Munich offers one film festival after the other. It's like a big chase, you are constantly looking for the extraordinary, impressive and glamourous movie. Who has been gotten by the film fever, is in the right place in Munich with  its diverse offer.

For Munich is Germany's media city. It is packed with famous TV and film productions. The Bayerische Rundfunk permanently resists the growing number of private producers and on the Bavaria facilities in Geiselgasteig they produce Oscar-adequate movies since 1920. The importance of film facilities as an employer also shows in the soon move of the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen (HFF) from the outskirts to the city centre. It's about time for thisupgrade of the school which has brought forth Oscar winners like Caroline Link and Florian Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck. The latter won the desired golden man in 2007 with his graduate thesis film "Das Leben der Anderen".

Who doesn't want to miss out anything in the festival jungle will check hisagenda sooner than later. Almost every month there's a theme weeks  like Latin American, Turkish, Fantasy or Kids & Youth Film days. In May documentary filmers from all over find a forum, followed by the very highlight of the Munichfilm season in June – with the red carpet for stars and starlets. In the fall the"Bunte Hund" with short films and the Asia Filmfest with Asian Film gems.

Another gem, whose reputation shines much further than Munich, is the Filmmuseum. There celluloid stripes from a history of over a hundred years arearchived, restored and presented of course. And that's special about Munich. Here cinemas maintain their house against all odds valuing film culture, autorenkino and special programs.

Almost every district hosts such a "Programmkino". At Glockenbach the Neue Arena has been showing selected movies for a 100 years. The Theatiner in 1950s look with seats on the side has commited itself to the French auteur theory cinema. At Cinema on Nymphenburger Straße you find original versions,  double features on Saturdays. The Schwabing Isabella surprises with European films in its original version. Friends of art-house films and documentaries as well as experimental cinema will love Maxim and Werkstattkino. The Museums Lichtspiele show film classics, a kids cinema and the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" for over 30 years now.

Obviously there are mainstream and multiplex cinemas where you sit cozier than in airplanes and in which the dividing of over-dimensioned popcorn cups with the sweet taste and smell over rows make up the real experience. Notmentioning the noise of Taco Chips. There are about 30 of those cinemas, mostly with several halls. If you want to spare yourself the closeness of a neighbour you will like the drive-in cinema "Autokino Aschheim". Munich's cinema landscape has something in store for everybody.

by Karin Nagl