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Berlin International Film Festival
Berlinale poster 2006
Location	Berlin, Germany
Founded	1951
Awards	Golden/Silver Bear
Number of films	392 (866 screenings) from 58 countries in 2010
Official website

The Berlin International Film Festival (German: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events.^[1] It is held in Berlin, Germany.^[2] Founded in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide.^[3][4] Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world. Around twenty films compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears. Since 2001 the director of the festival has been Dieter Kosslick.^[5][6]

The European Film Market (EFM), a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit once a year.^[7] The trade fair serves distributors, filmbuyers, producers, financiers and co-production agents. The Berlinale Talent Campus, a week long series of lectures and workshops, gathers young filmmakers from around the globe. It partners with the festival itself and is considered to be a forum for upcoming artists.^[8]

The festival, the EFM and other satellite events are attended by around 20,000 professionals from over 130 countries.^[9] More than 4200 journalists are responsible for the media exposure in over 110 countries.^[10] At high-profile feature film premieres, movie stars and celebrities are present at the red carpet.^[11] The Berlinale has established a cosmopolitan character integrating art, glamour, commerce and a global media attention.^[12]

The 60th Berlin International Film Festival was held 12 to 21 February 2010. The jury was presided by Werner Herzog.^[13][14][15]

Awards

A Silver Bear statue

The Golden Bear (German: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Golden Bear (Goldener Bär)

• Best Motion Picture
• Lifetime Achievement ("Honorary Golden Bear")

Silver Bear (Silberner Bär)

• Jury Grand Prix
• Best Director
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Screenplay
• Best film music
• Extraordinary achievement by a single artist
• Grand Prize of the Jury (Short film award)

Others

• Panorama Publikumspreis, the Audience Award
• Berlinale Camera, a special award for services to the Festival
• A Crystal Bear for the Best Film in the 14plus section of the Generation Competition
• A Crystal Bear for the Best Film in the children's section of the Generation Competition
• Teddy Award for films with LGBT topics
• Shooting Stars Award for young European acting talent, awarded by European Film Promotion

Festival programme

Venues of the festival are spread throughout the central city districts

The Berlinale Palast is the venue for the competition premieres

Cate Blanchett at the Red Carpet

The festival is composed of seven different film sections.^[16] 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 which have 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.^[17]

Panorama - comprises new independent and arthouse films which deal with "controversial subjects or unconventional aesthetic styles". Films in the category are intended to provoke discussion, and have historically involved themes such as gay, lesbian and transgendered issues.^[18]

Forum - comprises experimental 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.^[19]

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 (aimed at those aged four and above) and Generation 14plus (aimed at those aged fourteen and above). 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 independent of one another.^[20]

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.^[21]

Berlinale Shorts - comprises domestic and international short films, especially those which 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.^[22]

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.^[23]

In addition to the seven sections, the Berlinale also contains several linked "curated special series", including the Berlinale Special, Gala Special, Forum Expanded, Culinary Cinema and the Homage.^[16]

European Film Market

Der European Film Market takes place at the Martin-Gropius-Bau.

The European Film Market (EFM) is one of three largest movie markets in the world.^[24] It is the business centre during the time of the Berlinale Film Festival. The EFM is the major venue for film producers, buyers, financiers, sales agents and distributors. It is a professional trade event and is open to registered industry insiders. In 2010, 414 companies registered and 2,714 market badges were issued. 1,339 buyers have registered.^[25]

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 is showing market screenings in 3D using digital RealD technology.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a 3 day networking platform for producers, financiers as well as broadcasting and funding representatives who are participating in international co-productions. At the Berlinale Co-Production Market, producers can introduce pre-selected projects and find co-production partners and/or financiers in one-on-one meetings.

Talent Campus

Wim Wenders has often attended the Talent Campus as a lecturer

Commencing in 2003, the Berlinale has partnered with the Berlinale Talent Campus, which is a winter school for "up and coming filmmakers" that takes place at the same time as the festival itself. The Talent Campus accepts about 350 applicants each year; the attendees come from around the world, and represent all of the filmmaking professions.^[26]

The event runs 6 days during the Berlinale and features lectures and panel discussions with well know professionals addressing issues in filmmaking today. 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,^[27] who have included Park Chan-wook, Frances McDormand, Stephen Frears, Dennis Hopper, Jia Zhangke, Walter Murch, Shah Rukh Khan, 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 videorecordings and transcripts, on the Talent Campus' website.

Gallery

Potsdamer Platz houses two large multiplex cinemas	Around 20.000 professionals from over 130 countries attend the festival every year	Sharon Stone at the Premiere of "When a man falls in the forest"	Kino International is one of three ticketing centers
Cubix Kino at Alexanderplatz	The audience has the opportunity to discuss the film with producers & directors after the presentation	Conference after a screenings	In 2009, the Friedrichstadtpalast became a cinema location
Jury president 2005, Roland Emmerich	Delphi Filmpalast	Clint Eastwood, 2007	Jury president 2010, Werner Herzog

References

External links

• Official website
• Featured Film at Berlin Film Festival
• Berlinale Talent Campus homepage
• Berlin International Film Festival at the Internet Movie Database
• Berlin Life: An introduction to the Berlin Film Festival
• Review of the 2006 Berlin Film Festival
• Signandsight about the director Dieter Kosslick
• Lathrios Film Festival Database Lathrios listing for the Berlin International Film Festival including a film list and an analysis