SAD JOKES - GERMAN CURRENTS FILM FESTIVAL 2025

The German Currents Film Festival and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles would like to invite you to its special screening of GREETINGS FROM MARS | GRüßE VOM MARS

SAD JOKES

Sunday, October 19th @ 4:30 PM

at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

1901 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Admission is free | Space is limited | Beverages and light refreshments provided.

RSVP holders will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Free Parking is available at Metro/Retail parking structure located at

Public transport is possible with the red line to MacArthur Park/Westlake stop.

Using carpool or ride-share options are appreciated.

SAD JOKES
Germany (2024) 96 min. Digital Projection. German/English/Italian/Swedish with English Subtitles
Writer-Director Fabian Stumm
Cinematography Michael Bennett
Editor Kaspar Panizza
Cast Fabian Stumm, Haley Louise Jones, Justus Meyer, Ulrica Flach, Jonas Dassler, Godehard Giese, Marie-Lou Sellem, Anne Haug, Knut Berger
Producers Fabian Stumm, Nicola Heim, Lucie Tamborini
Co-producer Nele Schallenberg, Wiebke Wesselmann
Production Company Postofilm (Berlin)
Set in present-day Berlin, writer-director-actor Fabian Stumm frames his tragicomical second feature as a series of autofictional vignettes, ranging from the touching to the absurd, that tell the story of Joseph (Stumm) and Sonya (Haley Louise Jones), close friends who are raising their young son, Pino, together. Joseph, a filmmaker, is working on a new idea for a project and has been struggling, for several years now, to move on from the breakup with his ex-boyfriend Marc (Jonas Dassler); while Sonya is suffering from severe bouts of depression that increasingly tear her out of her life and from Pino. When Sonya admits herself to a clinic to recover, Joseph struggles to juggle parenting, romantic possibilities, and his artistic ambitions.
Stumm's poignant portrayal of modern queer life and an artist's perseverance is at times absurdly funny and banal, hopeful and heartbreaking, and – like real life – sometimes all of these at once.

AWARDS
German Film Awards 2025 Best supporting Actor
IFF Berlin 2025 German Film Critics Award Best Actor
Filmfest München 2024 FIPRESCI-Award Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino, Best Director

FABIAN STUMM was born 1981 in Koblenz and studied acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute New York. He has appeared on stage at HAU Berlin, Münchner Kammerspiele, Volksbühne Berlin, The Kitchen New York, and Tate Modern London, among others. His film work includes LORE by Cate Shortland, BELA KISS: Prologue by Lucien Förstner, PRECIOUS IVE by Sarah Blaßkiewitz, and the Grimme-Award nominated series DRUCK. His films include BRUXELLES (2022), DANIEL (2022) and his feature-length debut BONES AND NAMES (2023). SAD JOKES premiered in 2024 at the Filmfest München.

WORLD SALES
SALZGEBER

FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM:

The German Currents Film Festival 2025 is a co-production of the and the , with the support of The Friends of Goethe, , , the , , , , , , the , our media partners , , , our educational outreach partners , and in cooperation with the .

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Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut Los Angeles