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 fest ...

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 re ...

. 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. It stars Margaret Qualley, Sigourney Weaver, Douglas Booth, Seá ...

'' 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 win ...

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, 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 ...

, film director (Germany)

Best First Feature Award Jury

The following people were on the jury for the Best First Feature Award: * Ognjen Glavonić, 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 Mahe ...

, 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 Marie Losier (born 1972 in France) is a filmmaker and curator who's worked in New York City for 25 years and has shown her films and videos at museums, galleries, biennials and festivals. Losier studied literature at the University of Nanterre (F ...

, filmmaker and curator (France / United States) *

Alanis Obomsawin Alanis Obomsawin, (born August 31, 1932) is an Abenaki American Canadian filmmaker, singer, artist, and activist primarily known for her documentary films. Born in New Hampshire, United States and raised primarily in Quebec, Canada, she has wri ...

, 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 {{disambiguation ...

, 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 win ...

and

Silver Bear 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 fes ...

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 King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

. The homage was dedicated to Helen Mirren, with Mirren awarded with the

Honorary Golden Bear The Honorary Golden Bear (german: Goldener Ehrenbar) is the Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international fil ...

. 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, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

. 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 ''Never Rarely Sometimes Always'' is a 2020 drama film written and directed by Eliza Hittman. It stars Sidney Flanigan (in her acting debut), Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold and Sharon Van Etten. It had its world premiere at t ...

'' by

Eliza Hittman Eliza Hittman (born December 9, 1979) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer from New York City. She has won multiple awards for her film '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'', which include the New York Film Critics Circle Award ...

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

–

Hong Sang-soo Hong Sang-soo (홍상수, born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Early life Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul. Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department at Chun ...

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 The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...

–

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 ...

'' *

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

–

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 Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo (born 14 July 1988), collectively referred to as the D'Innocenzo brothers, are Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated in productions of note. Biography Twin brothers Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenz ...

for ''

Bad Tales ''Bad Tales'' ( it, Favolacce) is a 2020 Italian-Swiss drama film written and directed by Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festiv ...

'' *

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 at ...

'' by Benoît Delépine 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 – 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 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 ** 2nd Place: '' No Hard Feelings'' by Faraz Shariat ** 3rd Place: '' Hope'' by Maria Sødahl * Panorama Audience Award – Documentaries ** 1st Place: '' Welcome to Chechnya'' by David France ** 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 The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale). In the most part, the jury consists of organisers of gay ...

** 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 s ...

'' by

Tsai Ming-liang Tsai Ming-liang (; born 27 October 1957) is a Malaysian-Taiwanese filmmaker. Tsai has written and directed 11 feature films, many short films, and television films. He is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese ...

FIPRESCI Prize The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

** 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 Bassam Tariq (born October 22, 1986) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter born in Karachi, Pakistan. He co-directed and produced the Sundance-funded documentary ''These Birds Walk'' (2013) with Omar Mullick, and he was named i ...

*** Special Mention: '' All Hands on Deck'' by Guillaume Brac ** 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 *** Special Mention: ''Overtures'' by The Living and the Dead Ensemble ** Encounters: ''The Metamorphosis of Birds'' by Catarina Vasconcelos *

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (french: Prix du Jury Œcuménique) is an independent film award for feature length films shown at major international film festivals since 1973. The award was created by Christian film makers, film critics and ot ...

** Competition: ''

'' by

** Panorama: ''Father'' by Srdan Golubović *** Special Mention: ''Saudi Runaway'' by Susanne Regina Meures * Generation 14Plus ** Crystal Bear for the Best Film: ''Our Lady of the Nile'' by Atiq Rahimi *** 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 appeari ...

'' by Rubika Shah ** 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 Hirosh ...

** 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 Charles Alexandre Rockwell is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and professor. Life and career Alexandre Rockwell is best known for his independent films made in NYC with a small group of actors he met on the lower east side in ...

*** Special Mention: ''H Is for Happiness'' by John Sheedy ** 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'' by Maïmouna Doucouré *** 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