Berlin International Film Festival (Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin)

Berlin International Film Festival

Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin

Also known as: Berlinale
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The Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, takes place in Berlin every February and is run by Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin (KBB). It was founded in 1951, at the start of the Cold War, as a “showcase of the free world” for the Berlin public, and has developed into a platform for critical films on social issues. Around 200 films are shown each year in sections that include the Competition, Berlinale Special, Perspectives for first fiction features, Panorama, Forum and Forum Expanded, Generation, Berlinale Shorts, and the Retrospective with Berlinale Classics.

In the Competition, the International Jury awards the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears. Berlinale Shorts, the short film competition, has its own Golden and Silver Bear. Generation, which began in 1978 as the Kinderfilmfest, runs the Kplus and 14plus competitions, where juries of children and teenagers award the Crystal Bears. The industry programme Berlinale Pro brings together the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents and the World Cinema Fund. The dates for the 77th edition are 10–21 February 2027.

Country

Germany

Categories

Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Short

Dates

10 February 2027 — 21 February 2027

Awards and prizes

Competition (International Jury): Golden Bear for Best Film; Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize; Silver Bear Jury Prize; Silver Bear for Best Director; Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance; Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance; Silver Bear for Best Screenplay; Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution. Berlinale Shorts (International Short Film Jury): Golden Bear for Best Short Film; Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film); Berlinale Shorts CUPRA Filmmaker Award; Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards. Generation (2027): Crystal Bears for Best Film in the feature-length Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions, awarded by the Children's Jury and the Youth Jury, with Honourable Mentions for notable achievements. Generation Shorts is non-competitive. Other awards: Best First Feature Award (Perspectives); Berlinale Documentary Award; Panorama Audience Awards; Honorary Golden Bear; Berlinale Camera; further prizes including the Teddy Awards, the Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.

Festival rules

For the 2027 edition, films are submitted through the online film entry system, with one application covering multiple sections. New films must be completed within the 12 months before the festival and must not have been submitted to a previous edition. Films already broadcast on television or presented online or on VOD are ineligible. World premieres are preferred; the minimum premiere requirement depends on the section. German premieres alone do not qualify. Feature films must run at least 60 minutes including credits. Berlinale Shorts accepts films up to 30 minutes; Generation accepts shorts up to 20 minutes and features of at least 60 minutes. European premieres are considered by Perspectives, Panorama, Generation and Forum. Competition and Berlinale Shorts require at least an international premiere, with German productions requiring a world premiere. Berlinale Classics has separate eligibility requirements for new restorations. Selection screeners must be uploaded in the original language with English subtitles unless the original language is English. Films must have reached picture lock, and uploaded screeners cannot be replaced. Submitters must hold the necessary rights. Selected films require written acceptance, final screening materials and supporting information; they cannot be withdrawn after their participation is publicly announced. Section-specific regulations and technical requirements also apply.

Contacts

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