The jury and the timing of the festival

Joining jury president Tom Tykwer on the panel this year are Belgian actress Cécile de France, Spanish Filmoteca director Chema Prado, Moonlight producer Adele Romanski, Japanese composer Ryūichi Sakamoto and Time film critic Stephanie Zacharek.

Because of the Winter Olympics, the Berlinale took place later than usual this year - on February 15. It was headed by the German director Tom Tykwer, instead of Dieter Kosslick, who had been in charge of the show since 2001.

Berlinale's rewards

The top prize of the Berlin International Film Festival since 1951 is the Golden Bear, the heraldic symbol of Berlin. The Silver Bear is awarded in the following nominations: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Soundtrack and Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the development of cinema. All rewards are accompanied by cash prizes.

New milestones for the development of the festival

The scandal surrounding the personality of Dieter Kosslick somewhat overshadowed the joyful celebration for the residents of the German capital. At the end of 2017, about 80 famous German filmmakers officially accused the Berlinale director of the fact that over the past 16 years the film festival turned into an insignificant event on the world cinema horizon. However, despite the scandal, the excitement around the world's main "public film festival" did not diminish.

"Isle of Dogs" to open Berlin Film Festival

This year 385 movies were presented to spectators' attention. Wes Anderson´s animation "Isle of Dogs" (UK / Germany) opened the festival. At the closing of the Berlinale, the films of the winners of the previous festival are traditionally shown. Last year it was the Hungarian film "On the body and soul" by Ildiko Enyedi.

Main contest program

Unlike the Cannes Film Festival, the jury of Berlinale pays special attention to the fact that films from all over the world are presented in the festival program. The event traditionally includes 9 sections. This year, 19 out of 24 films competed for the main awards of the festival – Gold and Silver Bears. The other five world premiers did not participate in the contest.

"Dovlatov" movie in the program of the festival

Much is expected of Alexei German Jr's "Dovlatov". The plot is based on several days from the life of a writer experiencing a personal and professional crisis. Events develop in Leningrad in the early 70's, on the eve of the emigration of his friend, the future Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky.

Berlinale Special

The special program features films by outstanding filmmakers, film portraits of famous personalities and pictures of unusual formats. A separate place in the framework of this program is given to serials.

Panorama

The Panorama program shows films that explore social trends (family issues, the study of women' place in the modern world), political (nationalism and radicalism) and cinematic (view from the outside), as well as pictures with original creative vision. One of the main ones in this program was Timur Bekmambetov's "Profile" movie about the journalist who managed to create a fake Network account, registered under a false name, in order to understand how to recruit the young girls from Europe to the terrorist organization “Islamic state".

Forum

This is the most daring section of the festival. Avant-garde and experimental films, political reports, essays and still unknown works of young cinematographers are . The documentary movie "Son" by Alexander Abaturov, whose cousin died in 2013 in Dagestan, was the result of the director's reflections on the Russian army as a whole.

35 of more than 40 movies presented in this program became world premieres.

Berlinale Shorts

Within the framework of this program 5 blocks of documentary and art (or animated) short films are collected. A separate block of films is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the protests of 1968 ("1968 - Red Flags for All!"), which is not about social issues but the aesthetics of that time.

Retrospective

The retrospective is devoted to directors who have made a serious contribution to the history of cinema. Modern films also got their place in the historical context.

In the Berlinale Classics section 7 restored or newly-discovered films, including "The Sky over Berlin" by Wim Wenders and "The Cranes Are Flying" by Mikhail Kalatozov were presented.

The Homage section defines one of the outstanding actors, who receives the honorary Golden Bear of the festival. Ten films with the participation of the distinguished and very productive actor Willem Dafoe became a decoration of the film festival.

A separate block within the framework of this program showed the restored paintings of the early XX century.

Generation

The program features 65 full and 39 short films for spectators under 18 years old. Russia presented a short film by Maria Konevoy "Along and Perfect". Winners of each of the sub-programs got prizes: 7,500 euros for a full-length film and 2,500 euros for a short movie.

Cross-sectional shows provide an opportunity for under-age viewers to watch films from other programs.

Promising German movies

Within the framework of this program, 14 German movies, shot by young directors, were shown. 12 of them became world premieres. In all the tapes there is a feeling that the characters "live a fake life, only playing in adults". And there is a picture of the modern generation at the age of about 30 whose life goes according to a certain plan and often becomes routine.

The documentary movie "Film Wanderungen", summarizing 140 interviews taken from people who live near the Rosa Luxemburg square in the center of Berlin, was of particular interest.

Film Market

Annually, in parallel with the festival within the framework of the Berlinale, the European Film Market is held. This year the market will bring a new film by Kirill Serebrennikov about Victor Tsoe ("Summer"). The director finished the movie already under house arrest.