Berlinale

About

Berlin: an exciting, cosmopolitan cultural hub that never ceases to attract artists from around the world. A diverse cultural scene, a critical public and an audience of film-lovers characterise the city. In the middle of it all, the Berlinale: a great cultural event and one of the most important dates for the international film industry. Around 300,000 sold tickets, more than 19,000 professional visitors from 115 countries, including 4,000 journalists: art, glamour, parties and business are all inseparably linked at the Berlinale.

Awards

Main awards: 

Golden Bear (Goldener Bär):

• Best Motion Picture (since 1951)
• Lifetime Achievement (Honorary Golden Bear) (since 1982)

Silver Bear (Silberner Bär).

• Jury Grand Prix (since 1965),
• Best Director (since 1956),
• Best Actor (since 1956),
• Best Actress (since 1956),
• Best Short Film (since 1956),
• Outstanding Artistic Achievement (since 1978),
• Best Film Music (since 2002),
• Best Screenplay (since 2008).

Other awards at the Berlin International Film Festival:

• 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.

Rules

• Date of completion: within the 12 months prior to festival;
• World or International premieres are given priority;
• Accepted formats for Competition section: DCP, 35mm, 70mm, 3D (depending on the theatre);
• Accepted formats for Panorama, Forum and Generation sections: DCP, QuickTime ProRes 422, HDCAM or 35mm (depending on the theatre);
• Accepted formats for Berlinale Shorts section: DCP, QuickTime ProRes 422, HDCAM or 35mm.

The festival does not present television formats, industry films or commercials. German films need to  be world premieres, except those submitted to Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

Additional Information

Shipping of prints, tapes and DVDs

• The full cost of sending screening media for selection, including customs fees and insurance of all prints, as well as their return freight, must be borne by the producer or his authorised representatives. The festival is only responsible for the costs of storage and insurance of films while they are on the premises of the festival in Berlin;
• Tapes and DVDs should be marked ‘Sample’;
• All 35mm prints originating outside the European Single Market – regardless of whether they are submitted for selection or invited to participate in the festival – are subject to rules governing temporary imports. It is recommended that they are sent via the festival‘s shipping agent who will handle temporary import of the prints into Germany. Film prints handled by the festival‘s shipping agent can only be returned by air freight through the same. Costs of temporary import must be borne by the producer or his authorised representative.

Liability of the festival

In case of damage or loss of a print, either during the selection process or during the festival itself, the festival is liable only for the cost of striking a new print at the rate charged by film laboratories for ordering a standard print.

Return of film prints and tapes/DVDs

• Provided the entry fees have been paid, film prints will be returned by the Festival or its shipping agent according to the print owner’s instructions on cash on delivery basis. All transportation costs are the responsibility of the entrant. All prints imported temporarily into Germany by the festival‘s shipping agent must be exported by the same and by air freight;
• All tapes and DVDs submitted for selection will be returned only at the express wish of the owner and at the owner’s expense. Requests for return of material can be made to films@berlinale.de up to six months after the festival;
• Upon explicit demand, the submitted material may also be destroyed by the festival. In this case it is similarly necessary to send the respective instruction to films@berlinale.de within six months after the festival;
• After this period all unfinished versions of films will be deleted and the remaining media will be archived in the reference collections of Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen for the sole purpose of onsite documentation and research – excluding any loan or public presentation, in order to protect the interests of the filmmakers and the producers.

Entry fees

Films will only be considered for selection after the entry fee is received. The fee for submitting a long film is € 150 (7% VAT included) regardless of the number of sections for which the film is entered. The fee for short films is € 60.

Means of payment

• Payment of the entry fee is to be effected by credit card during the online submission;
• Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted;
• There are special conditions for filmschools and film institutes. Please contact the programme organisation at programme@berlinale.de for further details.

Programming

Programming is at the sole discretion of the Directors of each festival section and their decision is final and irrevocable. Each film may be screened up to five times during the festival.

Participants’ obligations

• No film selected may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its publication. During the festival no film selected may be screened outside the Festival venues before its official presentation at the festival;
• Participation in the festival requires the unconditional adherence to its regulations as set out here. Producers, distributors or other organisations submitting a film must ensure that they are legitimately entitled to enter a film in the festival. Please note that each festival section has its own terms and conditions of entry;
• The festival director reserves the right to settle any case not covered by these regulations.

Submit online film entry.

Subtitles language: english and/or german 

Premiere Requirements

World premiere required.

Jury and Organizers

Festival Director
Director, Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin
Dieter Kosslick

Programme Manager Competition & Berlinale Special
Lorna Bösel

Programme Coordination Competition & Series
Judith Klein

Assistant to Festival Director
Sabine Gebauer

Assistant to Festival Director
Johanna Glaser

Berlinale Curator
Thomas Hailer