The 2020 Berlinale marks the 70th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. The anniversary festival (February 20 – March 01, 2020) will also be the first festival headed by director duo Mariette Rissenbeek (Executive Director) and Carlo Chatrian (Artistic Director). The 2020 festival poster was created by the renowned Berlin design agency State. The key visual’s clear graphic design and bright colours shine a light on the 70th anniversary.

“It’s a very special honour for us as the new directors to start directly with such a great anniversary. We would like to keep the Berlinale as a festival for the public and for Berlin and we’re looking forward to new encounters and fresh perspectives,” said the new director duo. “The 70th Berlinale should be the beginning of increased exchange with other cultural locations and institutions.”

Events in cooperation with the Volksbühne, Maxim Gorki Theatre, the Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts), Philharmonie Berlin and the German Film Academy will take place in the form of concerts, film presentations, podium discussions and exhibitions – involving artists like Fatih Akin, Danny Elfman, Alexander Kluge and Oleg Sentsov. This will happen during the first half of February, serving as a countdown to the festival which will kick off with the opening on February 20, 2020. In addition to fostering artistic debate, one of the Berlinale’s goals, as a large event, is to question topics such as sustainability and ecology. This is why the festival is supporting a film competition with school students on the subjects of waste reduction and city cleanliness, initiated by the BSR (Berliner Stadtreinigung – Berlin waste management). See the list of all events here.

Dialogue at “On Transmission”

During the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, the anniversary will be celebrated with the special programme “On Transmission”. Carlo Chatrian has invited seven notable directors who will in turn each bring a guest: “‘On Transmission’ was created with the desire to not only present important, timeless films from the festival’s history, but also to connect them with others. Thanks to the contributions of seven directors who left a special impression on the festival, we created a programme whose focal point is exchange in the form of a conversation between two directors,” said Carlo Chatrian.

Sharing stories, experiences and knowledge: every great film that has influenced cinema history takes something from the past, processes it and presents it in a new way for the next generation. Artists do not work in isolation; their work is the result of their own capabilities and techniques of filtering the works of others.

Each conversation will be framed by two film screenings: the film by the contributing director and a contemporary work by their chosen director. The venue will be the Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts) on Hanseatenweg.

The following directors will enter into dialogue for “On Transmission”:
Ang Lee (Taiwan) – Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan)
Claire Denis (France) – Olivier Assayas (France)
Ildikó Enyedi (Hungary) – Zsófia Szilágyi (Hungary)
Jia Zhang-ke (People’s Republic of China) – Huo Meng (People’s Republic of China)
Margarethe von Trotta (Germany) – Ina Weisse (Germany)
Paolo Taviani (Italy) – Carlo Sironi (Italy)
Roy Andersson (Sweden) – Niki Lindroth von Bahr (Sweden)

Berlinale History

For its 70th anniversary, the Berlinale is on the lookout for its biggest fans: people who already know the festival well and wouldn’t miss special events, experiences and the Berlinale for the world. They are asked to tell their story.