In Germany, German Films is responsible for the preparation, organisation and implementation of the selection procedures of the national submissions for the participation at international film festivals. If a German film is invited to one of the major festivals, the German Films will provide the necessary material and logistic support, in certain cases also assistance with the cost of subtitling and travel. Alongside German Films organises stands at film festivals and television fairs.

The Goethe Institute arranges annual film festivals with the recent German films in various countries of the world for example:

CinéAllemand4 in France and Luxembourg,

German Film Festival in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nowosibirsk,

German Film Festival New Zealand,

Festival of European Film in Ljubljana.

Together with the German Films the Goethe Institute organises German film weeks in major centres of the international film industry.

The promotion is a key feature of cultural programme work of the Federal Foreign Office. In the countries in which the Goethe Institute is not represented organisers can turn to the German Missions Abroad.

The German Films maintains its own representatives in Argentina, Japan, East Europe, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, USA and Canada as well as in China assisting in an advisory capacity for all film-makers. Alongside it reports in its worldwide published magazine German Films Quarterly about new released films in Germany.

The Goethe Institute lends documentaries and feature films from a 100 years of German film history in German with English, French or Spanish subtitles for non-commercial purposes and teaching abroad.

The Institute for Academic Film (IWF) produces in cooperation with scientists audio-visual medias for research and teaching. Academic institutions and public educational institutes in Germany as well as abroad can research these via the Media Catalogue and hire or buy.