Berlin International Film Festival


The Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, is a film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of the "Big Three" alongside the Venice Film Festival in Italy and the Cannes Film Festival in France. Since 2019, Mariette Rissenbeek serves as the executive director of the festival, while Carlo Chatrian is the artistic director.
With around 300,000 tickets sold and 500,000 admissions each year, it has the largest public attendance of any annual film festival. Up to 400 films are shown in several sections across cinematic genres. Around twenty films compete for the festival's top awards, called the Golden Bear and several [|Silver Bears].
The European Film Market, a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit. The trade fair serves distributors, film buyers, producers, financiers and co-production agents. The Berlinale Talents, a week-long series of lectures and workshops, is a gathering of young filmmakers held in partnership with the festival.
The film festival, EFM, and other satellite events are attended by around 20,000 professionals from over 130 countries. More than 4200 journalists produce media coverage in over 110 countries. At some high-profile feature film premieres held during the festival, movie stars and celebrities are present on the red carpet.
The 70th Berlin International Film Festival took place from 20 February to 1 March 2020.

History

During the peak of the Cold War in 1950, Oscar Martay, a film officer of the Information Service Branch of the American High Commissioner for Germany stationed in Berlin, proposed the idea of a film festival in Berlin. The proposal was put through a committee including members of the Senate of Berlin and people from the German film industry on October 9, 1950. Through his efforts and influence, the American military administration was persuaded to assist and to give loans for the first years of the Berlin International Film Festival, which commenced in June 1951 with film historian Dr. Alfred Bauer as its first director, a position he would hold until 1976. Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca opened the first festival at the Titiana-Palast in Steglitz on June 6, 1951. The first festival ran from June 6–17th with Waldbühne being another festival venue.
The winners of the first awards in 1951 were determined by a West German panel, and there were five winners of the Golden Bear, divided by categories and genres. Cinderella, which won the Golden Bear for a Music Film, also won the audience award. The FIAPF banned the awarding of jury prizes at the festival so between 1952 and 1955, the winners of the Golden Bear were determined by the audience members. In 1956, FIAPF formally accredited the festival and since then the Golden Bear has been awarded by an international jury.
The 20th edition of the festival in 1970 was cut short and awards not issued following controversy over the showing of Michael Verhoeven's film o.k.. The following year, the festival was reformed and a new International Forum for New Cinema was created.
Bauer was succeeded by film journalist Wolf Donner in 1976, who gave German films higher priority. After his first Berlinale in June 1977, he successfully negotiated the shift of the festival from the June to February, a change which has remained ever since. That festival, the 28th edition, saw the jury award the Golden Bear to Spain for its contribution to the festival rather than a specific film. The three Spanish films which were screened at the festival and won it were short film Ascensor directed by Tomás Muñoz and feature films La palabras de Max by Emilio Martínez Lázaro and Las truchas by José Luis García Sánchez. The 1978 festival also saw the start of the European Film Market.
After only three years in the role, Donner was followed by Moritz de Hadeln who held the position from 1980 until director Dieter Kosslick took over in 2001.
In 2000, the Theater am Potsdamer Platz, known as the Berlinale Palast during the festival, became the festival's principal venue. Since 2009, Friedrichstadt-Palast has also been used.
In June 2018, it was announced that Mariette Rissenbeek would serve as the new executive director alongside artistic director Carlo Chatrian. They assumed their posts after Kosslick's final edition in 2019. Rissenbeek became the first woman to lead the Berlinale.

Festival programme

The festival is composed of seven different film sections. Films are chosen in each category by a section director with the advice of a committee of film experts. Categories include:
Competition: comprises feature-length films yet to be released outside their country of origin. Films in the Competition section compete for several prizes, including the top Golden Bear for the best film and a series of Silver Bears for acting, writing and production.
Panorama: comprises new independent and arthouse films that deal with "controversial subjects or unconventional aesthetic styles". Films in the category are intended to provoke discussion, and have historically involved themes such as LGBT issues.
Forum: comprises experimental and documentary films from around the world with a particular emphasis on screening works by younger filmmakers. There are no format or genre restrictions, and films in the Forum do not compete for awards.
Generation: comprises a mixture of short and feature-length films aimed at children and youths. Films in the Generation section compete in two sub-categories: Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus. Awards in the section are determined by three separate juries—the Children's Jury, the Youth Jury and an international jury of experts—, whose decisions are made independently of one another.
Perspektive Deutsches Kino: comprises a wide variety of German films, with an emphasis on highlighting current trends in German cinema. There are few entry requirements, enabling emerging filmmakers to display their work to domestic and international audiences.
Berlinale Shorts: comprises domestic and international short films, especially those that demonstrate innovative approaches to filmmaking. Films in the category compete for the Golden Bear for the best short film, as well as a jury-nominated Silver Bear.
Retrospective: comprises classic films previously shown at the Berlinale, with films collated from the Competition, Forum, Panorama and Generation categories. Each year, the Retrospective section is dedicated to important themes or filmmakers. The special Homage series similarly examines past cinema, with a focus on honouring the life work of directors and actors.
In addition to the seven sections, the Berlinale also contains several linked "curated special series", including the Berlinale Special, Gala Special, Forum Expanded, and the Homage. In 2020, Culinary Cinema was dropped while a new section called Encounters was established. Since 2002 a 50-second trailer opens the performances in all sections of the festival with the exception of the Retrospective.

Main competition jury presidents

Since 1956, the jury of the Festival has been chaired by an internationally recognized personality of cinema.
YearPresidentProfessionNationality
1956Marcel CarnéDirectorFrance
1957Jay CarmodyFilm CriticUnited States
1958Frank CapraDirectorUnited States
1959Robert AldrichDirectorUnited States
1960Harold LloydActorUnited States
1961James QuinnFilm AdministratorUnited Kingdom
1962King VidorDirectorUnited States
1963Wendy ToyeDancerUnited Kingdom
1964Anthony MannDirector, ActorUnited States
1965John GillettFilm CriticUnited Kingdom
1966Pierre BraunbergerFilm ProducerFrance
1967Thorold DickinsonDirectorUnited Kingdom
1968Luis García BerlangaDirectorSpain
1969Johannes SchaafDirectorGermany
1970George StevensDirectorUnited States
1971Bjørn RasmussenPoetDenmark
1972Eleanor PerryScreenwriterUnited States
1973David RobinsonFilm CriticUnited Kingdom
1974Rodolfo KuhnDirectorArgentina
1975Sylvia SymsActressUnited Kingdom
1976Jerzy KawalerowiczDirectorPoland
1977Senta BergerActressAustria
1978Patricia HighsmithWriterUnited States
1979Jörn DonnerDirectorFinland
1980Ingrid ThulinActressSweden
1981Jutta BrücknerDirector, ScreenwriterGermany
1982Joan FontaineActressUnited States
1983Jeanne MoreauActressFrance
1984Liv UllmannActressNorway
1985Jean MaraisActorFrance
1986Gina LollobrigidaActressItaly
1987Klaus Maria BrandauerActorAustria
1988Guglielmo BiraghiFilm CriticItaly
1989Rolf LiebermannComposerSwitzerland
1990Michael BallhausCinematographerGermany
1991Volker SchlöndorffDirector, ScreenwriterGermany
1992Annie GirardotActressFrance
1993Frank BeyerDirectorGermany
1994Jeremy ThomasFilm ProducerUnited Kingdom
1995Lia van LeerFilm Programmer, Film ArchivistIsrael
1996Nikita MikhalkovActor, DirectorRussia
1997Jack LangPoliticianFrance
1998Ben KingsleyActorUnited Kingdom
1999Ángela MolinaActressSpain
2000Gong LiActressChina
2001Bill MechanicFilm ProducerUnited States
2002Mira NairDirectorIndia
2003Atom Egoyan DirectorCanada
2004Frances McDormandActressUnited States
2005Roland EmmerichDirectorGermany
2006Charlotte RamplingActressUnited Kingdom
2007Paul SchraderDirector, ScreenwriterUnited States
2008Costa-GavrasDirectorFrance
2009Tilda SwintonActressUnited Kingdom
2010Werner HerzogDirector, ScreenwriterGermany
2011Isabella RosselliniActressItaly
2012Mike LeighDirector, ScreenwriterUnited Kingdom
2013Wong Kar-waiDirectorHong Kong
2014James SchamusScreenwriterUnited States
2015Darren AronofskyDirector, ScreenwriterUnited States
2016Meryl StreepActressUnited States
2017Paul VerhoevenDirector, ScreenwriterNetherlands
2018Tom TykwerDirector, ScreenwriterGermany
2019Juliette BinocheActressFrance
2020Jeremy IronsActorUnited Kingdom

Awards

The Golden Bear is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Golden Bear
Silver Bear
The Silver Bear was introduced in 1956 as an award for individual achievements in direction and acting, and for best short film.
In 1965 a special film award for the runner-up to the Golden Bear was introduced. Although its official name was the Special Jury Prize from 1965 to 1999, and has been the Jury Grand Prix'' since 2000, it is commonly known as the Silver Bear as it is regarded as a second place award after the Golden Bear.
In 2002 a Silver Bear for best film music, and in 2008 an award for best screenplay.
Other awards at the Berlin International Film Festival
The European Film Market is one of three largest movie markets in the world. Started in 1978, it is the business centre during the time of the Berlinale. The EFM is the major venue for film producers, buyers, financiers, sales agents, and distributors. It is a professional trade event, so is open to registered industry insiders. In 2011, 400 companies registered and 6,982 market badges were issued; 1,532 buyers have registered.
The trade fair provides exhibition space for companies presenting their current line-up. It organizes over 1000 screenings of new films, which take place at movie theatres around Potsdamer Platz. In 2007, the CinemaxX and CineStar were used to showcase new productions. In 2010, the Astor Film Lounge showed market screenings in three dimensions using digital RealD technology.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a three-day networking platform for producers and financiers, as well as broadcasting and funding representatives who are participating in international co-productions. At the Berlinale Co-Production Market, producers can introduce selected projects and find co-production partners and/or financiers in one-on-one meetings.

Berlinale Talents

Commencing in 2003, the Berlinale has partnered with the Berlinale Talents, which is a winter school for "up-and-coming filmmakers" that takes place at the same time as the festival. The Talent Campus accepts about 250 applicants each year; the attendees come from around the world, and represent all of the filmmaking professions.
The event runs six days during the Berlinale and features lectures and panel discussions with well-known professionals addressing issues in filmmaking. Workshops, excursions, personal tutoring, coaching, and training of participants from different fields of work are part of the programme.
The proceedings include presentations by distinguished experts, who have included Park Chan-wook, Frances McDormand, Stephen Frears, Dennis Hopper, Jia Zhangke, Walter Murch, Shah Rukh Khan, Joshua Oppenheimer, Anthony Minghella, Charlotte Rampling, Walter Salles, Ridley Scott, Raoul Peck, Tom Tykwer, Mike Leigh, Tilda Swinton, and Wim Wenders. Many of these presentations and lectures are archived, both as video recordings and as transcripts, on the Talent Campus' website.

Gallery