Berlin, July 1, 2026. Silent film masterpieces , screened outdoors at one of Berlin’s most exclusive venues: From August 26 to 28, 2026, Bertelsmann, in cooperation with UFA, will present the 15th edition of the UFA Film Nights—three evenings under the open sky, against the spectacular backdrop of Berlin’s Museum Island and accompanied by live music.

This year, the UFA Film Nights are taking a trip to the up-and-coming Hollywood for the first time, screening films by renowned German directors who, lured to Hollywood in the 1920s, achieved both artistic and commercial success there. The three American masterpieces by Ernst Lubitsch, Paul Leni, and Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau attest to the high international esteem in which German cinema was held at that time. At the time, Hollywood studios offered talented German professionals—including not only directors but also producers, actors and actresses, cinematographers, screenwriters, and set designers—opportunities to advance their careers on the world stage.

This year’s UFA Film Nights commemorate this unique era of cinematic collaboration between the United States and Germany—an era marked by the American partners’ clearly defined economic interests. In the 1920s, they recognized and capitalized on the great creative potential they found in Germany. This, reinforced by the influx of predominantly German-Jewish film emigrants fleeing Nazi terror a decade later, would have a lasting and productive influence on Hollywood’s subsequent development.

On the first evening, Wednesday, August 26, the famous Lubitsch touch will be in the air. Ernst Lubitsch’s 1925 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s social satire *Lady Windermere’s Fan* revolves around highly complicated family entanglements. The all-female ensemble The Roaring Dames, directed by Luiza Labouriau, will premiere a new composition by Tobias Schwencke.

On the second evening, the program features Paul Leni’s *The Cat and the Canary* ( 1927 ), filmed at the legendary Universal Studios of the German-Jewish Hollywood pioneer Carl Laemmle. For his horror comedy, Paul Leni draws on stylistic elements of German Expressionism. The ensemble Spooky Tune, featuring Carolina Eyck on the theremin and conducted by George Morton, performs a composition by Neil Brand, commissioned by Photoplay Productions for CHANNEL 4.

The UFA Film Nights conclude with *SUNRISE* (1927) , Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau’s Hollywood debut and his undisputed masterpiece to this day. The melodrama, based on a novella by Hermann Sudermann, won three Oscars. Featuring Ekkehard Wölk & The Silent Light Orchestra.

All films will be preceded by an introduction covering film history and contemporary history. The patron of this year’s UFA Film Nights is actress Alexandra Maria Lara.

Tickets are available for 22 euros at www.ufa-filmnaechte.de.

The program at a glance:

Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Movie starts at 9:00 p.m.

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN (1925)

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch (based on a story by Oscar Wilde)

Starring Irene Rich, May McAvoy, and Bert Lytel

Production: Warner Bros.

Running time: 82 min.

Music: Premiere of a new composition by Tobias Schwencke. Performed by The Roaring Dames, conducted by Luiza Labouriau

Thursday, August 27, 2026, Movie starts at 9:00 p.m.

THE CAT AND THE CANARY ( SPUK IM SCHLOSS, 1927)

Directed by Paul Leni

Starring Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, and Tully Marshall

Production: Universal Pictures

Running time: 108 min.

Music: The Spooky Tune ensemble, conducted by George Morton and featuring Carolina Eyck on the theremin, performs a composition by Neil Brand

Friday, August 28, 2026, Movie starts at 9:00 p.m.

SUNRISE (1927)

Directed by: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau

Starring George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, and Margaret Livingston

Production: Fox Film Corporation

Running time: 106 min.

Music: Ekkehard Wölk & The Silent Light Orchestra

The UFA Film Nights are presented by Bertelsmann in cooperation with UFA. Partners include the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, and Velomax. Ströer, the Yorck Cinema Group, radio3, and Maz&Movie are media partners.

As a creative content company with a history spanning more than 190 years, Bertelsmann is actively involved in cultural initiatives at various levels—both nationally and internationally. The “Culture@Bertelsmann” activities focus on supporting cultural diversity and preserving significant cultural heritage. For many years, Bertelsmann has organized the successful silent film festival “UFA Filmnächte” in Berlin and has repeatedly served as the main sponsor for the digital restoration of significant silent films. The Group also owns the Archivio Storico Ricordi in Milan, which houses a wealth of unique artifacts spanning 200 years of Italian opera history. Bertelsmann is digitizing the archive’s holdings according to the latest standards and making thousands of documents, set and costume designs, libretti, and business correspondence freely available online. Through its literary platform “Das Blaue Sofa,” Bertelsmann has been providing authors with a prominent stage for their latest works for over 20 years. The “Culture@Bertelsmann” initiative makes culture accessible to a broad audience.

About Bertelsmann

Bertelsmann is a media, services, and education company with more than 75,000 employees, operating in over 50 countries around the world. The Group includes the entertainment company RTL Group, the book publishing group Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group, and Bertelsmann Investments. The company generated revenue of 19 billion euros in fiscal year 2025. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination enables first-class media offerings and innovative service solutions that delight customers around the world.

www.bertelsmann.de

About UFA

UFA is one of the leading production companies for series, films, shows, and documentaries in the German-speaking world. UFA’s new and long-running programs reach an average of over 30 million people each week and are currently available on nearly all TV networks and streaming platforms. The creative studio brings together its wide range of genres under one roof through its units: UFA Fiction, UFA Serial Drama, UFA Show & Factual, UFA Documentary, and UFA Mitte. UFA is part of the international production company Fremantle, the global production arm of the RTL Group. The long-established UFA was founded in 1917 and now operates at five locations in Germany. Its headquarters are in Berlin. The managing directors of UFA are Sascha Schwingel (CEO) and Christian Rohde.

www.ufa.de | www.facebook.com/UFAProduction
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For queries:

Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

Mandy Berghoff,
Communications Content Team
mandy.berghoff@bertelsmann.de
Tel.: +49 (0)5241 80780 36

UFA GmbH

Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications
janine.friedrich@ufa.de
Tel.: +49 30 700185 379

SteinbrennerMüller Communication

Kristian Müller
km@steinbrennermueller.de
Tel.: +49 (0)30 4737 2192
www.steinbrennermueller.de

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