News

Los Angeles, March 16, 2026: The Norwegian drama SENTIMENTAL VALUE, co-produced by the Berlin-based production company Komplizen Film, led by co-founder and Villa Aurora alumna Maren Ade, won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards. There was also a win in the documentary category, as Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a German co-production by ZDF/Arte, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Berlin & Los Angeles, December 18, 2025: The application portal for the 2027 Fellowships is now open.  

Berlin, 17. Dezember 2025: A review of our VATMH program highlights of 2025.

Los Angeles, December 17, 2025: A review of our Villa Aurora program highlights of 2025.

Los Angeles, December 17, 2025: A review of our Thomas Mann House program highlights of 2025.

Berlin, May 21, 2025: Villa Aurora's anniversary program at the water reservoirs in Prenzlauer Berg.

Berlin, December 11, 2024: In 2026, Villa Aurora in Los Angeles will once again welcome artists from Germany. Set in the inspiring atmosphere of this historic landmark, fellows will have the opportunity to pursue their projects over a three-month residency while engaging in cultural exchange with fellow creatives. Applications are open through February 27, 2025.

Berlin, December 11, 2024: The Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles has announced its 2026 fellowships under the theme “In Search of a Common Cause.” Applications are open through February 14, 2025.

Lübeck, December 3, 2024: In honor of Thomas Mann's 150th birthday next year, Thomas Mann International, a coalition of globally active Thomas Mann institutions, is launching the initiative “Mann 2025: 150 Years of Thomas Mann.”

Berlin, November 30, 2025: VATMH Berlin hosted an exciting program in 2024 that built cultural bridges between Germany and the USA. Here are our highlights...

Los Angeles, November 30, 2024: From musical memories of exile to Hollywood glamour with Cate Blanchett — Villa Aurora remained a vibrant hub for art, film, and transatlantic dialogue in 2024.

Los Angeles, November 30, 2024: From opera and democracy to transatlantic election analysis — 2024 was packed with debates, premieres, and inspiring encounters. Here are the highlights you won’t want to miss.

Berlin, October 10, 2024: Music and cultural diplomacy in Berlin

Berlin/Los Angeles, October 9th, 2024: The 2025 Fellows for the Villa Aurora have been selected. To mark the 30th anniversary of the residency program, the juries of the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House and its partners have awarded 19 fellowships for a three-month stay in Los Angeles.

Berlin/Los Angeles, October 9, 2024: In 2025, fourteen remarkable individuals from the fields of science, media, business, and culture will come together at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles to address issues related to the annual topic “Across Boundaries.”

Los Angeles, March 9th 2024: Best Actress nominee Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) and the teams of The Teachers’ Lounge (Best International Feature, Germany), Perfect Days (Best International Feature, Japan), and Four Daughters (Best Documentary Feature) attended the event at the historic Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades

Los Angeles, February 25, 2024: On the occasion of the historic LA premiere of Alexander Zemlinsky’s The Dwarf at the LA Opera on February 24, 2024, Maestro James Conlon, Richard Seaver Music Director at the LA Opera, convened a conversation about Zemlinsky, the fate of other exiled composers, and the quest to make their voices heard again.

Berlin, December 13, 2023: The Thomas Mann House has opened its application process for the 2025 fellowships and invites innovative thinkers to explore the theme “Across Boundaries.”