory

    Fragile Memory

    Biography, Documentary

    2022

    1h.25min

    16+

    The Ukranian grandson of filmmaker Leonid Burlaka draws a rich picture of Soviet history with archive footage of his grandfather.


  • A Dog You Are

    A Dog You Are

    Shorts

    2021

    12min

    16+

    In the local outdoor pool, documentary realism mixes with staged absurdity.


  • It Works II

    It Works II

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.43min

    16+

    IT WORKS II shows the lives of three people with disabilities - grown up and self-determined, 20 years after the first film.


  • It Works

    It Works

    Documentary, Icons & Media Art

    1998

    21min

    16+

    IT WORKS tells seemingly ordinary stories that are a celebration of the individual achievements of the four protagonists.


  • Signs of War

    Signs of War

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.20min

    16+

    To document the imment conflict in eastern Ukraine, photographer Pierre Crom traveled to the Donbass in 2014.


  • Reihe 6

    Reihe 6

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    25min

    16+

    This documentary shows the consequences of the 2008 war for displaced Georgians in a refugee settlement and their struggle to find a new home.


  • Don't Call Me Bro

    Don't Call Me Bro

    Drama, Shorts

    2018

    18min

    16+

    In her harsh milieu study, Gina Wenzel tells the story of youth violence from the perpetrator's perspective.


  • L' "il y a" du rapport sexuel

    L' "il y a" du rapport sexuel

    Documentary, Icons & Media Art

    2023

    1h.35min

    16+

    Two strangers, Lisa and Jos, go to San Francisco to find out, if there is sexual intercourse - based on french philosopher Jean-Luc Nancys text.


  • Will My Parents Come to See Me

    Will My Parents Come to See Me

    Drama

    2022

    28min

    16+

    With destabilising gentleness, Mo Harawe recounts the last hours of the terrorist Farah before his execution.


  • Matadoras

    Matadoras

    Drama, Shorts

    2021

    26min

    16+

    Caught between German stuffiness and Argentinian religiosity, Madi discovers her own sexuality.


  • Everything Has an End

    Everything Has an End

    Comedy, Shorts

    2022

    15min

    16+

    Helen no longer wants to be a modern Sisyphus and is breaking the chains of the capitalist grillwalker corset.


  • The Smoothness of Our Teeth

    The Smoothness of Our Teeth

    Drama, Shorts

    2021

    28min

    16+

    A family visit and a broken tooth raises universal questions about identity, origins and life choices.


  • Stained Skin

    Stained Skin

    Shorts

    2021

    9min

    16+

    Despite the adverse working conditions, two friends persevere with the power of their imagination and their will.


  • Good Life Deal

    Good Life Deal

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.13min

    16+

    Gerhard goes all in: He leaves his previous life behind for the Thai girl Amy. Romance and thriller begin to intertwine.


  • Life on the Horn

    Life on the Horn

    Drama

    2020

    25min

    16+

    A creeping, almost invisible toxic waste catastrophe is taking place on Somalia's coast.


  • Para:dies

    Para:dies

    Drama, Queer

    2022

    1h.16min

    16+

    Lee and Jasmin's lesbian idyll on the outskirts of Salzburg starts to crack when they give documentary filmmaker Amira a glimpse into their lives.


  • Somehow

    Somehow

    Drama, Independent

    2022

    1h.42min

    16+

    "Don’t become like my father" - a credo that will drive Alex, a man on the run from himself, to the edge of reason.


  • Night to Be Gone

    Night to Be Gone

    Crime, Drama

    2024

    1h.31min

    16+

    In the heart of Berlin, a film noir billiard thriller unfolds with deceit, ambition, and suspense.


  • Zahorí

    Zahorí

    Drama

    2022

    1h.45min

    16+

    In the vast emptiness of the Patagonian steppe, 13-year-old Mora embarks on a journey with an old, indigenous Mapuche gaucho.


  • 2551.02 – The Orgy of the Damned

    2551.02 – The Orgy of the Damned

    Drama, Horror

    2023

    1h.22min

    16+

    The dark, dystopian horror cabinet with BDSM vibes about the man in the monkey mask enters its second round.


  • Make Up the World

    Make Up the World

    Documentary, Independent

    2024

    1h.39min

    16+

    Props play a crucial role in every movie, yet they are rarely consciously noticed - the big and small things on the set.


  • The Dream

    The Dream

    Documentary

    1987

    45min

    16+

    This poignant and thought-provoking documentary offers a unique and deeply moving insight into the lives of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.


  • 1982

    1982

    Drama, Action & Adventure

    2020

    1h.40min

    16+

    While Wissam fights for his love, political tensions rise and the Israeli army invades Lebanon.


  • Narcissism: The Auto-Erotic Images

    Narcissism: The Auto-Erotic Images

    Love & Sex, Queer

    2023

    1h.30min

    16+

    "Challenging Identities" - A lesbian non-binary artist's documentary on gender, self-love, and narcissism, honored at Berlin Pornfilmfestival.


  • In Between Fridays

    In Between Fridays

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    1h.37min

    16+

    Somewhere in the Monchique mountains of Portugal, the Fridayhappiness Associação balances sustainable living with their economic lifeline.


  • Dreams of the City

    Dreams of the City

    Drama

    1984

    2h.3min

    16+

    A poignant tale of lost innocence, young Dib navigates the tumultuous landscape of 1950s Damascus following his father's death.


  • What the Fuck is Going On Between Us, Fuck?

    What the Fuck is Going On Between Us, Fuck?

    Shorts, Queer

    2022

    9min

    16+

    Lola's hidden love for teammate Zoe challenges her both on and off the soccer field. Will she score or lose her chance?


  • Janine F.

    Janine F.

    Documentary, Independent

    2004

    1h.20min

    16+

    The tragic story of an artist who was torn between passion and obsession and died under mysterious circumstances.


  • Our Fathers

    Our Fathers

    Documentary, Independent

    2021

    1h.15min

    16+

    About the missing and the found. About the silent and the roaring. About cuddling and sneezing. Six stories about fathers.


  • Fortuna Valentyn

    Fortuna Valentyn

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.5min

    16+

    After the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, Valentyn decided to become politically active and run for city council in his home town.


  • [Out of Fra]me

    [Out of Fra]me

    Shorts

    2015

    19min

    16+

    An entertaining and ambiguous film that illuminates the connection between cinematic art and human experience.


  • Enter Mycel

    Enter Mycel

    Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

    2022

    1h.15min

    16+

    A parasitic fungus infects humanity. It triggers visions and also enables communication with the dead.


  • Allesandersplatz

    Allesandersplatz

    Documentary, Independent

    2021

    53min

    16+

    In the heart of Berlin, a GDR ruin is given a new lease on life and becomes a center for art, culture and community.


  • Re-Destruction

    Re-Destruction

    Documentary, Independent

    2021

    45min

    16+

    Acclaimed Lebanese director Simon El Habre paints a vivid portrait of Beirut post-Civil War, highlighting the impact of the 2020 port explosion.


  • The Red Mountain

    The Red Mountain

    Drama, Independent

    2022

    1h.50min

    16+

    Is it fact or is it fiction? A documentary-fiction hybrid about the Red Mountain near Trier and the people who dwell there.


  • Joker

    Joker

    Documentary, Independent

    2019

    1h.30min

    16+

    Three solo entertainers share a passion for entertaining. For them, it is not just a profession, but a vocation to which they subordinate everything.


  • Burning Beds

    Burning Beds

    Comedy, Romance

    1988

    1h.23min

    16+

    Hamburg's housing shortage forces car inspector Gina and British pyromaniac Harry to move into the same apartment.


  • Sehnsucht nach dem ganz Anderen

    Sehnsucht nach dem ganz Anderen

    Shorts

    1981

    13min

    16+

    A young woman roams through the night. On a train, she rummages through other people's luggage, seeking closeness to them in an unusual way.


  • Never Sleep Again

    Never Sleep Again

    Drama

    1992

    1h.32min

    16+

    After a wedding party, three friends from Hamburg are stranded Berlin. A fast-paced odyssey through the urban wasteland of this once divided city.


  • Soulscapes: Spiritual Places in Scotland

    Soulscapes: Spiritual Places in Scotland

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    56min

    16+

    After England and Wales, Rüdiger Sünner explores the spiritual side of Scotland's breathtaking landscapes in the second part of his trilogy.


  • Just a Friday

    Just a Friday

    Drama

    2022

    26min

    16+

    When Germany surrenders in 1945, two reckless teenagers put their families' escape on the line to save their friendship.


  • Forces

    Forces

    Drama

    2023

    2h.28min

    16+

    Under the crushing emotional burden of his terminally ill father and violent brother, 14-year-old Daniel seeks refuge with two outcasts.


  • Goosebumps

    Goosebumps

    Shorts

    2022

    8min

    16+

    A singer loses her voice and seeks healing in a shamanistic trance.


  • Ramba Zamba

    Ramba Zamba

    Documentary, Independent

    2023

    1h.29min

    16+

    To live inclusion and not just to play it is the declared goal of the Theater Rambazamba from Berlin.


  • Bastard in Mind

    Bastard in Mind

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.26min

    16+

    A chance examination delivers the frightening diagnosis of brain aneurysm. The director himself documents the months leading up to the operation.


  • From the Ashes

    From the Ashes

    Documentary, Independent

    2019

    19min

    16+

    In a former German coal region, a mine gives way to a ghost train, including undead miners.


  • She Is a Good Boy

    She Is a Good Boy

    Drama

    2022

    26min

    16+

    When Ava's father Gunter, a classic macho dude, shows up at her door, worlds collide.


  • Candidates - Training in Stammheim

    Candidates - Training in Stammheim

    Documentary

    2020

    58min

    16+

    In Stammheim, right next to the old RAF prison, an educational center for future correctional officers is located next to the prison wall.


  • The Light at the End

    The Light at the End

    Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thriller

    2023

    1h.27min

    16+

    A group of radical climate activists takes matters into their own hands and eliminates suspected climate sinners.


  • The Giant

    The Giant

    Drama

    1984

    1h.22min

    16+

    An omnipresent giant who sees everything, but can’t be seen himself ... An “City Symphony” entirelly composed from material generated by CCTV.


  • Gisela

    Gisela

    Drama, Love & Sex

    2005

    1h.30min

    16+

    Authentic, haphazard and unromantic, three residents of a high-rise housing estate search for love, friendship and sexuality.


  • The Grass is Greener Everywhere Else

    The Grass is Greener Everywhere Else

    Drama, Romance

    1989

    1h.18min

    16+

    Either the grass is greener, or the houses are bigger, or the sun is warmer ... anywhere else is better.


  • Prima Mallorca

    Prima Mallorca

    Documentary, Independent

    2019

    1h.30min

    16+

    A new start to a better life? Forty Germans on welfare fly to Mallorca to do internships.


  • Ostravaganza

    Ostravaganza

    Independent, Comedy

    2022

    1h.43min

    16+

    Pittiplatsch, star of GDR children's television has a dark secret. Pitti was an avant-garde artist and informer for the state security service.


  • Undersea

    Undersea

    Documentary

    2022

    52min

    16+

    To deal with the trauma she endured during her work as photojournalist, Nanna Kreutzmann turns to underwater photography.


  • Welcome to the Dome

    Welcome to the Dome

    Documentary, Queer

    1992

    15min

    16+

    During the final prayer of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference in 1991, one of the most spectacular protest actions takes place.


  • Looteyo

    Looteyo

    Drama, Independent

    2022

    1h.23min

    16+

    A powerful film about the struggle of a naive boy with good intentions in the harsh environment of Irans drug stronghold on the Island of Hormuz.


  • Soulscapes: Spiritual Places in England and Wales

    Soulscapes: Spiritual Places in England and Wales

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    53min

    16+

    Poetic film essay which conveys a sense of the lived spirituality of the British Isles.


  • Motorcity

    Motorcity

    Documentary, Independent

    2021

    1h.27min

    16+

    A compelling exploration of the complexities of American life, history, and society through the lens of the unique and fascinating sport drag racing.


  • Soldier Ahmet

    Soldier Ahmet

    Documentary, Independent

    2021

    1h.16min

    16+

    Ahmet, a champion boxer and professional soldier, starts taking acting lessons. On stage he comes face to face with his own internal battles.


  • Zwischennutzung

    Zwischennutzung

    Documentary, Independent

    2022

    1h.35min

    16+

    Discover the hidden world of the former meat factory in Vienna's Sonnwendviertel through the lens of filmmaker Dariusz Kowalski.


  • Alice Schwarzer

    Alice Schwarzer

    Biography

    2022

    2h.16min

    16+

    Cinematic memorial to the highly controversial icon of the German women's movement who helped shape feminist discourse for over 50 years.


  • Show Your Wound - Art and Spirituality in the Work of Joseph Beuys

    Show Your Wound - Art and Spirituality in the Work of Joseph Beuys

    Biography, Documentary

    2015

    1h.24min

    16+

    The portrait of an artist who in all his art and with his whole being questioned the existing social system.


  • Uncomfortably Comfortable

    Uncomfortably Comfortable

    Documentary

    2021

    1h.12min

    16+

    This experimental video portrait delves into questions of homelessness, the impact of incarceration, trauma, and living on the fringes of society.


  • I Am the Tigress

    I Am the Tigress

    Documentary

    2021

    1h.20min

    16+

    Tischa Thomas is a 47-year-old bodybuilder who has undergone a remarkable transformation. She challenges conventional notions of femininity.


  • Krai

    Krai

    Documentary

    2021

    2h.3min

    16+

    This black and white film portrays the life and stories of a village on the Russian-Ukrainian border, combining elements of fiction and documentary.


  • Beatrix

    Beatrix

    Documentary, Drama

    2021

    1h.35min

    16+

    Milena Czernovsky and Lilith Kraxner's debut blurs the line between documentary and fiction filmmaking, joining a recent trend in the film industry.


  • Stories from the Sea

    Stories from the Sea

    Documentary

    2021

    1h.26min

    16+

    This documentary portrays women who embark on a sea voyage thus challenging traditional gender roles just by being there.


  • For the Glory

    For the Glory

    Biography, Independent

    2022

    1h.15min

    16+

    This documentary follows full-contact athlete Lukas Kroiss on his cinematic path to the K1 European Championship title.