Berlin International Film Festival facts for kids
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| Location | Berlin, Germany |
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| Founded | 6 June 1951 |
| Awards | Golden Bear, Silver Bear |
| Artistic director | Tricia Tuttle |
The Berlin International Film Festival (also known as the Berlinale) is a big film festival held every year in Berlin, Germany. It started in 1951. Since 1978, it has taken place in February.
The Berlinale is one of the "Big Three" film festivals in Europe. The other two are the Venice Film Festival in Italy and the Cannes Film Festival in France. It's also one of the "Big Five" most important film festivals in the world. Many thousands of people visit the festival each year.
About 400 films are shown at different places across Berlin. Most screenings happen around Potsdamer Platz. Films are shown in nine different sections. About twenty films compete for the top awards in the "Competition" section. The main awards are the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears. An international jury, led by a famous film person, decides who wins these awards. Other juries also give out many other prizes.
The European Film Market (EFM) happens at the same time as the Berlinale. It's a big meeting for people in the film industry. Film distributors, buyers, producers, and others meet here. The Berlinale Talents is another event. It's a week of talks and workshops for young filmmakers.
Contents
History of the Berlinale
How the Festival Started
In 1950, during the Cold War, a man named Oscar Martay had an idea. He worked for the American government in West Berlin. He suggested starting a film festival in West Berlin. This idea was approved, and the first festival began in June 1951.
The American military helped by giving loans for the first few years. Dr. Alfred Bauer was the festival's first director. He held this job until 1976.
The first film shown at the festival was Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock. It opened on June 6, 1951, at the Titania-Palast. The festival lasted until June 17.
In 1951, a West German group chose the winners. Five films won the Golden Bear in different categories. Cinderella won the Golden Bear for a Music Film and also an audience award.
Early Years and Awards
From 1952 to 1955, the audience chose the Golden Bear winners. This was because a film organization called FIAPF did not allow juries to give prizes at the Berlinale yet. In 1956, FIAPF officially recognized the festival. Since then, an international jury has chosen the Golden Bear winners.
Before the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, some films were also shown in East Berlin. In 1955, the first German film won the Golden Bear. It was Die Ratten by Robert Siodmak.
In 1957, the Zoo Palast became the main place for the festival. It stayed the main venue until the festival moved to Potsdamer Platz in 2000.
The 1960s and 1970s
In 1963, after the Berlin Wall was built, a daily show of the Berlinale was shown on TV in East Germany. Five films from the competition were broadcast. Werner Herzog's first feature film, Lebenszeichen, was shown at the festival in 1968.
The 20th festival in 1970 was cut short. No awards were given that year. This happened after a disagreement about showing Michael Verhoeven's anti-war film o.k.. The jury decided to remove the film from the competition. This event made people wonder if the festival would continue.
But the festival did continue the next year. A new section called the International Forum for New Cinema was created. In 1975, the first East German film, Jacob the Liar, was shown.
Wolf Donner became the festival director in 1976. He gave more attention to German films. He also successfully moved the festival from June to February, starting in 1978. The festival has been held in February ever since.
In 1978, the jury gave the Golden Bear to Spain for its films shown at the festival. Three Spanish films won this award. This festival also saw the start of the European Film Market. A new section for children's films, "Cinema for People Six and up," also began.
Just before the 1979 festival, Wolf Donner resigned. There was more controversy that year. The Soviet Union and other countries pulled their films. They were protesting the selection of The Deer Hunter.
From 1980 to Today
Moritz de Hadeln became the director in 1980. He held the job until Dieter Kosslick took over in 2001. In 1986, Gina Lollobrigida led the jury. They awarded the Golden Bear to Stammheim. She disagreed with the decision.
Kosslick made changes when he became director. He focused more on German and international films. He also started events to help new German filmmakers. In 2010, Werner Herzog was the jury president for the 60th festival. The city of Berlin also started its "Boulevard of the Stars" that year. The first star honored was actress Marlene Dietrich.
In 2012, the 100th birthday of Studio Babelsberg was celebrated. Ten classic films made at the studios were shown. A new "Series" section for TV shows was added in 2015.
In 2018, Mariette Rissenbeek was announced as the new executive director. Carlo Chatrian became the artistic director. They took over after Kosslick's last festival in 2019. Mariette Rissenbeek was the first woman to lead the Berlinale.
The 71st festival in 2021 was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 73rd festival in 2023 was the first fully in-person Berlinale since 2020. Tricia Tuttle became the new artistic director in April 2024. The 75th Berlinale in 2025 will be her first festival.
About the Berlinale
The Berlinale is one of the five biggest film festivals in the world. It is also the largest based on how many people attend. In 2020, about 325,000 tickets were sold. Nearly 16,000 film industry workers from 130 countries came. It attracts many thousands of visitors every year.
About 400 films are shown in different sections. Around twenty films compete for the top awards. These are the Golden Bear and Silver Bears. The festival gets money from the German government to help it run.
Since 2019, Mariette Rissenbeek has been the festival's executive director. Carlo Chatrian was the artistic director until 2024. In December 2023, it was announced that Tricia Tuttle would be the sole director from April 2024.
How Films Are Chosen
The festival accepts films of all lengths and types. They prefer films that are being shown for the first time internationally or in Europe. Films must have been finished in the year before the festival. Filmmakers can submit their films starting in September.
Festival Programme
As of 2024[update] the festival has eight different sections:
- Competition: This section shows new feature films. They compete for prizes like the top Golden Bear for best film. There are also Silver Bears for acting, writing, and production.
- Berlinale Special & Berlinale Series: This section shows a variety of films and events. Berlinale Series focuses on television shows.
- Encounters: This section started in 2020. It highlights "daring works" or films that are very original.
- Berlinale Shorts: This section is for short films. Short films have won Golden and Silver Bears since 1955.
- Panorama: This section shows new and independent films. It often features films that are "explicitly queer, explicitly feminist, explicitly political."
- Forum & Forum Expanded: This section looks at the art of filmmaking. It shows about 40 films. The Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art organizes this part of the festival.
- Generation: This section has two parts: Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus. They show international films about the lives of children and teenagers. This section started in 1978 as "Cinema for People Six and up."
- Retrospective, Berlinale Classics & Homage: This section looks back at old films. It also honors filmmakers for their lifetime achievements. The Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen helps organize this section.
Awards
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The Golden Bear (Goldener Bär) is the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 1951, the first year, a German jury gave it to the best film in five different groups.
From 1952 to 1955, the audience voted for the Golden and Silver Bears. This changed in 1956 when an international jury started choosing the winners. That same year, a second Golden Bear was added for the best short film. The Silver Bear award was also created for great acting or directing. In 1965, a second-place prize to the Golden Bear was added.
The trophies are statues of a bear. They are based on a bear statue made by Renée Sintenis in 1932. The bear is a symbol of Berlin. Since 1953, the Noack Foundry has made copies of the bear for the awards.
Main Jury Prizes
The main prizes are given by the international jury. These include the Golden Bear and different Silver Bears. As of 2022[update], the Golden Bear for Best Film goes to the producers of the best feature film.
As of 2022[update], the Silver Bear awards are:
- Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
- Silver Bear Jury Prize
- Silver Bear for Best Short Film
- Silver Bear for Best Director
- Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance (for actors)
- Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance (for actors)
- Silver Bear for Best Screenplay (for writers)
- Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Other Berlinale Awards
The Honorary Golden Bear is given for a lifetime of amazing work in filmmaking. It started in 1982. This award goes to a special guest in the "Homage" section.
Awards for short films are given by a separate jury. As of 2022[update], the short film awards are:
- Golden Bear for Best Short Film (since 1956)
- Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film)
- Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards
Other awards are given by different juries or groups:
- The Berlinale Camera has been awarded since 1986. It's a trophy shaped like a camera. It thanks people and groups who have helped film in a special way.
- Crystal Bears (Gläserner Bär) and other prizes are given in the "Generation" section for children and youth films.
- GWFF Best First Feature Award (since 2006) gives money to a great first film.
- The Heiner Carow Prize is for the best young German film.
- Three prizes are given in the "Encounters" section.
- Berlinale Documentary Award (since 2017) gives money to the best documentary film.
- Berlinale Series Award started in 2023 for the best TV series. The first winner was The Good Mothers.
- Panorama Audience Award (since 1999) is chosen by the audience.
- Compass-Perspektive-Award is for the best film in the "Perspektive Deutsches Kino" program.
- Readers' awards are given by newspapers.
- Several awards help new film projects get started.
Independent Awards
The Shooting Stars Award helps young European actors. It is given by European Film Promotion.
Many other prizes are given by groups not directly connected to the Berlinale. These include:
- FIPRESCI awards for best film in different sections.
- Teddy Awards for films about LGBT topics.
- Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (since 1992).
- Amnesty International Film Award (since 2005).
- Peace Film Prize.
Past Awards
Some awards are no longer given:
- Silver Bear for Best Actor (1956–2020) and Silver Bear for Best Actress (1956–2020) were replaced by Best Leading and Supporting Performance awards.
- The Alfred Bauer Prize (1987-2020) was replaced by the Silver Bear Jury Prize.
Festival Locations
The Theater am Potsdamer Platz is called the Berlinale Palast during the festival. This is where the main films are first shown. It also hosts the opening and awards ceremonies.
The CinemaxX Potsdamer Platz has 19 screens. It has been a main cinema for the Berlinale since 2000.
Other places where films are shown include:
- The first festival in 1951 was at the Titiana-Palast and the open-air cinema at Waldbühne. The Titiana Palast is now called the Cineplex Titania.
- The historic Delphi Filmpalast am Zoo has been used almost since the festival began. It is a main place for the "Forum" program.
- The Zoo Palast was built in 1957 just for the festival. It was the main home of the festival until 1999. It was renovated and reopened in 2013.
- The Academy of Arts is also used for screenings.
- The CineStar CUBIX cinema (Cubix am Alexanderplatz) started showing films for the festival in 2007.
- Haus der Berliner Festspiele is a large building used for screenings.
- From 2009 to 2022, Friedrichstadt-Palast was used. It has a very large cinema with 1,635 seats.
- Since 2023, screenings from Friedrichsstadt-Palast moved to the Uber Eats Music Hall.
- The historic Kino International, built in the 1960s, is another venue.
- The Kino Arsenal is the main place for the "Forum" event.
- The Haus der Kulturen der Welt is where the "Generation" section films are first shown.
- Urania Berlin also hosts film premieres for the "Generation" section.
- The Zeiss Major Planetarium has two spaces for film screenings.
Many other cinemas and cultural places in Berlin are also used for the festival.
Related Events
European Film Market
The European Film Market (EFM) is a big event for buying and selling films. It started in 1978. It is one of the three largest film markets in the world. It happens before the Marché du Film in Cannes and the American Film Market.
The EFM is for people in the film industry. About 10,000 film producers, sales agents, and others attend. In 2020, 971 screenings of 732 films took place. The event lasts eight days and is held in several locations. These include the Gropius Bau and Marriott Hotel.
Berlinale Talents
Since 2003, the Berlinale has worked with Berlinale Talents. This is a special program for "up-and-coming filmmakers." It happens at the same time as the festival. About 250 young filmmakers from all over the world are chosen each year.
The event lasts six days. It includes talks and workshops with famous film professionals. Participants also get personal advice and training. Many famous people have given talks, like Park Chan-wook, Frances McDormand, Ridley Scott, and Wim Wenders. Videos and notes from these talks are available online.
Berlinale Co-Production Market
The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a five-day event. It helps filmmakers and money providers connect for international film projects. It was started in the 2000s.
World Cinema Fund
The World Cinema Fund (WCF) is connected to the Berlinale. It helps give money to film projects in countries where the film industry is not very strong. It started in 2004. The goal is to support films with new ideas and strong stories. It also helps show different cultures in German cinemas.
The WCF works with other groups like the Federal Foundation for Culture and the Goethe Institute. It helps films that might not get made without extra money. It supports feature films and documentaries. It focuses on countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
Some films that have received money from the WCF include:
- Paradise Now (2005, Palestine)
- Ajami (2009, Israel/Palestine)
- Harmony Lessons (2013, Kazakhstan)
- Talking About Trees (2019, Sudan, Chad)
Images for kids
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Delphi Filmpalast
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Berlinale Palast (also known as Theater am Potsdamer Platz), main venue since 2000
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Tricia Tuttle, Artistic Director of Berlinale (2024)
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Conference after a screening
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Víctor Clavijo and F. Javier Gutiérrez in discussion with audience, 2008
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Journalists at BIFF in 2008
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Sharon Stone in 2007
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Bai Ling in 2007
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Sophia Myles at Berlinale in 2007
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Clint Eastwood at Berlinale in 2007
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Christopher Lee at Berlinale in 2013
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See also
In Spanish: Festival Internacional de Cine de Berlín para niños
- German Cinema
- Cinema of Europe
- List of films set in Berlin
- World cinema
