Berlinale starts
February 5, 2015
Many renowned German directors will be showing their latest work at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, opening Thursday (05.02.2015). Wim Wenders will be awarded an Honorary Golden Bear in honor of his lifetime achievement. His latest film will be featured along with a selection of the master's classics.
Oliver Hirschbiegel's drama about Georg Elser's assassination attempt on Hitler will be screened out of competition, as will Margarethe von Trotta's newest film. Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" is among the competing films.
Highlight: Terrence Malick's new film
Festival director Dieter Kosslick also integrated an impressive number of international prominent filmmakers in his program. Praised as one of the greatest living directors, Terrence Malick's name stands out on the list of 19 productions competing for the coveted Golden and Silver Bears.
Other competitors include Spanish director Isabel Coixet, whose film "Nobody Wants the Night" will be opening the festival, British filmmakers Peter Greenaway and Kenneth Branagh, as well as Benoit Jacquot from France and Alexei German from Russia. Chile has two contending films and Guatemala will be represented in the competition for the first time.
Asian films have always been strong in the festival's race: This year's edition includes features from Vietnam, China and Japan.
Dissidents and superstars
The selection of the Iranian film "Taxi" by Jafar Panahi has already infuriated authorities in the filmmaker's homeland. The dissident director manages to make films despite being banned from working and leaving Iran. He has already won awards at past Berlinale festivals.
International stars will also make a stop on the red carpet. Expected this year are, among others, Juliette Binoche, Nicole Kidman, Ben Kingsley, and Robert Pattinson.
A jury of seven members, headed by American director Darren Aronofsky, will select the winners of the Golden and Silver Bears. Aronofsky will be joined by the German actor Daniel Brühl and France's top star Audrey Tautou.
The Peruvian director Claudia Llosa, winner of a Golden Bear in 2009, and US producer Matthew Weiner, creator of the hit series "Mad Men," are also on the panel.
Spotlight on TV series
For the first time this year, a parallel program will also be featuring TV series from Europe, the US and Germany. "The Berlinale is a festival for the public, so it's the right setting to show our audience the best and most exciting series. It's an opportunity to experience them as part of this festival," said Kosslick.
The Berlinale is following a TV trend which has already been established at other international film festivals.
Alongside the competition, Forum and Panorama are the two most important sections of the festival, screening premieres from all over the world - often independent productions with politically and socially committed themes. The Generation section presents films for children and teenagers.
Glorious Technicolor
This year's Retrospective section, which features milestones of film history, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the legendary Technicolor film process by showing 30 classics, as well as a variety of unknown gems. Many of these films will be shown in a new restored version.
The classic German silent film "Varieté" underwent extensive restoration and will be premiered during the festival.
The European Film Market, a gathering reserved for industry specialists, also takes place during the festival. Film buyers and sellers will meet in the Martin-Gropius-Bau exhibition hall to negotiate rights to the newest films.
The screenings at the marketplace will feature premieres as well as sneak previews of works which are still in post-production. Over 8,000 professionals are expected to attend.
'Fifty Shades of Grey' at the Berlinale
The Berlinale's official program is also used by many major distribution and production companies, especially those from Hollywood, to promote their new films. The adaptation of the world bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey" will enjoy a glitzy presentation the day before it opens in all German cinemas.
Altogether, 441 films from 72 countries will be shown from February 5 to 15, adding up to over a thousand film presentations within 11 days.
Up-and-coming filmmakers will find inspiration during the Berlinale Talents event, a series of workshops mentored by prominent film creators.
A festival for the public
The awards will be handed out in a ceremony on Saturday, February 14. The screenings during the last day are exclusively for the pleasure of the public.
Beyond the official festival venues, Berlinale Goes Kiez sends out a selection of its program along with presentations by filmmakers in different neighborhood cinemas in the city.