The 70th annual

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

took place from 20 February to 1 March 2020. It was the first under the leadership of new Berlin Film Festival heads, business administration director Mariette Rissenbeek and artistic director

Carlo Chatrian Carlo Chatrian is an Italian journalist and the artistic director of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). Biography Carlo Chatrian graduated in Literature and Philosophy from Turin University in 1994. As a film critic he works reg ...

. The festival opened with the opening gala presented by actor

Samuel Finzi Samuel Finzi ( Bulgarian: Самуел Финци; born 20 January 1966) is a Bulgarian-German actor. Since his start in the late 1980s, he has hundreds of film, television, and theatrical credits. Between 1993 and 2011, he received ten acting a ...

followed by the world premiere of the film ''

My Salinger Year ''My Salinger Year'' (also known as ''My New York Year'') is a 2020 drama film written and directed by Philippe Falardeau, based upon the memoir of the same name by Joanna Rakoff Joanna Rakoff (born May 8, 1972) is an American novelist and memo ...

'' which was selected for the Berlinale Special section. The

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...

was awarded to the Iranian film ''

There Is No Evil ''There Is No Evil'' ( fa, شیطان وجود ندارد, lit=Satan doesn't exist, ') is a 2020 Persian-language drama film directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. Banned in Iran, the film relates four stories concerning the death penalty in Iran. Pl ...

'', directed by

Mohammad Rasoulof Mohammad Rasoulof ( fa, محمد رسول‌اف; born 16 November 1972) is an Iranian independent filmmaker. He is known for several award-winning films, including his first, '' The Twilight'' (2002); '' Iron Island'' (2005); '' Manuscripts Don ...

Jury

Main competition

The following were on the jury for the Berlinale Competition section: International jury *

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

, actor (United Kingdom) - Jury President *

Bérénice Bejo Bérénice Bejo (; born 7 July 1976) is a French-Argentine actress best known for playing Christiana in ''A Knight's Tale'' (2001) and Peppy Miller in '' The Artist'' (2011). Her work in the latter earned her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

, actress (France / Argentina) * Bettina Brokemper, producer (Germany) *

Annemarie Jacir Annemarie Jacir ( ar, آن ماري جاسر) is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer. Career Filmmaker She has been working in independent cinema since 1998 and has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning films. Two o ...

, filmmaker and poet (Palestine) *

Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ' ...

, playwright and filmmaker (United States) *

Luca Marinelli Luca Marinelli (born 22 October 1984) is an Italian actor. He is best known for the roles of Guido in ''Every Blessed Day'' (2012), Andrea in ''The Great Beauty'' (2013), Cesare in ''Don't Be Bad'' (2015), The Gipsy in ''They Call Me Jeeg'' (201 ...

, actor (Italy) *

Kleber Mendonça Filho Kleber Mendonça Filho (; born 3 November 1968) is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter, producer, and critic. Life and career With a degree in journalism from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Kleber Mendonça Filho began his career as ...

, film director, screenwriter, producer and film critic (Brazil)

Encounters Awards Jury

The following people were on the jury for the Encounters Awards: *

Shōzō Ichiyama Shōzō, Shozo, Shouzou or Shohzoh (written: 昭三, 省三, 省蔵, 省太, 正三, 正蔵 or 昌三) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese judoka *, Japanese historian *, Japanese comedian and voic ...

, producer (Japan) * Dominga Sotomayor, film director, writer and producer (Chile) *

Eva Trobisch Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...

, film director (Germany)

Best First Feature Award Jury

The following people were on the jury for the Best First Feature Award: *

Ognjen Glavonić Ognjen ( sr-Cyrl, Огњен, ) is a Slavic given name derived from word ''oganj'' meaning "fire" and may refer to: *Ognjen Amidžić, Serbian TV host * Ognjen Aškrabić (born 1979), Serbian professional basketball player *Ognjen Cvitan (born 1961 ...

, film director and writer (Serbia) *

Hala Lotfy Hala Lotfy (born 1973) is an Egyptian film director and producer. She graduated from the Cairo Film Institute in 1999. She is best known for her debut feature film ''Al Khorug lel Nahar'' (''Coming Forth By Day'', 2012) which starred Donia Maher ...

, film director, producer and founder of Hassala Films (Egypt) *

Gonzalo de Pedro Amatria Gonzalo may refer to: * Gonzalo (name) * Gonzalo, Dominican Republic, a small town * Isla Gonzalo, a subantarctic island operated by the Chilean Navy * Hurricane Gonzalo, 2014 See also * Gonzalez (disambiguation) * Gonzales (disambiguation) * ...

, film scholar (Spain)

Documentary Award Jury

The following people were on the jury for the Berlinale Documentary film award: *

Gerd Kroske Gerd or GERD may refer to: * Gerd (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Gerd (moon), a moon of Saturn * Gerd Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Gastroesophageal reflux disease, a chronic symptom of mucosal damage ...

, filmmaker (Germany) * Marie Losier, filmmaker and curator (France / United States) * Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker, singer and artist (Canada)

International Short Film Jury

The following people were on the jury for the Berlinale Shorts section: *

Réka Bucsi Réka is a Hungarian female given name. It is of Hun descent, originally being Kreka, possibly derived from the Turkic Arikan. Over time it changed into Réka. Although it is very difficult to find an affectionate form, there are some which ar ...

, filmmaker (Hungary) *

Fatma Çolakoğlu Fatma may refer to: *Fatima (given name) *Fatma (surname) *Fatma (TV series), a 2021 Turkish miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is anot ...

, curator (Turkey) *

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (born 17 Jan 1980) is a Mosotho screenwriter, film director and visual artist. He lives in Berlin.Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...

and Silver Bear awards:

Encounters

The following films were selected for the new Encounters section:

Panorama

The following films were selected for the Panorama section:

Panorama Dokumente

The following films were selected for the Panorama Dokumente section:

Berlinale Special

The following films were selected for the Berlinale Special section:

Berlinale Shorts

The following films were selected for the Berlinale shorts section:

Other sections

The Berlinale retrospective included more than 30 films by Hollywood filmmaker King Vidor. The homage was dedicated to

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

, with Mirren awarded with the Honorary Golden Bear. The ''Berlinale Camera'' was awarded to

Ulrike Ottinger Ulrike Ottinger (born 6 June 1942) is a German filmmaker and photographer. Early life From 1959 she was a visiting student at the Academy of Arts in Munich and worked as a painter. Her mother, Maria Weinberg, was a journalist and her father, Ul ...

followed by the world premiere of Ottinger's documentary ''Paris Calligrammes''. The Series section, introduced in 2015, is devoted to longform

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

. In 2020, there were two Australian entries: '' Stateless'' and '' Mystery Road'' Series 2.

Awards

The following prizes were awarded: *

– ''

'' by

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (also Jury Grand Prix, Grand Prize of the Jury) is an award given by the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival to one of the feature films in competition. It is the runner-up to the Golden Bear prize an ...

– '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'' by Eliza Hittman * Silver Bear for Best Director – Hong Sang-soo for ''

The Woman Who Ran ''The Woman Who Ran'' () is a 2020 South Korean drama film written, produced, directed, edited and scored by Hong Sang-soo. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 70th Berlin International Film Fe ...

'' * Silver Bear for Best Actress –

Paula Beer Paula Beer (; born 23 February 1995 in Mainz) is a German actress. She first became known as a teenager for her main role in Chris Kraus' 2010 film ''Poll''. Her breakthrough was in 2016, when she starred in François Ozon's '' Frantz'' (2016), f ...

for ''

Undine Undines (; also ondines) are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern li ...

'' * Silver Bear for Best Actor –

Elio Germano Elio Germano (born 25 September 1980) is an Italian actor. He is the recipient of many accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and a Silver Bear for Best Actor. Life and career Born in Rome to a Molisan family from Duro ...

for '' Hidden Away'' *

Silver Bear for Best Script The Silver Bear for Best Screenplay (german: Silberner Bär/Bestes Drehbuch) is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in Screenwriting. Winners See also * Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay References Ex ...

– Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo for '' Bad Tales'' * Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution – Jürgen Jürges for cinematography in '' DAU. Natasha'' * Silver Bear 70th Berlinale – ''

Delete History ''Delete History'' (french: Effacer l'historique) is a 2020 French-Belgian comedy film co-produced, written and directed by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section a ...

'' by

Benoît Delépine Benoît Delépine (born 30 August 1958) is a French comedian and film director. He is known for his satirical activities on TV channel Canal+. Director of the TV program '' Guignols de l'info'' for many years, he currently writes TV programs abo ...

and

Gustave Kervern Gustave Kervern (born 27 August 1962), also known as Gustave de Kervern and Gustave K/Vern, is a French actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for his collaboration with Benoît Delépine. Life and career In 2004 he wrote, directed, ...

Golden Bear for Best Short Film The Short Film Golden Bear () is the most important award in the short film competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. Awards External links Berlinale website
{{Berlin International Film Festival Berlin International Film Festiv ...

– Keisha Rae Witherspoon for ''T'' * Best First Feature – Camilo Restrepo for ''Los conductos'' * Encounters ** Best Film — ''The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)'' by C.W. Winter & Anders Edström ** Best Director —

Cristi Puiu Cristi Puiu (; born 3 April 1967) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. With Anca Puiu and Alex Munteanu, in 2004 he founded a cinema production company, naming it Mandragora. Early life, education and career Cristian Emilian Puiu wa ...

for ''Malmkrog'' ** Special Jury Award — ''The Trouble with Being Born'' by Sandra Wollner ** Special Mention — ''Isabella'' by Matías Piñeiro * Panorama Audience Award ** 1st Place: ''Father'' by

Srdan Golubović Srdan Golubović ( sr-cyr, Срдан Голубовић; born August 24, 1972) is a Serbian film director. Biography Golubović's father was a film director Predrag Golubović. His first feature film '' Absolute 100'' participated in main prog ...

** 2nd Place: '' No Hard Feelings'' by Faraz Shariat ** 3rd Place: ''

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

'' by Maria Sødahl * Panorama Audience Award – Documentaries ** 1st Place: ''

Welcome to Chechnya ''Welcome to Chechnya'' is a 2020 documentary film by American reporter, author and documentarian David France.Mike Fleming, Jr"HBO Documentary Films Lands Sundance-Bound ‘Welcome To Chechnya’, About Harsh Plight Of LGBTQ Community In Russia ...

'' by

David France David Harry France, (born 30 June 1948) is an author, football historian and philanthropist. Throughout the past two decades, he has been the driving force behind numerous initiatives related to Everton Football Club including Gwladys Street's H ...

** 2nd Place: ''Saudi Runaway'' by Susanne Regina Meures ** 3rd Place: ''Little Girl'' by

Sébastien Lifshitz Sébastien Lifshitz (born 21 January 1968) is a French screenwriter and director. He teaches at La Fémis, a school that focuses on the subject of image and sound. He studied at the École du Louvre, and has a bachelor's degree from the Universit ...

* Teddy Award ** Best Feature Film: '' No Hard Feelings (Futur drei)'' by Faraz Shariat ** Best Documentary/Essay Film: '' If It Were Love (Si c'était de l'amour)'' by Patric Chiha ** Best Short Film: ''Playback'' by Agustina Comedi ** Special Jury Award: ''

Days A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two solar ...

'' by Tsai Ming-liang * FIPRESCI Prize ** Competition: ''

'' by Christian Petzold ** Panorama: ''

Mogul Mowgli ''Mogul Mowgli'' is a 2020 drama film directed by Bassam Tariq, and written by Tariq and Riz Ahmed. It stars Ahmed and features Aiysha Hart, Alyy Khan, Sudha Bhuchar, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Anjana Vasan. It tells the story of a British-Pakistani r ...

'' by Bassam Tariq *** Special Mention: '' All Hands on Deck'' by

Guillaume Brac Guillaume Brac (born 1977) is a French film director from Paris. He has directed films such as '' Tonnerre'', ''July Tales'', ''Treasure Island'', and '' À L'abordage''. Early life Guillaume Brac was born in 1977 in Paris, France. He graduated f ...

** Forum: ''

The Twentieth Century ''The Twentieth Century'' was a documentary television program sponsored by the Prudential Insurance Company that ran on the CBS network from 20 October 1957 until 4 January 1970. It was hosted by Walter Cronkite. The opening and closing theme ...

'' by

Matthew Rankin Matthew Rankin is a Canadian experimental filmmaker. He is most noted for his 2014 film '' Mynarski Death Plummet'', which was a shortlisted Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Live Action Short Drama at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards and a s ...

*** Special Mention: ''Overtures'' by The Living and the Dead Ensemble ** Encounters: ''The Metamorphosis of Birds'' by Catarina Vasconcelos * Prize of the Ecumenical Jury ** Competition: ''

'' by

** Panorama: ''Father'' by

*** Special Mention: ''Saudi Runaway'' by Susanne Regina Meures * Generation 14Plus ** Crystal Bear for the Best Film: ''Our Lady of the Nile'' by

Atiq Rahimi Atiq Rahimi ( fa, عتیق رحیمی) (born 26 February 1962 in Kabul) is a French-Afghan writer and filmmaker. Life Atiq Rahimi was born in 1962 in Kabul to a senior public servant and attended high school in Lycée Esteqlal. Following the So ...

*** Special Mention: ''

White Riot "White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, released as the band's first single in March 1977 and also included on their self-titled debut album. Versions There are two versions of the song: the single version (also appearin ...

'' by

Rubika Shah Rubika fa, سوپرپیام‌رسان اپلیکیشن روبیکا is a proprietary, cross-platform Iranian messaging app. It is sponsored by the Government of Iran and the public-private mobile telecommunications companies Tusca holding, Mo ...

** Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film: '' Mutts'' by

Halima Ouardiri Halima Ouardiri is a Swiss-Canadian film director, producer, and screenwriter.Ismaël Houdassine"Une vie de chien avec « Clebs » de Halima Ouardiri" Radio Canada International, February 21, 2020. Career Ouardiri first garnered acclaim for her ...

*** Special Mention: '' Goodbye Golovin'' by Mathieu Grimard ** Grand Prix of the Generation 14Plus International Jury for the Best Film: ''My Name Is Baghdad'' by Caru Alves de Souza *** Special Mention: ''Voices in the Wind'' by

Nobuhiro Suwa is a Japanese film director working in Japan and France. His directorial works and screenplays often make use of improvisation techniques. Currently, Suwa is the President of Tokyo Zokei University. Biography Having graduated from Hiroshima ...

** Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film: ''Mutts'' by Halima Ouardiri *** Special Mention: ''White Winged Horse'' by Mahyar Mandegar * Generation KPlus ** Crystal Bear for Best Film: ''Sweet Thing'' by Alexandre Rockwell *** Special Mention: ''H Is for Happiness'' by

John Sheedy John Sheedy (born 1959) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a goalkeeper with the Tipperary senior team. Born in Portroe, County Tipperary, Sheedy first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up wi ...

** Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film: ''The Name of the Son'' by Martina Matzkin *** Special Mention: ''Miss'' by Amira Géhanne Khalfallah ** The Grand Prix of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Film: ''The Wolves'' by Samuel Kishi Leopo *** Special Mention: ''

Cuties ''Cuties'' (french: Mignonnes) is a 2020 French coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré in her feature directorial debut. The film's ensemble cast is led by Fathia Youssouf who portrays Amy, a Senegalese-French gi ...

'' by

Maïmouna Doucouré Maïmouna Doucouré (; born 1985) is a French filmmaker. She made her feature film directorial debut with ''Cuties'' in 2020 and became a controversial figure globally after the film's international release on Netflix. On 8 March 2019 coinciding ...

*** Special Mention: ''Mum, Mum, Mum'' by Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière ** Special Prize of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Short Film: ''The Name of the Son'' by Martina Matzkin *** Special Mention: ''The Kites'' by Seyed Payam Hosseini * Caligari Film Prize ** Prize Winner: ''Victoria'' by Sofie Benoot, Liesbeth De Ceulaer and Isabelle Tollenaere * Heiner Carow Prize ** Prize Winner: ''Garagenvolk'' by Natalija Yefimkina * Compass-Perspektive-Award ** Prize Winner: ''Walchensee Forever'' by Janna Ji Wonders * Kompagnon-Fellowship ** Perspektive Deutsches Kino: ''111'' by Hristiana Rykova ** Berlinale Talents: ''Arctic Link'' by Ian Purnell

References

External links

Berlin International Film Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berlin International Film Festival, 70th 70 2020 film festivals 2020 in Berlin 2020 festivals in Europe 2020 in German cinema